Netflix may not yet be interested in my tales of Lotte, the fearless competition lawyer (maybe because they are too busy with their own merger, their Christmas movie offering could definitively use better movies), but that will not stop me from continuing the saga for the admittedly small group of fans out there, demonstrating that … Continue reading Do you believe in Santa Claus? →

A few years ago, sustainability cooperations seemed to be the next big thing in antitrust. Today, however, it’s clear that some disillusionment has set in. The number of publicaly known cooperations offically justified by sustainability considerations is still very limited. Now, sustainability cooperations seem to encounter new headwind from the United States. Time to alert … Continue reading Antitrust and ESG – different views and resulting new risks →

Most of the time on this blog, the focus is on new cases and the latest developments in antitrust. Today, though, I want to turn the spotlight on the profession itself. With AI systems now capable of drafting contracts, spotting compliance issues, and even producing blog posts, it is fair to ask: Are antitrust lawyers … Continue reading Will AI replace antitrust lawyers in the (near) future? →

Last week, the Higher Regional Court of Düsseldorf overturned a decision by the German Federal Cartel Office (FCO) due to a formal violation of the law. While the full decision has not yet been published, a prior preliminary injunction provides insight into what is likely the court’s main reasoning. Among other points, the court criticized … Continue reading About the German FCO and its case files →

Every now and then a company has the courage (and the resources) to challenge a dawn raid by the European Commission in court (see a collection of past cases here). Latest example is Michelin, who challenged a dawn raid conducted by the Commission (supported by the French Competition Authority) in January 2024. The judgement of … Continue reading About dawn raids and market communication →

As some of you may have seen on social media, I had the opportunity to attend the European Competition Lawyers Association (ECLA) conference in Mallorca last week. One of the case studies discussed during the event sparked the idea for this post: It focused on non-poach agreements within the context of cooperations, such as subcontracting … Continue reading Are non-poach agreements in cooperations in line with competition law? A few observations. →

We have all been there: Searching for a specific product or brand on an online search engine, only to see competitive products or brands pop up in the search results. As a dedicated antitrust practitioner with a clear goal in mind (which is why you are reading this blog), this might not affect you. However, … Continue reading Whoever seeks will (not) find →

Recently, we have summarized the positions of various political parties in Germany regarding the upcoming election, which will be held this Sunday (see here). Although neither antitrust nor FDI are likely to be decisive factors for voters, I have examined the parties' stances on FDI. To provide some context, this post first summarises the latest … Continue reading German Foreign Investment Control: Recent Statistics and Future Outlook →

You wonder why my last Christmas story did not make it a movie (yet)? I do too. Last year, readers of our blog got to know Lotte, the smart and successful competition lawyer, who moved to the charming small town of Uppervalley to take over her grandfather's little law firm. As you might recall, Lotte … Continue reading How antitrust saves Christmas (again) →

The (extended) pre-Christmas season is always a busy time, leaving little room for writing a new blog (and I've also been working on the sequel to my Christmas story for weeks). However, I did not want to miss the chance to briefly summarize the key points of the Teva decision by the Commission – after … Continue reading Pay (a fine) for delay →