Our external competition law profiles advise companies on all matters relating to the German Unfair Competition Act (UWG), the German Act Against Restraints of Competition (GWB), and European competition law under Articles 101 and 102 of the TFEU. They review marketing measures for risks of misleading consumers, draft distribution agreements in compliance with antitrust law, and represent your company before the Federal Cartel Office or the relevant specialized chambers of the regional courts. Specific deliverables include legal opinions, cease-and-desist letters subject to criminal penalties, defensive briefs, and antitrust compliance guidelines—documents that, in the event of a dispute, determine liability and reputational damage.
Companies typically turn to our external specialist attorneys in competition law when they receive a cease-and-desist letter with a short response deadline, when a product launch needs to be secured under competition law, or when a merger control proceeding before the Federal Cartel Office is imminent. Early action is also crucial in cases of internal compliance gaps, new distribution models, or impending claims for damages resulting from antitrust violations—because in competition law, hours count, not weeks.