“Very good, effective and pleasant team handling high profile and complex cases.”
JUVE Handbuch 2023/2024
“The team always strikes me as good and dynamic.”
Chambers Global 2024
“Due to its wealth of experience, Commeo is also able to respond extremely quickly to really challenging issues.”
Legal 500 Germany 2023
“Commeo is a firm we can really trust and would recommend.”
Chambers Global 2024
COMMEO is an independent law firm specialized in competition law. Founded in 2010 in Frankfurt, Commeo has become one of the leading competition law firms of Germany. Merger control, cartel proceedings, litigation, contract related competition matters or compliance: our established team of experienced lawyers advises clients on all aspects of German and European competition law.
In addition to our non-forensic advice, we defend our clients in proceedings before the German Federal Cartel Office and the European Commission. Our international network of partner law firms means that we can provide services to our clients beyond the borders of Europe and support them in multi-jurisdictional competition matters. We also advise our clients on German foreign direct investment control and on foreign subsidiaries control.
Merger Control
We provide comprehensive advice to parties in transactions or third parties involved in merger control proceedings before the German Federal Cartel Office and the European Commission. Our services often start with an initial risk assessment and strategic advice in advance of the transaction. Our transaction services cover the entire due diligence process, including guidance on exchanging information and setting up clean teams, the preparation of merger control notifications and compliance following the closing. Our international network of partner law firms enables us to coordinate complex multi-jurisdictional merger control proceedings also in coordination with foreign direct investment control (FDI control) proceedings and notifications of concentrations due to the Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR) (if applicable).
Some of the matters we have handled:
German merger control proceedings
EU merger control proceedings
Foreign Direct Investment Control
We advise parties in transactions on the German foreign direct investment (FDI) regime, in particular concerning possible notification obligations in proceedings before the BMWK. This includes the handling of FDI notifications and requests for certificates of non-objections from the BMWK. We also coordinate multi-jurisdictional investment control proceedings in cooperation with our international network of partner law firms.
Some of the matters we have handled:
German foreign direct investment control
Multi-jurisdictional foreign direct investment control proceedings
Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR)
We advise clients in proceedings before the European Commission under the EU Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR). The FSR, which came into force in 2023, stipulates notification obligations for concentrations in which the parties meet certain turnover thresholds and for participation in public tenders with a certain contract volume. The notification obligation under the FSR depends on the amount of financial contributions received from third countries. The European Commission can also examine foreign (i.e., non-EU) subsidies ex officio outside of notification procedures.
Some of the matters we have handled:
Cartel Investigations
We advise and defend companies in German and European cartel investigations. Our services include support in the event of dawn raids at companies by the antitrust authorities, developing defence strategies, including the submission of leniency applications to the German Federal Cartel Office and the European Commission, as well as the coordination of such applications on a European and international level. We support and defend individuals in cartel investigations by the German Federal Cartel Office.
Some of the matters we have handled:
Cartel investigations by the German Federal Cartel Office
Cartel investigations by the European Commission
Abuse of Dominance
Our services in connection with abuse of market dominance issues under German and European law include the determination of a company’s market position as well as the examining and advising on unilateral sales strategies (especially complex rebate schemes), supply management, industry-specific sales strategies, licensing models and discrimination issues. We act before the German Federal Cartel Office and the European Commission on behalf of both dominant companies and claimants. We also represent our clients in non-forensic enforcement of, or defence against, claims based on abuse of market dominance.
Some of the matters we have handled:
Leading companies in the IT and travel industries, media/advertising, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, chemicals, lifestyle products, toys and repair services sectors are among our clients in this area of competition law.
Distribution and contract related competition law issues
Our team is especially well known for its focus on distribution and contract related competition law issues. Our services include especially the creation, examination and (re)structuring of distribution systems such as franchising, selective distribution, online distribution, platforms, commission and agency models. We also advise on license strategies and contracts relating to technology transfer as well as on complex joint ventures and other cooperation agreements between competitors, e.g. in the area of research & development, specialization, purchasing and marketing.
Some of the matters we have handled:
Different assignments from international companies in distribution and contract related competition law issues, especially in the industrial segments of automotive supply, fashion and life style, sports goods, branded consumer goods, pet food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and life science, medical equipment, media/advertising, chemicals and petroleum, e.g., establishing selective distribution systems.
The partners at our firm are editors/authors of practitioners commentaries on the Vertical Block Exemption Regulation (4th edition 2019) and the Technology Transfer Block Exemption Regulation (2005) and are co-editors of a handbook on Distributor Agreements (5th edition 2015).
Commeo was appointed by the EU Commission to draft an expert report on information exchange in dual distribution as part of the reform process for the new Vertical Block Exemption Regulation.
Damages Claims
We represent clients in legal proceedings on competition related damages actions, especially follow-on claims, before German and European courts. We act on behalf of plaintiffs as well as defendants and regularly cooperate with recognized competition economists in order to determine the amount of potential damage.
Our range of experience also includes the successful negotiation of many out-of-court settlements, for plaintiffs as well as defendants.
Some of the matters we have handled:
Competition Litigation
We support our clients in all aspects of competition litigation. This includes defending against fines imposed by the German Federal Cartel Office as well as representing clients before the European courts against fines imposed by the European Commission. We also act for clients in complaints filed against prohibiting decisions in merger control proceedings and in proceedings initiated by third parties when transactions are approved. We represent clients in proceedings involving the enforceability of contractual restrictions, especially in distribution and license contracts, and we defend clients when they are accused of competition related misconduct, such as in cases involving refusal to supply.
Some of the matters we have handled:
“Dedicated competition law boutique highly active on follow-on damages litigation and cartel defence work before national and EU courts”
Chambers Global 2021
Competition Compliance
Our team has a broad range of experience in all aspects of competition compliance. Our services include conducting internal investigations (audits) in order to determine the company’s position and to disclose any violations as well as the advice on the creation, implementation and improvement of compliance programmes. We regularly conduct training sessions for employees, legal departments and compliance officers (train-the-trainer) and support and advise companies and trade associations in sensitive meetings and discussions between competitors, in order to avoid competition violations.
Some of the matters we have handled:
We advise numerous leading national and multinational companies and associations on compliance issues, ranging from national compliance efforts to the establishment of a global antitrust compliance structure. Based on our extensive experience, our team has published a handbook on competition compliance (Schultze (ed.), Compliance-Handbuch Kartellrecht, 2nd edition 2021). The handbook provides information about the necessary content of compliance programmes, describes how to implement them and what to do in the case of investigations by the competition authorities.
Our international network
Commeo stands for competent advice covering the entire spectrum of German and European competition law – in Germany, in Europe and worldwide. Due to our existing contacts and well-proven cooperation with leading competition law experts in all relevant jurisdictions of the world, we are in a position to offer advice in transnational competition matters and ensure seamless coordination. This includes, for example, assisting in multi-jurisdictional merger control or cartel proceedings, reviewing pan-European distribution agreements, advising in proceedings involving abuse in license or patent disputes and implementing global compliance structures.
“large network of partner firms“
JUVE 2024/2025
“Commeo has an excellent best-friends network”
Chambers Europe 2020
“very good international networking”
Legal 500 EMEA 2019
Merger Control