Schima Mayer Starlinger Rechtsanwälte GmbH

Competition and Antitrust Law, Energy Law, Dispute Resolution and Litigation, Corporate / M&A, Corporate Governance

Equity Partner at sms.law | Attorney-at-law

Christian Mayer is one of the founding partners at SCHIMA MAYER STARLINGER Attorneys-at-Law (short sms.law). He advises and represents national and international companies on Austrian and international competition and antitrust law, including merger control. His practice also covers compliance and dispute resolution. Christian's industry knowledge and experience are particularly in-depth in the media, tourism, energy, aerospace, and automotive industries, as well as in the fields of health care and transportation.

Christian and his team are renowned for handling high-profile cases, including, but not limited to cartel investigations, immunity applications, on-site inspections, and complex merger filings - national, EU, or multi-jurisdictional, as well as in and out-of-court abuse of dominance and anti-trust cases. He frequently represents clients in competition law-related litigation, before competition authorities, national courts, and arbitral tribunals.

In recent years, Christian inter alia advised and represented:

-     an operator of a gas-fired power plant with respect to a long-term gas supply agreement;

-     a defendant in a case on non-compete obligations in connection with a production joint venture;

-     a customer with respect to a long-term energy storage contract;

-     the buyer of a share in Austria's largest gas transmission system;

-     an association of hoteliers with respect to price parity clauses used by online booking platforms;

-     the buyer in the merger of two leading Austrian ski resorts;

-     the buyer in the acquisition of a TV station in Austria.

Christian and his team also often assist clients to structure or assess from a competition law perspective their relationship with other market participants. Furthermore, they develop and implement compliance policies and trainings for and with their clients. The team is also very experienced in national and European merger filings, including phase II proceedings.

Christian has repeatedly been ranked amongst Austria's top competition lawyers. He is a frequent speaker at competition law conferences. His recurring teaching assignments include a lecture on European and international competition law at the University of St.Gallen HSG as well as his position as chairperson of the competition law module of the Executive Master of European and International Business Law in Brussels. Before starting his career as an attorney, Christian was a research assistant and academic coordinator with the Institute of European and International Business Law at the University of St.Gallen (Chair Prof. Baudenbacher).

Christian is the author of several guides and publications on topics within his fields of expertise.

German, English, French

Vienna Bar Association, International Bar Association, Study Association Antitrust Law

Legal studies at University of Vienna (Master of Law / Mag. iur.)

Tennis, Soccer