Partner

Dieter Zandler

Head of Antitrust, Competition and Trade, CMS Reich-Rohrwig Hainz

Languages

German
English
French

Social media

Dieter Zandler is a partner specialising in Antitrust, Competition and Trade Law (in particular foreign direct investment control). He heads the Antitrust, Competition and Trade Law team of CMS Reich-Rohrwig Hainz (Austria and CEE/SEE) and co-heads the Austrian team. Dieter represents national and international companies, especially in cartel (fine), antitrust, merger control and abuse of dominance proceedings before Austrian competition authorities, the European Commission and in court. He also advises his clients on antitrust compliance and antitrust damages claims as well as on foreign direct investment control.

Dieter Zandler represents companies from various sectors, including finance (especially banking and insurance), private equity, energy, packaging, consumer goods, services, IT, telecommunications, media, chemicals, engineering, food and life sciences.

Dieter Zandler regularly provides courses and trainings, focusing on antitrust compliance and the competition law aspects of distribution contracts and distribution systems. For several years, he is also a guest lecturer at the University of Vienna.

Awards & Recognitions

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"Dieter Zandler played a key role in successfully managing our competition filing across multiple jurisdictions. His coordination with local counsel in each country was seamless and highly effective, ensuring that all filings were handled smoothly and in full compliance with local requirements."

Legal 500, 2026
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"Dieter Zandler was very responsive, very knowledgeable and very well connected."

Chambers Europe, 2026
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"He has an incredible understanding of his clients' industries and delivers excellent solutions tailored to the client's needs and the specific case."

Chambers Europe, 2026
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"He gave a good picture of what to expect and what was possible, and was very transparent and easy to follow."

Chambers Europe, 2026
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Dieter Zandler is an advisor who consistently works at the very highest level.'

Legal 500, 2025
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"We appreciate his excellent expertise in his field and ability to look beyond and coordinate and drive topics."

Chambers Europe 2025
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"Dieter Zandler is an excellent adviser; there really is nothing left to be desired."

Chambers Europe 2025
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‘Dieter Zandler: very broad expertise, always eager and very responsive."

The Legal 500 EMEA, 2024
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"He provides great expertise and quick solutions."

Chambers Europe, 2024
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’‘Dieter Zandler in particular is a valuable advisor who understands the economic context very well and makes well-thought-out suggestions for implementing the objectives. His international knowledge is impressive."

The Legal 500 EMEA, 2024

Publications

Zandler/Sommergruber, Austrian merger control – Supreme Court rules on ‘significant domestic activities’ requirement under the transaction value test, CMS Law-Now, 22.4.2025
Scharf/Zandler, § 41 Vertriebskartellrecht in Österreich, in Bauer/Rahlmeyer/Schöner (eds.), Handbuch Vertriebskartellrecht, C.H. Beck, 2024, 769.
EUMR commentary on Art. 3 (with Christoff Soltau), Art. 7 and Art. 11 (with Benedikt Ecker) and Art. 16, in Bacher/Hempel/Wagner-von Papp (ed.), BeckOK Kartellrecht¹² (2024).
Mergerfilers.com: National expert and author of the chapter on Merger control in Austria until February 2024.
Zandler/Horaceck, Umfassende Neuerungen im österreichischen Wettbewerbsrecht, CMS Law-Now, 13.9.2021.
Zandler/Horaceck, Das neue österreichische Investitionskontrollgesetz – verstärkte Prüfung ausländischer Direktinvestitionen in Österreich, CMS Law-Now, 27.7.2020.
Zandler/Horaceck, Kartellrecht in Zeiten der Corona-Krise, CMS Law-Now, 14.4.2020.
Scharf/Zandler, Vorbereitung und Durchführung von M&A-Transaktionen im Spannungsfeld zwischen Transaktionssicherheit und kartellrechtlichen Vorgaben, in DACH Europäische Anwaltsvereinigung e.V. (ed.), Unternehmenskauf und –verkauf sowie (grenzüberschreitende) Verschmelzung (Schulthess 2016) 171.
Die wirtschaftliche Einheit als Normadressat im Kartellbußgeldrecht, NZKart 3/2016, 98.
Elsner/Zandler, Vergleichsverfahren im Kartellrecht, Wirtschaftsblatt, 13.11.2014.
Bußgelder und Kronzeugenregelung im Europäischen Wettbewerbsrecht, PhD Thesis, University of Salzburg 2005.

The Law Reviews publications:

Zandler/Horaceck, Chapter 4: Austria, in Knable Gotts (ed.), The Merger Control Review¹⁴ (2023) 53.
Zandler/Horaceck, Chapter 5: Austria, in Knable Gotts (ed.), The Merger Control Review¹³ (2022) 72.
Zandler/Horaceck, Chapter 6: Austria, in Knable Gotts (ed.), The Merger Control Review¹² (2021) 86.
Zandler/Marterer/Horaceck, Chapter 7: Austria, in Knable Gotts (ed.), The Merger Control Review¹¹ (2020) 93.
Zandler/Marterer/Horaceck, Chapter 8: Austria, in Knable Gotts (ed.), The Merger Control Review¹⁰ (2019) 89.
Zandler/Marterer, Chapter 8: Austria, in Knable Gotts (ed.), The Merger Control Review⁹ (2018) 85.
Elsner/Zandler/Horaceck, Chapter 3: Austria, in Knable Gotts/Schwartz (eds.), The Private Competition Enforcement Review¹⁶ (2023) 22.
Elsner/Zandler/Scharf, Chapter 3: Austria, in Knable Gotts/Schwartz (eds.), The Private Competition Enforcement Review¹⁵ (2022) 22.
Elsner/Zandler/Wimmer-Nistelberge, Chapter 4: Austria, in Knable Gotts/Schwartz (eds.), The Private Competition Enforcement Review¹⁴ (2021) 37.
Elsner/Zandler/Wimmer-Nistelberge, Chapter 4: Austria, in Knable Gotts/Schwartz (eds.), The Private Competition Enforcement Review¹³ (2020) 35.
Elsner/Zandler/Wimmer-Nistelberger, Chapter 4: Austria, in Knable Gotts (ed.), The Private Competition Enforcement Review¹² (2019) 36.
Elsner/Zandler/Kos, Chapter 5: Austria, in Knable Gotts (ed.), The Private Competition Enforcement Review¹¹ (2018) 41.
Elsner/Zandler/Kos, Chapter 5: Austria, in Knable Gotts (ed.), The Private Competition Enforcement Review¹⁰ (2017) 51.
Elsner/Zandler/Horaceck, Chapter 2: Austria, in Dolmans/Mostyn/Todd (ed.), The Dominance and Monopolies Review¹¹(2023) 12.
Elsner/Zandler/Horaceck, Chapter 3: Austria, in Dolmans/Mostyn (eds.), The Dominance and Monopolies Review⁹ (2021) 29.
Elsner/Zandler/Horaceck, Chapter 3: Austria, in Dolmans/Mostyn (eds.) The Dominance and Monopolies Review⁸ (2020) 30.
Elsner/Zandler/Horaceck, Chapter 3: Austria, in Dolmans/Mostyn (eds.), The Dominance and Monopolies Review⁷ (2019) 27.
Elsner/Zandler/Kos, Chapter 3: Austria, in Dolmans/Mostyn (eds.), The Dominance and Monopolies Review⁶ (2018) 25.

Memberships & Roles

Austrian Bar Association
Studienvereinigung Kartellrecht

Awards & Rankings

EU & Competition: Leading partner, Legal 500 Austria, 2026
Often recommended, JUVE Ranking Antitrust Law, JUVE - Magazine for Business Lawyers in Austria 11-12/2018, 11-12/2020, 11-12/ 2022, 11-12/2024.
EU & Competition: Next Generation Partner, Legal 500 Austria, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025.
Ranked lawyer, Competition/European Law - Austria, Chambers Europe, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026.

Lectures list

Dieter Zandler regularly provides courses and trainings, focusing on antitrust compliance and the competition law aspects of distribution contracts and distribution systems. For several years, he is also a guest lecturer at the University of Vienna in the field of distribution (antitrust) law in the courses of Univ. Prof. RA Dr. Johannes Reich-Rohrwig.

Education

2011 – Admission to the bar
2006 – MA, Law, Central European University, Budapest/New York
2006 – Visiting JD Programme, Emory University School of Law, Atlanta
2005 – Erasmus, ELTE ÁJK, Budapest
2005 – Dr. iur., Law, University of Salzburg
2002 – Mag. iur., Law, University of Salzburg

Practice Areas

Corporate/M&A Compliance Antitrust, Competition and Trade

sectors

Consumer Products

Insights by Dieter

See all Insights

Deals Austria

CMS advised ALPLA on strategic acquisition of Energoplast

06 Nov 2025 3 min read

Press releases Austria

CMS advises Mutares portfolio company Magirus on acquisition of Achleitner Fahrzeugbau GmbH

02 Oct 2025 3 min read