Antitrust law.
With many years of experience in this area, we advise and represent companies, associations and the public sector in all matters relating to German and European antitrust law.
At the centre of our activities here are the preparation and support of merger control proceedings in relation to the Federal Cartel Office and the European Commission, as well as representation of our clients in antitrust administrative proceedings. Our work regularly begins with an internal review of antitrust-sensitive projects, along with advising our clients on how to implement contracts and transaction processes in a manner that is compliant with antitrust law.
If there has already been an infringement of antitrust law, we offer our clients prompt assistance in terminating such infringements, establishing markers and completing leniency applications, and we also provide forward-looking support in the development of sustainable, practical compliance programmes.
After the conclusion of penalty and abuse proceedings we will, if necessary, take over the forensic enforcement of or defence against claims for damages and claims for injunctive relief as part of the increasingly important follow-on process.
Dr. Bernd Richter
born 1973, university studies in Kiel and Stuttgart, admitted as attorney in 2000, Certified Specialist for tax law
Specialisation: Corporate law, antitrust law, tax law
Bernd Richter advises and represents companies, including their shareholders and executive bodies, mainly regarding disputes on which corporate, antitrust, and tax law have a bearing.
The bulk of his counselling on corporate law focuses on shareholder disputes in all their various aspects. If a dispute is unavoidable, Mr Richter takes the helm to provide out-of-court advice and representation before proceeding with litigation, which includes counsel for release proceedings and arbitration. In addition, he advises on corporate and employment contract drafting.
Mr Richter advises and represents German and foreign companies, associations, and the public sector on antitrust law matters, particularly those concerning merger control and antitrust administrative proceedings at the Federal Cartel Office and European Commission. His work begins with an internal antitrust review of sensitive projects and advising clients on the implementation and drafting of contracts and transaction processes to comply with antitrust law. If they find that antitrust law has been infringed at this early stage, Mr Richter and his team will help our clients to remedy the infringements, grant markers, and prepare an application for leniency in addition to putting together practical compliance and training programmes. His forensic focus means that he also takes on the assertion or defence of antitrust claims and injunctive relief in follow-on proceedings.
As a specialist tax attorney, he provides counsel on tax disputes in close consultation with the clients’ tax consultants, everything from providing legal remedies to tax litigation and filing appeals with the Federal Fiscal Court.
He has been chair of the Supervisory Board of a German co-operative bank for many years, and advises a number of banks, especially those from the co-operative sector, on internal and external disputes.