International
How to avoid violations of competition law in
international business relationships?
Both Europe and many other countries have strict competition rules that prohibit practices which distort the market, such as price fixing, market sharing, quota agreements, and exclusion strategies against third parties. Violations of these regulations can result in significant administrative sanctions and particularly heavy fines.
Therefore, it is essential that your business decisions and cooperation models do not violate these competition law requirements.
Our European and lawyers specializing in international competition law will review your contracts and business practices to ensure compliance with relevant national and European regulations. We analyze price and exclusivity clauses in your agreements, evaluate cooperation structures, and advise you on antitrust exemptions, territorial and customer restrictions, and merger notification obligations. This allows us to help you effectively avoid competition law risks and sanctions.
Summary
How to check whether contracts are compatible with competition law?
Contracts must adhere to the fundamental principles of free and unrestricted competition. Therefore, it is essential to avoid clauses that could restrict competition in an impermissible manner, such as price fixing, excessive territorial restrictions, or quota regulations.
Our lawyers specializing in European and international competition law will review your contracts for any problematic provisions and ensure that your agreements comply with applicable competition law regulations in Germany, France, or a third country. They will work closely with our foreign colleagues from our a-Global partner network to accomplish this.
Can international business practices with foreign partners become problematic under competition law?
Certain behaviors can be classified as anti-competitive, even if they seem like common business practices. For instance, the exchange of confidential price information and the division of markets between competitors are strictly prohibited under European and international competition law.
Particular care must be taken when working with foreign partners to ensure that no tacit agreements are made that could impair competition.
Our lawyers specializing in European and international competition law can advise you on internationally proven compliance standards and ensure that your cooperation agreements with domestic and foreign partners are legally compliant, whether in Germany, France, or a third country. We work closely with our foreign colleagues from our a-Global partner network to provide this service.
How to conduct international mergers and acquisitions in compliance with competition law?
When planning mergers or acquisitions on an international scale, it is essential to determine in advance if the intended transaction could result in a dominant market position. In such cases, prior approval from national or European competition authorities (merger control) may be required to ensure that the transaction does not impair competition.
Our lawyers specializing in competition law analyze the implications of your planned corporate restructuring or acquisitions under competition law and support you in legally implementing all national and international (European) regulatory requirements in Germany, France, or a third country. We work closely with our foreign colleagues from our a-Global partner network to achieve this.
You have any other questions?
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