German and European antitrust law
- Merger control: assessment of notification requirements worldwide for envisaged transactions, notification of concentrations with the German Federal Cartel Office and the European Commission, negotiation and execution of remedies, coordination of multiple jurisdiction filings.
- Public antitrust investigations: legal advice with regard to the preparation and execution of leniency applications worldwide, counselling during public investigation / preliminary proceedings, assisting companies with replies to requests for information, settlement procedure, appeals against prohibition/fining decisions before the national courts in Germany and the European Courts in Luxembourg.
- Private antitrust litigation: evaluation of existence and scope of potential damages, identification of suitable forums and optimal legal action, settlement negotiations, legal representation before arbitral and state courts in Germany and abroad.
- Antitrust-Compliance: ombudsman-services / whistle-blowing-hotline, antitrust compliance audits, design and implementation of compliance structures tailored to the companies’ individual antitrust exposure, preparation of antitrust guidelines, antitrust training for company executives and employees.
- Abuse of dominance: counselling with regard to exploitative pricing issues in particular in grid-bound industries, access to essential facilities in the form of infrastructure installations or intellectual property rights, legal advice on potentially abusive commercial practices such as rebate systems, exclusive dealing, bundling/tying or predatory pricing.
- Distribution agreements: drafting of distribution agreements within and outside the scope of applicability of block exemption regulations, selective distribution systems, agency / dealership agreements, internet sales, litigation of commercial disputes before arbitral and state courts relating to antitrust issues in distribution agreements.
- Cooperation agreements: antitrust counselling with regard to the foundation, structuring and operation of joint ventures, antitrust issues relating to trade association activities, joint purchasing agreements, joint research and development agreements, consortiums, production- and specialisation agreements.
