Competition/European Law | Global

With particularly strong teams in its Berlin and Düsseldorf offices, Freshfields boasts a market-leading practice across the full range of competition law topics. The law firm is highly esteemed for its work on multi-jurisdictional merger clearance and FDI filings. The team also represents clients in behavioural investigations and in high-profile follow-on damages actions. Clients benefit from close collaboration with the firm's offices in Brussels for matters that also involve the Foreign Subsidies Regulation and state aid mandates, as well as DMA queries. The firm is a popular choice among clients from the technology, financial services and automotive sectors in particular.

Gleiss Lutz continues to be highlighted as one of the market-leading competition law teams in Germany. With lawyers in its Munich, Stuttgart, Düsseldorf and Frankfurt offices, supported by German-qualified lawyers based in Brussels, the law firm stands out for its geographic spread. The team is able to cover the full spread of competition law mandates, representing defendants in behavioural investigations, appeals against FCO decisions and follow-on damages actions, as well as assisting with complex merger clearance filings, including Phase II investigations and debates around thresholds. Gleiss Lutz is highly sought after by a number of high-profile German clients, especially in the transport and technology sectors.

Hengeler Mueller has an outstanding practice in contentious competition law matters, frequently representing defendants in the most high-profile follow-on damages actions and behavioural investigations. In addition, the law firm often acts for clients on complex merger clearance and FSR filings. Its offices in Düsseldorf, Munich and Berlin are supported by a team in Brussels to assist with multi-jurisdictional filings. The team has a number of clients from the technology and transport sectors.

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton assists clients with both merger control notifications and behavioural investigations. The law firm also represents clients in follow-on damages actions and in disputes concerning Section 19a. It is a popular choice with clients from the TMT and pharmaceutical sectors. The firm's office in Cologne collaborates closely with a number of German-qualified lawyers based in the firm's office in Brussels.

Latham & Watkins has a strong team for transactional competition law matters, assisting clients with foreign direct investment filings and Phase II merger control investigations. Its teams in Hamburg, Frankfurt and Düsseldorf work alongside the firm's offices in London and Brussels to handle cross-border filings. The firm has further reinforced its bench in Germany with the arrival of the well-regarded Tilman Kuhn. The law firm also has experience in representing technology sector clients in FCO investigations into allegations of abuse of dominance or infringements of Section 19a. The team is also adept at handling damages actions.

Linklaters has a broad competition law practice, with notable experience in both complex merger control filings and in foreign direct investment mandates. The law firm also represents clients in investigations into allegations of anti-competitive behaviour, as well as assisting with appeals against previous judgments. Clients also benefit from the firm's ability to call upon German-qualified lawyers in its Brussels office.

Clients particularly benefit from Clifford Chance's ability to handle transactional competition law mandates. The law firm regularly advises private equity clients on merger control and foreign direct investment filings.

Hogan Lovells' competition law teams in Berlin, Düsseldorf and Munich are supported by German-qualified lawyers in the firm's Brussels office. The law firm is well regarded by clients from the transportation and technology sectors for advice on a range of competition law issues, including merger clearance, behavioural investigations and damages actions, as well as for assistance with distribution strategies and other competition law compliance topics.

Noerr assists clients with a broad range of competition law mandates, advising on merger clearance notifications, as well as investigations into alleged cartels and illegal information exchange. It also defends clients in high-profile follow-on damages actions. The team collaborates closely with its office in Brussels on cross-border transactions. Team members also assist clients with the overlap between competition law and intellectual property.

A&O Shearman's Hamburg office is a popular choice with clients from the technology and pharmaceutical industries looking for competition law advice. The law firm covers a broad range of competition law topics, assisting with merger control filings and antitrust disputes, including defending clients in high-profile damages actions.

Baker McKenzie assists clients with the local aspects of multi-jurisdictional merger filings. The team is additionally active in behavioural matters, representing clients in investigations and damages actions. It often assists multinational clients with compliance with competition law regulations.

CMS covers the full range of competition law matters. Team members assist clients with merger control and FDI filings, follow-on damages actions, the compliance aspects of distribution strategies and state aid issues. Clients benefit from the firm's ability to collaborate closely with the German-qualified lawyers in its Brussels office, as well as its teams in other jurisdictions on cross-border mandates. It has a number of clients from the energy sector.

Dentons is particularly active in contentious competition law mandates, representing clients in the initial investigation, as well as in subsequent appeals against fines and damages actions. The law firm also acts on merger control and foreign direct investment filings, as well as assisting with the compliance aspects of distribution strategies.

With its team split across offices in Düsseldorf and Brussels, Bird & Bird handles a broad range of competition law matters, including advising on the competition law approval for proposed strategic partnerships and representing clients in behavioural investigations and damages actions. The law firm also acts on state aid and FDI mandates. The team stands out for its ability to handle matters at the cross-section of competition law and intellectual property law.

Jones Day frequently acts on the merger clearance aspects of multi-jurisdictional transactions, collaborating with its offices in other countries - particularly the German-qualified lawyers in its Brussels office. On top of its very active transactional practice, the law firm also often represents clients in state aid mandates and competition law compliance issues.

With notable teams of German lawyers in Mannheim and Brussels, SZA Schilling, Zutt & Anschütz is able to assist clients both with behavioural investigations and with merger control and FDI filings. The law firm is also able to represent clients in follow-on damages actions. Team members also assist with competition law compliance queries.

WilmerHale offers a broad competition law practice, covering behavioural investigations into allegations of information exchange and pricing collusion, and follow-on damages actions. Team members additionally advise clients on merger control mandates, including advising on challenges to clearance decisions and representing third-party intervenors. The law firm also assists clients with competition law compliance issues.