At the beginning of this month, the German Federal Cartel Office (FCO) released its 160-page report on its sector inquiry into the provision and marketing of public electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Before you stop reading right away because you are still fully committed to combustion engine cars for the next decade anyway - don't. The … Continue reading No power without charging   →

Last week, the European Commission released its findings from the evaluation of so-called Regulation 1/2003 and Regulation 773/2004, which have been in effect since May 2004. In a comprehensive 270-page report, the Commission offers an in-depth overview of the application of the regulations, which basically regulate cartel and abuse of dominance proceedings in the EU, … Continue reading 20 years in numbers →

It's been almost exactly two years since we last blogged about information exchange (see here). We have been desperately waiting for an opportunity to revisit this topic dear to our heart, and the ECJ has now provided us with one. In its decision of 29 July 2024 (C‑298/22), the ECJ addresses the exchange of information … Continue reading Another update on information exchange?! →

This week, the German Federal Cartel Office (FCO) unconditionally cleared the acquisition of Olink by Thermo Fisher after an in-depth review of the case. While the parties and lawyers involved might be (well-deservedly) popping champagne corks, I would like to use this case to highlight some trends in German merger control (and beyond). What is … Continue reading An exception or the first of many? →

Co-authored by Marcel Döhren In times of economic turmoil and disruption, Germany, and other countries across the globe, face an increasing number of insolvencies. With a company’s existence at stake, timely investments are often vital to saving a company in financial trouble. Foreign investment control adds to the complexity of insolvency proceedings. Below, we provide … Continue reading Foreign investment control in insolvency proceedings – some things to keep in mind →

We have already reported on meetings within the antitrust community (see here). Perhaps the most renowned and significantly largest gathering is the ABA Antitrust Spring Meeting in Washington, D.C., which is currently underway. A bit off topic, we have summarized the six golden rules to survive enjoy the Spring Meeting (in particular for non-US lawyers). … Continue reading The ABA Antitrust Spring Meeting →

We have blogged about the Illumina/Grail case and Art. 22 EUMR referrals a few times (here, here and here). Today, the case was in the spotlight again. Advocate General Emiliou delivered his non-binding opinion, finding that the European Commission did not have jurisdiction to block Illumina’s acquisition of Grail. In the following, we will take … Continue reading Light at the end of the tunnel for Illumina? →

Co-authored by Marcel Döhren The public perception of what constitutes an antitrust infringement has evolved over the past decades. The notion of antitrust violations happening as meetings of CEOs agreeing to raise prices over cigars in the back room of a nice Italian restaurant or on the golf course has long been outdated (but not … Continue reading Not everything should go public →

Last year, I reported about some real cases on the interface between Christmas and antitrust (you can find the blog here). Of course, I am neither the Mariah Carey Wham! of Christmas carols nor the Charles Dickens of Christmas stories, but nevertheless, this year I wanted to try my hand at a fictional Christmas screenplay … Continue reading How antitrust saves Christmas →

The annual workshop of the Studienvereinigung Kartellrecht is a long-standing tradition, bringing together German-speaking antitrust practitioners in Bonn every December. This event not only provides an excellent opportunity to reconnect with colleagues and friends but, more importantly, serves as a platform to reflect on the year's developments and discuss emerging trends in antitrust law. While … Continue reading Annual workshop of the Studienvereinigung Kartellrecht →