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Antitrust & Competition

Antitrust law is becoming increasingly important for large and medium-sized companies, startups, associations, and public sector enterprises. Antitrust violations can have serious consequences for companies – in particular, high fines and claims for damages, the invalidity of contracts, and significant reputational damage. Antitrust prevention is therefore an elementary component of effective compliance management – and for that, we are your ideal trusted partner.
Dr. Johannes Scherzinger, LL.M. (King’s College London)
Partner
Attorney at Law (Germany)
T +49 711 7819 14523
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Our Philosophy

Our Antitrust & Competition practice group provides expert and comprehensive support to German and international companies on all aspects of German and EU antitrust law. We represent you in court, out of court, and before antitrust authorities. The focus is always on your company and your individual antitrust issues and risks. At the interfaces with other legal areas, we draw on the extensive expertise of Rödl’s other practice groups.

For international matters, we develop tailored, sustainable solutions together with our global experts – efficiently and from a single source. Our clients include corporations and medium-sized companies, both national and international, as well as associations, startups, and public sector enterprises. In antitrust fine proceedings, we also defend accused natural persons before the antitrust authorities.

Our Services

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Transactions, Merger Control Proceedings & Investment Review Antitrust Compliance Antitrust Proceedings Internal Investigations Antitrust Damages & Litigation Antitrust Law in the Supply Chain and IP Antitrust Law Antitrust Cooperations Market Power Skip Section

Transactions, Merger Control Proceedings & Investment Review

Rödl provides comprehensive advice on national and international transactions, supports merger control proceedings before the German Federal Cartel Office and the EU Commission, and assists with investment reviews under foreign trade law. We offer strategic consulting, legal due diligence, and represent clients before authorities and investors.

Our focus areas 

  • Antitrust Support for M&A Transactions
  • Strategic antitrust advice on transactions, assessment of antitrust risks and feasibility
  • Execution and coordination of national and international merger control proceedings
  • Merger control proceedings under the Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR)

Foreign Trade Law Investment Control / FDI

Antitrust Compliance

We support companies in implementing antitrust compliance programs, train employees, and review business processes for risks. Our consulting includes preventive risk analysis, policy development, and support for internal investigations and administrative proceedings. The goal is the legally sound structuring of corporate actions.

Our focus areas

  • Identification of Antitrust Risks & Risk Analyses
  • Antitrust Audits
  • Codes of Conduct
  • Instructions for preparing for dawn raids
  • Self-cleaning

Antitrust Proceedings

We represent companies in national and international antitrust proceedings – from clarifying internal facts to communicating with competition authorities and defending before courts.

Our focus areas

  • Representation in fine and administrative proceedings before antitrust authorities
  • Leniency applications Accompaniment of antitrust authority searches (“Dawn Raids”)
  • Judicial challenge of antitrust authority decisions
  • Complaints to antitrust authorities regarding anticompetitive conduct by third parties

Internal Investigations

We advise on conducting internal investigations to clarify compliance violations, antitrust infringements, or other risks. Our services include legal assessment, structured interviews, document analysis, and communication with authorities. The goal is discreet, legally sound, and efficient processing.

Our focus areas

  • Clarification of facts with antitrust relevance
  • Interviewing employees and other involved parties
  • Document analysis
  • e-Discovery & Securing of Evidence
  • Consulting on strategy in case of identified or suspected antitrust violations

Antitrust Damages & Litigation

We advise and represent companies in antitrust damages proceedings. Our services include economic damage analysis, litigation before civil courts, and strategic coordination with authorities and experts. The goal is efficient enforcement or defense of claims.

Our focus areas

  • Judicial and extrajudicial representation in antitrust damages claims, both on the claimant and defendant side (so-called “follow-on actions”)
  • Other antitrust disputes (supply, injunction, damages, information)

Antitrust Law in the Supply Chain and IP Antitrust Law

We advise on antitrust risks along the supply chain – for example, with price fixing, exclusive purchasing obligations, or information exchange. The goal is the legally sound structuring of purchasing, distribution, and cooperation agreements, taking into account national and EU legal requirements.

Our focus areas

  • Antitrust-compliant distribution systems, including online distribution models
  • Review and drafting of contracts with suppliers, distribution partners, or other customers
  • Antitrust aspects of license agreements

Antitrust Cooperations

We advise on the legally sound structuring of antitrust-relevant cooperations – for example, in purchasing alliances, research projects, or joint ventures. Our services include reviewing contract structures, risk analyses, and coordination with competition authorities. The goal is to promote cooperation in compliance with antitrust law.

Our focus areas

  • Consulting on the formation of joint ventures
  • Cooperations with competitors, R&D cooperations
  • Non-compete clauses
  • Activities with industry and sports associations

Market Power

We advise on the legal assessment of market position and market power, particularly in the context of the prohibition of abuse under German and European antitrust law. Our services include market definitions, economic analyses, strategic consulting on business models, and representation in proceedings before competition authorities and courts.

Our focus areas

  • Assessment of the existence of market power in particularly market-dominant companies
  • Antitrust-compliant solutions for market-dominant companies
  • Enforcement of supply, injunction, and damages claims against market-dominant companies