Dentons

Competition and Antitrust

Dr. Maria Brakalova is a partner in Dentons' Berlin office and a member of the Competition, Antitrust and Regulatory Practice and of the Public Procurement Practice. She focuses mainly on foreign trade law and public procurement law.

Maria advises on export control matters, appearing before regulatory authorities in Germany. She supports clients in setting up or improving their internal export control compliance organization. She also advises clients on the practical implications of EU/German as well as US sanctions on transactions relating to Russia, Venezuela, Iran and other sanctioned countries. Another major area of Maria’s expertise in foreign trade law relates to German foreign direct investment control (FDI control). She supports foreign investors and German targets on the implications of FDI control on M&A transactions and prepares the clearance process, closely interacting with the Federal Ministry for Economics and Energy.

Maria is chairwoman of the working committee “Foreign Trade/Export Control” of the German Institute for Compliance (DICO).

Apart from her foreign trade law expertise, Maria has substantial expertise in public procurement law. She advises bidders in public procurement procedures, in particular in the IT, healthcare and energy sectors and supports contracting authorities and sector contracting entities regarding the preparation and the execution of public procurement procedures, as well as with regard to specific procurement law issues.

In addition, Maria advises national and international companies and trade associations on anti-corruption law compliance issues.

Partner, Dentons, Berlin, 2021 to date Counsel, Dentons, Berlin, 2016-2021 Senior associate, Dentons, Berlin, 2013-2016 Associate, Dentons (formerly Salans), Berlin, 2007-2013 Research assistant at the office of a Member of the German Bundestag, 2004-2006 Research assistant, WilmerHale, 2000-2004

Chairwoman of the working committee „Foreign Trade/Export Control” of the German Institute for Compliance (DICO). Member, DVNW Deutsches Vergabenetzwerk Member, Forum Vergabe e. V.

Admitted to the bar, Germany, 2007

Freie Universität Berlin, 2007, Dr. iur.

Legal clerkship, 2005-2007, Berlin and Geneva

Freie Universität Berlin, 2002, Legal studies