Thomas Oster

Thomas is a partner in the Competition & EU practice of Bird & Bird, based in Paris.

Thomas  specialises in competition law, having significant experience in helping clients to avoid competition law pitfalls and representing them in proceedings before the competition authorities.

His practice covers both contentious and non-contentious national and European competition law, together with commercial and distribution law.Thomas has substantial experience of advising on cartel investigations and assisting companies in preparing leniency applications before the European Commission and the French Competition Authority.  He helps to develop and implement competition compliance programs and provides assistance in notifications of transactions to the European Commission under the EC Merger Regulation and to the French Competition Authority.Thomas’ experience of competition law covers different angles, having worked in practice, in house and having done an internship at the French Competition Authority. Prior to joining Bird & Bird he worked for 14 years in the Paris office of a major global law firm.On the commercial side, Thomas has experience of advising clients on the structuring of selective, exclusive or franchise distribution networks across Europe, as well as advising on supplier-distributors relationships and sales regulations. He also regularly assists clients in relation to product liability issues.Thomas regularly participates in seminars and conferences and is the author of several articles on competition law.

Admitted to the Paris Bar in 2000, Thomas holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Competition Law from the Faculty of Economics of Rennes, an LL.M in International Business from the University of Manchester and an LL.B in European Business law from the Faculty of law of Strasbourg.