Partner

Dr. Michael Bauer

Rechtsanwalt

Languages

German
English
French

Social media

German and European competition law, German and European merger control law, coordination of multinational merger control notifications in the EU and worldwide, EU state aid, compliance, general EU law, law of unfair trading practices.

Born on 30.9.64 in Stuttgart. Studied law in Tübingen and Bonn from 1985 until 1991. First state exam in Tübingen in 1991. Dissertation on the "Applicability of cartel law to public broadcasting stations" in 1992 with Prof. Dr Möschel. Doctorate from Eberhard-Karls University in Tübingen in 1993. Representative's staff member in the Baden-Württemberg State assembly from 1992 until 1994. Legal traineeship in Stuttgart from 1992 until 1994. Internship in New York (Oppenhoff & Rädler) in 1994. Second state exam in Stuttgart in 1994. Practised as a lawyer in Cologne from 1995 until 1999 (Freshfields Deringer). Lawyer since June 1999 and partner since January 2001 at CMS. Since 2001 Managing Partner of the CMS Brussels office. From 2009 until 2018 Head of the international CMS Sector Group Consumer Products. From 2019 to 2024 Head of the international CMS Practise Group Antitrust, Competition & Trade. Member of the Advisory Board of the Institute for Competition Law at the Heinrich Heine University Dusseldorf.

Awards & Recognitions

01 –

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Listed as notable practitioner

Chambers Global, 2025
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Listed as Expertise Based Abroad

Chambers Global, 2025
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Gelistet als "Expertise based abroad in Belgium Spotlight"

Chambers Germany, 2025
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"He knows the industry well, and is pragmatic and to the point.", client

Chambers Global, 2025
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„Michael Bauer ist sehr reaktionsschnell, flexibel und kennt den Markt gut. Seine Beratung ist betriebswirtschaftlich und auf den Kunden zugeschnitten.“, Mandant

The Legal 500 Deutschland, 2025
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Führender Name im Kartellrecht (über 50 Jahre)

JUVE Handbuch, 2024/2025
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„umf. Marktkenntnis u. pragmat. Ansatz beim Thema Preise u. Rabatte“, Mandant

JUVE Handbuch, 2024/2025
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„Oft empfohlen“ für Öffentlicher Sektor

JUVE Handbuch, 2024/2025
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„Oft empfohlen“ für Kartellrecht

JUVE Handbuch, 2024/2025
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„hat schon viel gesehen“, Wettbewerber

JUVE Handbuch, 2024/2025
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Listed as notable practitioner

Chambers Europe, 2024
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Listed as notable practitioner

Chambers Global, 2024
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‘Has very good and in-depth knowledge of EU state aid law, is very easy to reach and committed. We would instruct him again for advice on EU state aid law.’, client

The Legal 500 EMEA, 2024
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Führender Name im Kartellrecht (über 50 Jahre)

JUVE Handbuch, 2023/2024
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„Oft empfohlen“ für Öffentlicher Sektor

JUVE Handbuch, 2023/2024
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„Oft empfohlen“ für Kartellrecht

JUVE Handbuch, 2023/2024
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"Dr. Michael Bauer: Extremely knowledgeable in European state aid law.", client

The Legal 500 EMEA, 2023
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Listed as notable practitioners

Chambers Global, 2023
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"We get great and speedy work from Michael Bauer.", client

Chambers Global, 2023
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Führender Anwalt Europarecht & internationales Recht

Kanzleimonitor 2022/2023
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Next generation partner for Compliance

The Legal 500 EMEA, 2021
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Listed as notable practitioner

Chambers Global, 2021
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"pragmatic approach and extensive market knowledge", client

JUVE German Commercial Law Firms 2022 (GCLF)
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"among Germany’s leading antitrust lawyers, pragmatic approach", client

JUVE German Commercial Law Firms 2022 (GCLF)
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Führender Berater im Kartellrecht (über 50 Jahre)

JUVE Handbuch, 2020-2022
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"Recommended" for Antitrust

JUVE German Commercial Law Firms 2020-2022 (GCLF)
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Leading lawyer for European & international law

Kanzleimonitor 2021, 2022
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„ein Multitool“, Wettbewerber

JUVE Handbuch, 2022/2023
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„hohe Kompetenz u. Kenntnis der Verfahren, geschickter Verhandler“, Mandant

JUVE Handbuch, 2022/2023
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Führender Berater im Kartellrecht (über 50 Jahre)

JUVE Handbuch, 2022/2023
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„Oft empfohlen“ für Kartellrecht

JUVE Handbuch, 2022/2023
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„Oft empfohlen“ für Öffentlicher Sektor

JUVE Handbuch, 2022/2023
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"We particularly value his expertise on all questions relating to prices and discounts as well as his pragmatic approach and extensive knowledge of the market.", client

Chambers Europe, 2022
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Listed as notable practitioner

Chambers Europe, 2022
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"We particularly value his expertise on all questions relating to prices and discounts as well as his pragmatic approach and extensive knowledge of the market.", client

Chambers Global, 2022
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Listed as notable practitioner

Chambers Global, 2022
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"Dr. Bauer has extremely good knowledge of the industry, also thanks to his collaboration with the Markenverband. His advice is pragmatic and easy to implement in practice. He answers quickly and understandably.", client

The Legal 500 EMEA, 2022
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Führender Anwalt Kartellrecht

Kanzleimonitor 2022/2023

Publications

Zu den Entwürfen der EU-Kommission für die Reform des Vertriebskartellrechts, Wirtschaft und Wettbewerb 2021, 606 (mit Dr. Dietmar Rahlmeyer und Dr. Markus Schöner)
"Export restrictions can be expensive", guest contribution, "Lebensmittelzeitung", 14.06.2019
"German Federal Court of Justice ruling on retailers' abuse of buying power", Getränkeindustrie, March 2018, p. 38
"New rules on retailers' abuse of buying power", guest contribution, "Lebensmittelzeitung", 08.02.2019
Rettungs- und Umstrukturierungsbeihilfen, in: Bungenberg/Birnstiel/Heinrich (Ed.), EU-Beihilfenrecht, Kommentar, Nomos, 2012
§§ 35, 36 GWB no. 182-201, § 38 GWB, in: Loewenheim/Meessen/Riesenkampff (Ed.), Kartellrecht, Verlag C. H. Beck, 2009
Reg. 1/2003, Art. 4-10, in: Competition Law: European Community Practice and Procedure - Article-by-Article Commentary, Sweet & Maxwell, 2008
Reg. 1/2003, Art. 4-10, in: Münchener Kommentar - Europäisches und Deutsches Wettbewerbsrecht (Kartellrecht), Vol. 1, Verlag C. H. Beck, 2007
Kartellrecht, in: Handbuch der Europäischen Aktiengesellschaft, C. F. Müller Verlag 2005, p. 531 et seq.
Kartellrechtliche Zulässigkeit von Beschränkungen des Internetvertriebs in selektiven Vertriebssystemen, WRP 2003, p. 243 et seq.
Die EU-Gruppenfreistellungsverordnung für vertikale Wettbewerbsbeschränkungen, RWS-Verlag 2001
Die neue EU-Gruppenfreistellungsverordnung für vertikale Wettbewerbsbeschränkungen - Folgen für die Rechtspraxis, Der Betrieb 2000, p. 193 et seq.

Lectures list

“Outlook 2022: New EU Competition Rules for the Consumer Products Sector”, CMS CPSG Webinar, 9.12.2021
“Reden ist Silber – Schweigen ist Gold“ – Communication with competitors in antitrust law, lecture series, University of Düsseldorf, 14.10.2021
Advanced International Competition Law, London, May 2021, Moderator Panel "Horizontal Cooperation: The EU Commission’s reform of the Horizontal Guidelines"
Advanced EU Competition Law, Brussels conference, November 2020, "Review of Horizontal Cooperation Block Exemptions and Guidelines: What is on the Horizon?"
ABA Business Law Section, September 2020, panel on "Consideration of public interests in competition analysis"
Expert Workshop: "The role of national and international retail alliances in the agricultural and food supply chain", 5 November 2019, EU Commission – DG Agri and Joint Research Centre; Presentation: "Theories of harm in assessing retail alliances"
"Assessing the competition effects of buying alliances", Fifteenth annual symposium on competition amongst retailers and suppliers, Institute of European and Comparative Law, University of Oxford, 24 May 2019
"European Retail Alliances in Competition Law", CMS client webinar, 01.10.2018
"Buying alliances in the light of competition law", annual conference, Bundesverband der deutschen Süßwarenindustrie (German Sweets Industry Association) Conference Münster, 26.05.2018
"Unfair trading practices in the aftermath of the Edeka-Plus decision", Studienvereinigung Kartellrecht / RG Rheinland (German association of competition lawyers), Köln, 11.04.2018
"International retail alliances and joint ventures - under competition law ", 3rd Competition Policy Day, Markenverband (German Brands Association), Berlin, 28.02.2018
"Current issues of competition law in the automotive supplier industry", Client seminar, 15.02.2018
"Retail Buying Power", Danish Competition Day, Copenhagen, 28.09.2017
"Compliance risks for sales departments", Markenverband e.V. (German Brands Association) workshop, Hamburg, 06.09.2017
"Neuerungen in der Fusionskontrolle - GWB Novelle und Fallpraxis", CMS Mandantenseminar zur 9. GWB Novelle, Industrieclub, Düsseldorf, 29.05.2017
"European Retail Alliances: Buyer power", 8th CMS CPSG Annual Conference, Brussels, 10.11.2016
European Antitrust Review as a policy instrument? - Three theses -", IPBA Regional Conference, Brussels, 10.10.2016
"What is FRAND? Post Huawei case law in Germany", CMS TMC Breakfast, Munich, 26.07.2016
"European Retail Alliances - consumer benefits or competitive harm?", 12th annual symposium on competition amongst retailers and suppliers, Oxford, 10.06.2016
"Powerless against unfair price spreads in retail?", BSI Conference, Cologne, 28.04.2016
"Big Data - New Frontier for Competition Law -, IBC Advanced EU Competition Law Conference, Brussels, 08.02.2016
"Fair Competition in Trading Practices", Centromarca Business Conference, Milan, 23.09.2015
"Defining consumer choice and measuring performance in grocery", Trends in Retail Competition: Private labels, brands and competition policy, 11th symposium on competition amongst retailers and suppliers, Oxford University, 22.05.2015
"Important current developments in competition law for the food industry", Federal Associations for the Spirits Industry, Frankfurt, 12.05.2015
"4-to-3 mergers: Harmful to competition?", CMS Competition Law Conference, Brussels, 08.05.2015
"Negotiations with retail alliances - Can competition law help to tackle the abuse of buyer power? - The European perspective", Consumer Products Sector Group, Madrid, 28.04.2015
"Antitrust compliance in M&A transactions", we.connect, Compliance Congress "Corporate Governance Compliance Strategies 2015", Berlin, 23.04.2015
"Negotiations with retail buying groups - A practical guide under competition law", AIM - European Brands Association, Brussels, 10.03.2015
"Supplier / retailer relationship: Recent antitrust practice in Germany", Centromarca Conference - "PIRC one year later", Lisbon, 27.02.2015
"Telefónica / E-Plus merger: 5 reasons why the decision is a benchmark for mobile telecoms consolidation in Europe", ECTA's Annual Regulatory Conference 2014, Brussels, 20.11.2014
"Telefónica / E-Plus merger: a benchmark for mobile telecoms consolidation in Europe", IBC Legal's 20th annual conference Competition Law & Regulation in the Telecoms & IT Sectors 2014, Brussels, 05.11.2014
"Buyer power in the food retail sector - Recent developments in Germany", AIM - European Brands Association, Brussels, 04.11.2014
"SIEC Test in Telefónica (O2) / E-Plus", Antitrust Lawyer's Association, Brussels Group, 21.10.2014
"Negotiating conditions after the EDEKA decision", Workshop: Prices in competition law, German Brands Association, Frankfurt, 14.10.2014
"Compliance in distribution - What limits are set by competition law?", German Distribution Conference, Wiesbaden, 05.10.2014
"Best practice for conducting an international competition law audit", Compliance Roadshow, Hamburg, 29.08.2013
"Should the fine threshold of 10% of group turnover in EU competition law be lowered" The need for reform in the European antitrust fines", German Parliamentary Association, Berlin, 15.05.2013
"The rebates saga: what comes next?", CMS Competition Law Conference, Brussels, 18.04.2013
"Compliance Strategies 2013", we.connect, Conference chair, Berlin, 11.04.2013
"The 8th Amendment to the Act against Restraints of Competition - Merger control: Adjusting to Europe and special German methods", Antitrust Roadshow, Dusseldorf, 22.11.2012
“Silence is golden? – Communication among competitors”, Antitrust Roadshow, Munich, 07.12.2011
“A shut mouth catches no flies? – Legal boundaries of communication with distributors and competitors”, German Food Competition Law Conference, Wiesbaden, 23.08.2011
“Investigator ante portas – What to do in case of a dawn raid?”, Antitrust Roadshow, Munich, 20.06.2011
“Possibilities and boundaries of joint distribution arrangements / The new horizontal competition guidelines – Significance to the consumer goods industry”, Markenverband, Frankfurt, 17.03.2011
“Antitrust compliance in practice“, Euroforum, Annual conference of in-house counsels, Berlin, 24.02.2011
“Antitrust questions in the coffee industry”, Annual conference of the German coffee industry, Wiesbaden, 19./20.01.2011
“Vertical price fixing and recommended resale price – the new tightened practice of the German Federal Cartel Office”, German association for antitrust law, Bonn, 11.12.2010
“Compliance: Which measures should companies take?”, Annual conference of the German meat industry, Frankfurt, 24.11.2010
“German Competition Law”, Annual conference of the German meat industry, Frankfurt, 24.11.2010
“Competition law among competitors“, Annual conference of the German meat industry, Frankfurt, 24.11.2010
“Competition law in distribution“, Annual conference of the German meat industry, Frankfurt, 24.11.2010
“Leniency policy / Follow on actions“, Annual conference of the German meat industry, Frankfurt 24.11.2010
“The new vertical block exemption – Resale price maintenance and sales management”, Antitrust lunch, Zürich, 11.11.2010
“Inspectors at the front door – Facing an EU Competition surprise investigation at your company’s premises (Dawn Raid)“, Slovak-Austrian Chamber of Commerce and German-Slovak Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Bratislava, 23.09.2010
“Defense or surrender? Antitrust proceedings before the European Commission“, Slovak-Austrian Chamber of Commerce and German-Slovak Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Bratislava, 23.09.2010
“Making the point - Complaining before the European Commission - two case studies“, Slovak-Austrian Chamber of Commerce and German-Slovak Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Bratislava, 23.09.2010
“A new policy in the area of resale price maintenance?”, 2nd annual conference “Food and Competition Law”, Wiesbaden, 08.09.2010
“Is active pricing policy possible?“, 1st annual conference “Food and Competition Law”, Wiesbaden, 08.09.2010
“Antitrust compliance in the relationship between industry and commerce”, BDSI Business Forum, Bonn, 13.04.2010
“Training – which measures are necessary?”, Workshop Compliance, Munich, 25.06.2009
“State aid in the financial crisis“, PAG Competition, Vienna, 16.01.2009
“Unjustified requests by customers under German competition law”, Markenverband, Dusseldorf, 21.11.2007
“Boundaries of recommendations by trade associations under German competition law”, Seminar on antitrust issues relating to trade association activities, Berlin, 17.10.2007
“Compliance for trade associations”, Seminar on antitrust issues relating to trade association activities, Cologne, 10.10.2007
“The European antidumping regime“, EU/China Business Conference, Shanghai, 2006
“Consequences of the 7th amendment to the German Act against Restraints on Competition (GWB) for purchasing and distribution”, practitioner seminar “Update Purchasing and Distribution”, Munich, 24.11.2005
“Access to EU ports”, Brussels, 14.06.2005
“Cross Border Leniency”, PAG Competition, Milan, 16.01.2004
“State Aid – The Airbus Case”, PAG Competition, Milan, 16.01.2004
“The greyhound race in practice – First experiences with the new Leniency Notice”, University of Constance, 16.06.2003
“The new antitrust regulation no. 1/2003”, Euroclub, Brussels, 27.03.2003
“Recent developments in distribution antitrust law”, Forum Antitrust Law, University of Dusseldorf, 20.11.2002
“The new block regulation for motor vehicles”, MMI-Convention of Entrepreneurs, Wolfsburg, 01.10.2002
“New block exemption regulation on car distribution“, Academy of European Law, Brussels, 15.05.2002
“EU-State Aid”, PAG Competition, Brussels, 03.02.2002
“International Merger Control”, Zurich, 24.01.2002
“Principles of EC Competition Law, Art 81 EC“, Academy of European Law, Trier, 02.07.2001
“The new block exemption regulation for vertical restraints”, RWS-Seminar, Frankfurt, 02.02.2001
“The right to network access in railway transport”, Academy of European Law, Trier, 23./24.01.2001

Practice Areas

Antitrust, Competition & Trade Compliance & Forensic Services Public Commercial Law & Procurement CMS Client Academy Internal Investigations Competition law compliance

sectors

Consumer Products Digitalisation and AI in the automotive industry Energy & Climate Change Life Sciences & Healthcare

topics

Hydrogen

Insights

Global Reach

Karriere

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Global Reach

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Select your region

Dr. Michael Bauer

Rechtsanwalt

Languages

Social media

Publications

Lectures list

Practice Areas

sectors

topics

Insights by Michael

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CMS advises Bruker on acquisition of Dynamic Biosensors