Dr Sascha Dethof

My main areas of practice
My many years of experience include cartel investigations by the European Commission and the German Federal Cartel Office, the preparation and submission of leniency applications and assistance during searches by the cartel authorities.

I also regularly advise companies on compliance issues. This includes the design and implementation of cost-efficient compliance programmes, including training measures, conducting audits and drafting guidelines and company brochures.

I conduct actions for damages after cartel violations (follow-on) and advise companies on Distribution Cartel Law issues, i.e. dealer and supplier agreements.

In addition, I regularly advise on antitrust issues in connection with competitor cooperations, i.e. research and development agreements, licence agreements and purchasing pools.

My experience also extends to the specific obligations of dominant companies, for example with regard to rebate schemes.

I assist my clients in merger control proceedings before the German Federal Cartel Office and the European Commission. This also includes the organisation of parallel filings in several countries.

I represent companies before German and EU courts and in proceedings before the German Federal Cartel Office and the European Commission.

I also advise companies on investment audits by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK) in accordance with the AWG/AWV. I advise on the structuring of the transaction, the review of any existing reporting obligations and the implementation of investment control reporting procedures. This also includes advice on the possibilities of obtaining a clearance certificate.

My recent mandates have included:

• Investigations by the Federal Cartel Office and proceedings by the European Commission
• Damages actions (follow-on) after decisions of the cartel authorities
• Compliance training and audits for DAX, Nikkei 225 and NASDAQ 100 companies as well as for medium-sized corporate groups
• Organisation and implementation of Europe-wide compliance trainings
• International coordination and strategy for third party participation in merger control proceedings
• Several phase 2-investment audit procedures before the BMWK

I have a particular focus on advising Japanese companies on Antitrust Compliance and I represent them in antitrust proceedings. I got to know Japanese culture on business trips to Tokyo and appreciate it very much.

I advise my clients in German and English.

Recommendations
I would like to thank JUVE Handbuch, Legal 500, Who's who Legal Germany, Best Lawyers, Handelsblatt, Future Leaders Competition, WirtschaftsWoche (Top Lawyer Compliance) and FOCUS (Top Lawyer Antitrust) for their listings and awards for me and our great team.

Publications
I publish articles on current developments in German and EU Antitrust Law.

Personal engagement
I regularly speak on Antitrust topics at conferences and publish papers on current developments in German and EU Antitrust Law.

I am a member of the Studienvereinigung Kartellrecht, the German-American Lawyers Association and the Working Group on Antitrust Law of the Compliance Association DICO.

My background
I was a Trainee at the US law firm Morgan, Lewis & Bockius in Washington DC. The University of Göttingen awarded me a doctorate for my thesis on a topic at the interface of Antitrust Law and the internet economy.

I am a founding Partner of Fieldfisher's Dusseldorf office. Prior to joining Fieldfisher, I was a Partner in a boutique firm. From 2005 to 2011, I was part of the Antitrust Practice Group at another large international commercial law firm, based in Dusseldorf and Beijing.