Merger control has long been a cornerstone of competition enforcement in Germany, with the Federal Cartel Office (“FCO”) known for wielding its mandate decisively and not shying away from blocking…
Acqui-hiring—a fusion of the words acquisition and hiring—refers to the practice of larger companies acquiring start-ups with the primary goal of integrating the employees of the startup to their own…
Introduction
On February 13, 2025, the Bundeskartellamt (Federal Cartel Office, “FCO”) sent its statement of objections to Apple regarding the App Tracking Transparency Framework (“ATTF”), setting…
The following is a selection of some important developments in German competition law and policy in 2024. It covers the latest legislative changes for hospital mergers, cases under special rules for…
The term “Assignment Model” refers to a mechanism of bundling damage claims. It is not a statutory instrument, but in some Member States, such as Germany, it is possible as a workaround. The…
Introduction
Cartel damages proceedings are a highly interdisciplinary endeavour between lawyers and economists in many jurisdictions, including Germany. Lawyers and courts in such proceedings must,…
Introduction
Last week, Advocate General Maciej Szpunar delivered his Opinion in case C-253/23, a preliminary reference that stems from a form of collective private enforcement of competition law in…
On April 24, 2024, the German Federal Court of Justice (FCJ) rejected Amazon’s appeal against the decision of the Federal Cartel Office (FCO) of July 2022, designating Amazon as a gatekeeper under…
Executive Summary
On 20 February 2024, the German Federal Court of Justice ("FCJ") ruled on the disclosure of trade secrets in antitrust proceedings. The underlying case (File No. KVB 69/23)…
In its decision of 17 June 2024, the German Federal Cartel Office (FCO) has cleared the takeover of Olink Holding AB (publ), Sweden (“Olink”) by Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., USA (“Thermo Fisher”)…
