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Dr. Helmut Bergmann

Partner

Antitrust and competition | Consumer products | Industrials | Mergers and acquisitions | Technology |

Widely respected for his work in antitrust law

Chambers Europe

Profile details

About Dr. Helmut Bergmann

Helmut is a partner in the Firm’s Antitrust, Competition and Trade Group. He specialises in German, European and international competition law, with a special focus on mergers, cartels, litigation and dominance cases.

With arguably one of the most international client bases in the German antitrust arena, Helmut has had more than his fair share of international mandates, with experience in the automotive, chemicals, consumer products, energy, financial services, healthcare and media sectors.

In the boardroom, he is respected and trusted, dealing comfortably with everyone from general counsel to the CEO. Helmut frequently speaks and writes on antitrust law topics.

Helmut used to serve in a number of management roles in the Firm, including as Managing Partner of the Berlin office, as Practice Group Leader for the Global Antitrust, Competition and Trade Group and, until November 2020, as Regional Managing Partner for Continental Europe.

He speaks German, English, French and Spanish.

Recent work

  • Representing ABB in leniency cases relating to gas-insulated switchgear and power transformers and on its acquisitions of Power One and of Thomas & Betts
  • Advising AB InBev in the German beer cartel case, in an abuse case in front of the European Commission relating to parallel imports, on the acquisition of SAB Miller and on the sale of its Australian business to Asahi
  • Advising Axel Springer on the sale of a number of newspapers and magazines to Funke Mediengruppe
  • Advising Coty and JAB on their acquisition of the beauty business of Procter & Gamble
  • Advising JAB on the creation of Jacobs Dow Egberts together with Mondelez
  • Advising Mars on its acquisitions of Wrigley, of Miracoli, of Procter & Gamble’s pet food business, as well as in cartel proceedings in relation to chocolate and pet food
  • Advising LANXESS on the creation of a JV with Saudi Aramco

Qualifications

Education

  • Universities of Würzburg, Tübingen (Germany) and Geneva (Switzerland)

Professional qualifications

  • Rechtsanwalt, Germany

Publications

  • 2014 (co-author with Christian Burholt) Kölner Kommentar zum GWB, Treatise on sections 38 to 43 of the German ARC (merger control)

  • London, 2020 (appearing yearly), (co-author with Frank Roehling and Bertrand Guerin) Merger Control Germany, in: Merger Control 2021, Getting the Deal Through

  • Beck-Verlag, fourth edition, München, 2020, (co-author with Lilly Fiedler / Loewenheim, Meessen, Riesenkampff (Eds)) Europäisches und deutsches Kartellrecht, Treatise on Art. 82 EG-Vertrag

  • Treatise on Artt. 23 – 26 European Merger Control Regulation (together with Andreas Hahn), in: Münchener Kommentar zum Wettbewerbsrecht und in: Brussels Commentary – European Competition Law, Beck-Verlag (2007 and 2008 respectively)