Arne Karsten
DentonsDentons comprehensively advises on all aspects of antitrust law and offers support in antitrust proceedings, merger control, antitrust investigations and cartel damages proceedings, including clients' representation before the Federal Cartel Office and the European Commission. The practice is jointly headed by Florian Wiesner and René Grafunder; Wiesner is well versed in advising on cooperations with competitors and Grafunder has expertise in antitrust compliance and state aid law. The team also covers interfacing procurement law and investment control matters. Counsel Arne Karsten is experienced in drafting contracts in accordance with antitrust law, which is regularly drawn upon in connection with distribution antitrust law matters. Global practice head Jörg Karenfort, who is experienced in cartel and market power abuse proceedings, and Norman Hölzel (cartel damages) are further key contacts; the latter was appointed to partner in April 2024.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Very good cooperation, top technical expertise, top response times.'
- 'Excellent team; we have been working with Dentons for several years and are extremely satisfied.'
- 'René Grafunder and his team are excellent contacts who know us very well and always provide excellent advice.'
- 'Florian Wiesner: Very easy to deal with, always finds practical solutions with a good dose of common sense.'
- 'Norman Hölzel has a good understanding of company specifics and is always ready to help. One can be sure of his support even in the event of short-term problems.'
- 'Dentons is an international law firm with a strong focus on development/innovation. Their online tools, eg in the area of FDI, dawn raids and distribution antitrust law, provide an excellent overview.'
- 'Josef Hainz: Excellent in merger control, always available, hands-on advice and extremely pleasant to work with.'
- 'Maren Tamke: Good, personal cooperation; clear communication.'
Key clients
- Allgäuer Zeitungsverlag GmbH
- Enbridge Inc.
- Spilger
- Bundesverband deutscher Banken
- CARIAD
- Silgan Holdings Inc.
- Audi
- MEAG/DigitalBridge/Infranity
- Porsche
- Stiftung Zentrale Stelle Verpackungsregister
- Yamaha Music
- DPG Deutsche Pfandsystem GmbH
- Merck KgaA
- STADA AG
- Aeroground und Flughafen München
- Wacker Chemie AG
- Gothaer Finanzholding AG
- Daimler Truck AG
- govdigital eG
- Hypoport SE
- Voith GmbH & Co. KgaA
- Duisburger Hafen AG (duisport)
- Heubach
- Interzero
- Gebr. Heinemann
- CHG Meridian AG
- Verband der Rundholzhändler
- Al Rajhi Bank
- Intapp, Inc. (USA)
- KPS Capital Partners
Work highlights
- Advising Silgan Holdings Inc., an international packaging solutions provider, in relation to a settlement with the European Commission to resolve a long-standing antitrust investigation into metal packaging.
- Merger control and investment control advice to Porsche on the acquisition of a minority stake in Applied Intuition, a software manufacturer in the autonomous driving sector with an investment value of approximately $200 million.
- Advising a leading cable manufacturer in antitrust proceedings before the Federal Cartel Office.
Lawyers
Leading associates
Leading associates with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
