Bird & Bird LLP impresses with its comprehensive advice on competition law, while also covering trade mark, design as well as complex cross-border issues. The team is particularly active in the technology, automotive, media, life sciences, healthcare, retail and consumer goods sectors, often addressing overlaps with other specialist areas such as M&A and corporate law. Christian Harmsen, who specialises in technology, heads the team, which also includes Joseph Fesenmair, who assists with forensic and strategic matters. Companies from the media, communications and consumer goods sectors regularly turn to Niels Lutzhöft.

CMS offers comprehensive competition advice, covering topics such as advertising, product labeling, trade secret protection and greenwashing. The practice, which is closely integrated into the firm's international network, acts for a high-profile client base that includes companies from across the life sciences, retail and telecommunications sectors. Heike Blank combines her competition knowledge with specialisations in pharmaceutical, food and cosmetics law and frequently assists with environmentally related advertising statements. The consumer and durable goods industries, along with the life sciences sector, represent a central focus of Nikolas Gregor's advice.

Frankfurt-based Danckelmann & Kerst is renowned for its regular representation of the Competition Authority and a large number of successfully conducted landmark proceedings. Specialisations in related fields such as trade mark and copyright law complement the practice's expertise in competition law, which is reflected in instructions from high-profile and often globally active companies. In addition to their strategic advice and court representation, key contacts Nikolaus Konstantin Rehart, Jan-Felix Isele and Hans-Jürgen Ruhl also draw attention to themselves through regular publications.

DLA Piper covers a broad spectrum, ranging from strategic advice and licensing law to trade secret protection and packaging law to contentious proceedings at a German and international level. The often globally active clients benefit not only from the firm's global positioning, but also from the practice's close cooperation between its trade mark, design and competition teams. The unit is particularly sought after for digital matters, for example in the context of innovative forms of advertising, marketing strategies and data protection. Practice head Stefan Engels reflects the team's broad positioning and assists with online, copyright and press law, among others. The fashion, consumer goods, technology and life sciences sectors are a clear focus for Burkhard Führmeyer, who, alongside contentious proceedings, advises on contractual and transaction-related IP matters.

KLAKA Rechtsanwälte's competition practice closely cooperates with the firm's trade mark team, which means that clients regularly turn to the practice for both contentious and strategic issues. With offices in Munich and Düsseldorf, the team advises companies in the automotive, pharmaceutical, fashion and luxury goods industries, as well as in the financial services and energy sectors. Proceedings relating to misleading advertising are just as much a part of the practice's expertise as product imitation and geographical designations of origin. Ralf Hackbarth heads the team and is particularly well versed in internet and domain law, while Andreas Schulz excels in food and pharmaceutical law.

ADVANT Beiten advises medium-sized companies as well as large corporations on a wide range of competition matters, with a particular focus on sectors such as sports, publishing and gaming. The practice stands out due to its strategic expertise, including on advertising measures, as well as its dispute resolution skills, for instance in relation to product imitations and trade secrets. The practice is headed by Andreas Lober, who specialises in electronic entertainment, technology and digitalisation and also advises clients from the healthcare sector. Holger Weimann counts litigation, licensing agreements and advertising law among his main areas of expertise.

Arnecke Sibeth Dabelstein has in-depth expertise in competition law, particularly in sectors such as sports, entertainment, cosmetics and healthcare. The practice further focuses on the chemical and food sectors and recently provided extensive advice on environmental advertising. Practice head Thomas Körber has longstanding experience in sports law and is often involved in complex disputes. Media and entertainment represent industry focuses for Thomas Hertl, who has additional expertise in the sports sector.

CBH Rechtsanwälte offers in-depth competition advice with a particular focus on the automotive, healthcare, fashion and luxury goods sectors. The team assists clients with the review of advertising materials as well as product imitation issues and was further able to recently expand its advice on ​​sustainability advertising. Key contacts include Ingo Jung, who specialises in new media law, and trade mark lawyer Nadja Siebertz. Sascha Vander complements the practice with expertise in data protection, IT law and e-commerce.

Friedrich Graf von Westphalen & Partner offers a broad spectrum of competition expertise, including litigation and assistance with issues such as product imitation, counterfeiting and licensing agreements as well as with advertising law aspects. The group also advises on trade mark, design and copyright law as well as on IP aspects of M&A transactions. David Kipping is particularly well versed in product labeling law, while Morton Douglas is primarily active in the pharmaceutical and medical sectors, often in proceedings relating to product imitation. Stephan Dittl is another proven expert in competition, copyright and media law.

Grünecker stands out for a strong competition expertise which it applies in contentious and non-contentious matters concerning anti-competitive imitations and advertising issues. The group has further experience in advising on trending topics such as greenwashing and influencer marketing and assists clients with licensing agreements and adjacent trade mark, copyright and personality rights. Holger Gauss focuses on the fashion, pharmaceutical and media sectors, while Anja Franke is particularly popular with clients from Asia. Philipp Strommer and Nicolás Schmitz left the firm in January 2025 to found Epic Legal.

Hamburg-based IP boutique offering Harmsen Utescher handles both non-contentious competition matters as well as contentious proceedings before German and European courts, with the practice acting on both the plaintiff and defendant side. The team also offers special expertise in pharmaceutical, food and cosmetics law and adeptly covers relevant IT, antitrust and distribution issues. Key contacts include Till Lampel and Martin Kefferpütz, while Matthias Wolter retired at the end of 2023.

Boutique offering Harte-Bavendamm Rechtsanwälte specialises in intellectual property law and enjoys an outstanding reputation for its competition practice: it advises clients on the entire spectrum of relevant matters, ranging from conception of advertising measures and business models to disputes surrounding misleading advertising, including greenwashing, and product imitation. Its competition focus is complemented by strengths in adjacent areas such as trade mark, design and medicinal product advertising law. Michael Goldmann and Cathérine Elkemann both enjoy an excellent reputation for competition law and act both disputes and on a strategic level.

Hogan Lovells International LLP advises on competition law within its IP, Media & Technology practice, covering trending topics such as greenwashing and influencer marketing. The group's advisory portfolio also includes the protection of trade secrets, know-how and product imitations as well as licensing agreements and litigation before national and European courts. Andreas Bothe, who focuses on disputes, heads the firm's German IPMT practice.

HOYNG ROKH MONEGIER is particularly active in anti-counterfeiting and therefore regularly combines expertise in competition and trade mark law, while its client base covers a wide range of sectors, including pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and fashion. The team also frequently assists with regulatory requirements for product launches and advertising campaigns. Practice head Christina Tenbrock combines her experience in competition law with expertise in pharmaceutical, medicinal product advertising and medical device law, while Mathis Breuer is active in the consumer goods, entertainment electronics and cosmetics sectors, among others. Counsel Sandra Stolzenburg-Wiemer particularly focuses on anti-counterfeiting and product packaging.

In the IP sphere, Noerr places a clear focus on competition disputes, with proceedings relating to advertising measures, product design and trade secrets taking centre stage. The practice also advises clients on IP contracts, licensing and transactional matters and, thanks to the firm's international positioning, can also handle cross-border instructions seamlessly. Tobias Dolde heads the unit and divides his time between Munich and Alicante. Consumer goods and automotive are Christoph Rieken's key industry focuses, while Valentina Nieß is particularly popular with clients from the pharmaceutical and consumer goods industry.

Osborne Clarke's competition advice is particularly dedicated to the automotive and life sciences industries, while recent instructions predominantly concerned licensing issues in the pharmaceutical sector and access to technical data and information. Under the leadership of Marcus Sacré, who is particularly active in the automotive and consumer goods industries, the team regularly assists with competition disputes concerning advertising statements and counterfeiting as well as strategic issues. In addition to trade mark, copyright and competition law, Matthias Kloth and Robert Briske are also well versed in licensing and distribution issues.

Pinsent Masons Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater Solicitors Partnerschaft mbB stands out for its explicit focus on the digital economy. The practice particularly advises companies from the automotive, life sciences, healthcare and technology sectors on competition issues and acts in both a forensic and advisory capacity. Due to the firm's broad positioning, numerous instructions are dealt with across practices; thus, the group deals with UWG matters as well as  adjacent copyright, data protection and trade mark issues. Nils Rauer, who primarily assists with matters pertaining to digitisation, digital marketing and online platforms, jointly heads the practice with Marc Holtorf, who predominantly advises clients from the life sciences sector.

SKW Schwarz has a strong competition practice, that is particularly sought after for advice across the digitalisation, IT and media sectors. Focus groups such as branded content and influencer marketing, medical cannabis, e-sports and digital health firmly root the practice in innovative future themes, while it particularly often advises on contentious matters. Oliver Stöckel is very active in the life sciences sector and heads the practice; other key contacts include IP lawyers Markus Brock and Magnus Hirsch. Sascha Pres (trade mark, design, copyright and competition law) joined Fieldfisher in July 2024.

Taylor Wessing's competition advice is particularly focused on the fashion, luxury and consumer goods, technology and media sectors. The team has strong expertise in trend topics such as greenwashing and ambush marketing, which has enabled it to attract a high-profile client base consisting of a large number of global corporations. Thanks to close cooperation with its international locations, the practice also handles complex, cross-border issues, including litigation and advertising campaigns. Practice head Olaf Gillert advises on trade mark, design, copyright and competition law and also heads the international Trademarks, Advertising & Design practice group.

Teworte-Vey Simon Schumacher & Partner complements a strong competition portfolio with expertise across the entire soft IP spectrum and therefore advises its client base of national and global companies on all IP issues. The practice also houses additional expertise in food and medicinal product advertising law. Key figures include Jan Schumacher, Gesa Simon and Marie Teworte-Vey, all of whom are active in both strategic advice and contentious proceedings. Press and IP lawyer Markus Robak, previously at JONAS Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH, joined the group in June 2024.

WilmerHale specialises in complex, strategically important litigation, particularly at the interface of competition, data protection and consumer law. The practice, headed by Vanessa Wettner, is strongly represented in the e-commerce sector, but also advises companies in the fashion, consumer goods and pharmaceutical industries. In addition to litigation before German and European courts, the group also advises on advertising campaigns, licensing agreements and transactions. Vanessa Wettner, who enjoys an excellent reputation, particularly among US tech clients, is the practice's key contact.

The competition advice offered by Arnold Ruess Rechtsanwälte PartmbB includes advertising strategies, branding and licensing issues as well as litigation before German courts and the coordination of cross-border proceedings. In addition, the team has extensive experience in adjacent trade mark, design and copyright issues. Peter Ruess heads the practice and is active across the entire soft IP spectrum.

Baker McKenzie provides comprehensive advice on competition law and can draw on expertise in consumer law, trade secrets and know-how protection. The practice has an international focus and also covers interfaces with trade mark and design law as well as transactional IP matters. Michael Fammler, who regularly advises on licensing issues and branding, heads the practice.

Bardehle Pagenberg advises companies from the gastronomy, fashion and cosmetics sectors on competition issues, particularly in a contentious context. It hereby focuses on misleading advertising and counterfeiting as well as strategic development of advertising campaigns. In addition to its German offices in Munich, Düsseldorf and Hamburg, the firm is also located in Barcelona and Paris and therefore particularly well positioned for cross-border matters. Claus Eckhartt, who focuses on litigation, jointly heads the practice with Philipe Kutschke; in addition to competition law, the latter also handles trade mark, design and copyright issues.

Gleiss Lutz' soft IP practice covers a range of matters, including advertising issues, trade secret protection and e-commerce-related aspects, as well as adjacent trade mark, data protection and antitrust matters. Licensing agreements and the protection of know-how represent additional mainstays. Stefan Weidert heads the IP practice and focuses on issues relating to the digital economy and tech projects.

GSK Stockmann is primarily known for its IT and data protection-related advice and therefore enjoys a good reputation not only among established large companies, but also particularly among start-ups with digital business models. The practice further assists clients with counterfeiting, misleading advertising and greenwashing issues, for instance as demonstrated in its representation of Tesla against the Federal Consumer Center Association. Jörg Kahler focuses on technology and digitalisation projects and, in addition to competition law, also assists with trade mark, copyright and data protection matters; he jointly heads the practice with Katy Ritzmann, who counts a large number of start-ups among her client base and also advises on licensing agreements among other matters.

GvW Graf von Westphalen assists its client base consisting of national and global companies with competition matters both on contentious as well as strategic level. The group's expertise scope includes advertising information, packaging declarations and trade secrets, while also regularly advising on sustainability information issues. Christian Kusulis leads the practice and is also head of the firm's Israel Desk.

King & Spalding LLP offers comprehensive competition advice with a focus on the pharmaceutical, life sciences and food sectors. The practice has in-depth expertise in proceedings relating to parallel imports in particular and also covers product labelling and advertising issues. In addition to advice on the Unfair Competition Act, practice head Ulf Grundmann also handles medicinal product advertising, food and trade mark matters.

Lexton Rechtsanwälte provides comprehensive advice on competition matters, combining litigious expertise with strategic advice and industry knowledge, particularly with regard to e-commerce, consumer goods and manufacturing industries. The team assists clients with licensing, online marketing and advertising law as well as with IP aspects of transactions. Tilmann Lührig heads the practice and regularly acts in proceedings before the General Court, the European Court of Justice and national courts. Associate Sina Kalenberger's broad practice includes competition matters as well as trade mark, design and data protection issues.

Loschelder's competition practice is particularly known for its strong litigation focus, with representation in injunction proceedings being a particular mainstay. The team also has extensive experience in supplementary ancillary copyright as well as trade secret disputes, and further impresses with its strategic capacity, for example in relation to environmentally-related advertising. Thomas Schulte-Beckhausen and Stefan Maaßen are both primarily active in contentious cases and jointly head the practice with Patrick Pommerening, who specialises in IP acquisition, sale and licensing.

Luther Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH's competition practice advises clients from a variety of industries, such as luxury goods, tobacco and cosmetics. The team covers a broad spectrum, ranging from the drafting and negotiation of licensing agreements to advertising law issues and disputes. Geert Johann Seelig and Detlef Mäder jointly head the practice and have many years of experience not only in competition law, but also in related IP matters such as trade marks.

Oppenhoff advises on a wide range of competition issues, ranging from misleading advertising and rebranding to licensing law and market launch. The team, led by Georg Lecheler, can also draw on profound expertise in trade marks, design and copyright law. Gert Dittert primarily acts for clients from the media and entertainment industry.

Oppenländer Rechtsanwälte has extensive competition law experience with a particular focus on the regulated energy and healthcare sectors. Clients from the pharmaceutical industry as well as the pharmacy and wholesale sectors value its advice, especially in the context of market launches, advertising campaigns and medicinal product advertising law. The unit further assists with digitisation issues and trade secret protection. The practice is headed by a trio consisting of Markus Köhler, who is deeply rooted in energy law issues, Christina Koppe-Zagouras and Timo Kieser, who focus on the healthcare sector.

orka offers extensive expertise in competition matters and frequently assists with advertising and marketing concepts, trade secret protection and licensing agreements. The group has further expertise in medicinal product advertising law and is headed by Philipp Mels and Ulla Kelp, who, alongside competition matters, also both handle related data protection issues.

Raue advises across a broad spectrum of competition matters, particularly in relation to media, health and IT law. The practice assists clients both strategically and with contentious proceedings, for instance concerning anti-counterfeiting, advertising law and e-commerce - often also in connection with trade mark and copyright issues. Markus Plesser, who became managing partner of the firm in August 2024, and Robert Heine, who acts across the press, broadcasting and new media sectors, jointly lead the team.

Schmidt, von der Osten & Huber provides comprehensive IP advice with a particular focus on trade mark, design, copyright and competition law. In the latter area, mainstays include advertising campaigns, particularly those relating to environmental and sustainability statements. The group has further expertise in medicinal product advertising law and can draw on the firm's proven expertise in medical and health law. Key contacts include Notker Lützenrath and Cay Fürsen, who are particularly well versed in contentious proceedings.

Vossius & Partner provides comprehensive advice on competition issues from offices in Munich, Düsseldorf and Berlin. The practice handles both forensic and non-contentious matters, including advice on advertising campaigns and competition violations. Further expertise exists in adjacent legal fields such as trade mark, copyright and design law. Mathias Kleespies heads the practice and, alongside advice on the entire soft IP spectrum, also assists with food law.

White & Case LLP is a sought-after address for complex, internationally oriented competition and trade mark matters. The practice is particularly well represented in the technology, automotive and consumer goods sectors, although companies in the financial services sector also regularly rely on the team's expertise. Markus Mette manages the practice with a focus on IT and IP issues, particularly advertising and licensing strategies. Counsel Stefan Haiplik contributes extensive experience in the development of advertising measures and brand strategies.