Dr Michael Holzhäuser is a partner in our competition department and head of our German competition practice
Michael advises clients on all aspects of EU and German antitrust/competition law. As well as having strong multi-jurisdictional merger control experience, his practice also focuses on defending companies in international antitrust proceedings for cartels or abusive practices before the German and European cartel authorities and courts. In addition, he specialises in the defence of companies in private follow-on cartel damages claims.
His practice also includes advising enterprises on their commercial agreements (e.g. distribution systems, R&D-license, JV- or specialisation agreements) as well as in regulatory and EU-law matters.
Michael has extensive experience in developing and implementing comprehensive compliance systems and expert knowledge in conducting and coordinating internal investigations using state-of-the-art legal technology and project management.
His recent work includes advising clients across a broad range of industry sectors including financial institutions, energy, electronics, media, chemicals, healthcare, telecommunications and manufacturing, in particular the automotive industry.
Michael studied law at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University in Frankfurt where he also led a collaborative interdisciplinary research project on access to network infrastructures and received his doctorate (Dr. jur.). He was admitted to the German bar in 2003. He is the author of numerous publications in German and international legal journals and commentaries and is co-initiator and member of the advisory board for the postgraduate program "Legal Process Management" at the German Graduate School of Management & Law in Heilbronn/Germany, where he also lectures on disciplines "Legal Project Management for Compliance and Investigations".
Michael has been recognized by Handelsblatt and Best Lawyers™ as one of the leading lawyers in Germany for Competition and Antitrust as part of the "Germany's Best Lawyers 2020" ranking.
Our German competition department has been recognised by the news magazine FOCUS as "Top Firm for Antitrust/Competition Law 2020".
Michael was also recognised as a "Top Lawyer 2019" for antitrust law by WirtschaftsWoche.
Prior to joining Ashurst, he headed the German antitrust and competition practices for other leading international law firms and was Managing Partner of the Frankfurt Office of DLA Piper.