We are happy that the experienced team of Katharina Weiner (partner) and Stefanie Zenzen (associate) will join our Düsseldorf office in the third quarter of 2026 from an international law firm. They both bring extensive experience advising leading national and international companies as well as public sector clients on complex procurement, regulatory, and strategic infrastructure matters.

The recent surge in gaming M&A activity (see Drake Star Report, available here) has been matched by a sharp increase in regulatory complexity and unpredictability. No deal illustrates this better than the proposed USD 55 billion buyout of Electronic Arts by a consortium led by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund; a transaction simultaneously navigating merger control, screening by the US Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) and FDI scrutiny. This convergence of three distinct regulatory regimes on a single transaction is no anomaly: It reflects a structural shift in how gaming deals are regulated. Companies pursuing transactions in this environment must navigate an increasingly dense web of regulatory hurdles, including merger control, FDI and potentially even the Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR), depending on the scale of the transaction and whether or not it involves state-backed parties. As authorities tighten their scrutiny, successful deal planning hinges on aligning transaction strategy with the current regulatory landscape.

For the fifth time in ten years, German competition law is facing a comprehensive reform. On 4 June 2026, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy published its draft bill for the 12th Amendment to the Act against Restraints of Competition (ARC). Its aim is to make competition law more efficient with faster procedures and greater enforcement powers for the Federal Cartel Office (FCO). Uncontroversial mergers shall be excluded from the notification regime so that resources are freed up for cases with genuine competitive relevance. This shift in focus is complemented by new tools that were previously not available to the FCO, such as systematic screening of procurement data. What are the key elements of the proposed amendment?

Summer is finally here. Sunlight is breaking through, sidewalk cafés are filling up, and the city is buzzing with energy. As we dust off our favourite pair of shades, we also look back at an incredibly inspiring week: Berlin just hosted the Games Industry Law Summit, bringing together the brightest minds in the sector. The atmosphere at the event made one thing clear: Games do more than entertain. They tell stories, spark imagination, and connect people across borders. However, as the fruitful discussions in Berlin highlighted, it is not all fun and games. They are also increasingly at the centre of regulatory scrutiny that directly affects growth, monetization, distribution and deal strategy.

This briefing provides an overview on the European Commission’s latest move to impose higher provisional anti-dumping duties by setting aside the lesser duty rule. Its approach goes further than the usual practice, looking beyond direct inputs to capture raw material distortions deeper in the supply chain. This includes upstream inputs, in other words, raw materials of the raw materials, where they significantly affect costs.

The EU is preparing one of the most significant shifts in industrial funding policy in decades. At the centre of this shift is the proposed European Competitiveness Fund (ECF), a new funding instrument under the 2028-2034 Multiannual Financial Framework intended to direct EU funding towards strategically important industries, critical technologies and defence capabilities.

The Commission published its long-awaited simplification review package yesterday (4 May 2026). The headline: the EUDR legal text is not being reopened, and there are new FAQ and Guidance in town. What is changing is Annex I (the list of in-scope products) and the supporting documents. There is a public consultation on the draft Delegated Act revising Annex I running until 1 June 2026. Here is what you need to know.

“Europe needs bold, innovative companies that can compete on the global stage. We have the talent. Now we must build the environment for Europe’s next champions.”, Commission President von der Leyen said yesterday when the draft Merger Guidelines were published.

For the first time in 20 years, the EU Merger Guidelines are undergoing a substantial overhaul. Long discussed, particularly following the publication of the Draghi report on EU competitiveness and the mission letter by President von der Leyen in 2024, the update aims to address transformational shifts that have occurred since the current framework’s inception. These range from digitalisation to decarbonisation, with added urgency stemming from an increasingly complex geopolitical and geoeconomic environment. The publication follows a Call for Evidence that included an initial public consultation launched in May 2025 and a series of stakeholder events held by the Commission. Submissions received from stakeholders over the course of the review process have informed the preparation of the text that was now published.

In a series of upcoming briefings, we will deep dive into the revised framework and its implications for industry stakeholders.

Am 23. April 2026 veröffentlichte die Europäische Union ihr 20. Sanktionspaket gegen Russland und Belarus. Das Maßnahmenbündel verschärft und erweitert die bisherigen Sanktionen noch einmal erheblich und markiert zugleich eine neue Eskalationsstufe in der Durchsetzung und Absicherung der EU‑Sanktionsarchitektur. Besonders hervorzu-heben sind die erstmalige Aktivierung des Antiumgehungsinstruments, umfangreiche Erweiterungen im Finanz‑ und Energiesektor sowie tiefgreifende neue Schutz- und Rechtsdurchsetzungsmechanismen zugunsten von EU‑Wirtschaftsbeteiligten. Die Maßnahmen betreffen – wie bereits in den vorangegangenen Paketen – sowohl Russland als auch Belarus. Das zwanzigste Sanktionspaket ist besonders auf die Verhinderung der Sanktionsumgehung ausgerichtet. Dabei werden zunehmend auch Akteure aus Drittländern, wie China, den Vereinigten Arabischen Emiraten oder aus Zentralasien in den Blick genommen.

The European Commission (EC) continues to intensify its scrutiny of territorial supply constraints (TSC). On 13 April 2026, it carried out another set of dawn raids in the consumer goods sector, reportedly at two European premises of one of the world’s largest sweet-packaged food producers. The inspections closely follow the EC’s decision in May 2024 to impose a fine of EUR 337.5 million on chocolate giant Mondelēz. The allegation in both cases: anticompetitive TSCs imposed on distributors. Both cases fit into a broader pattern of increased antitrust scrutiny of territorial restrictions in the consumer goods sector. What is at stake and what can suppliers do to stay out of the spotlight?