The commercial law firm Orth Kluth has recruited Dr Moritz Dästner as a new salary partner for its antitrust practice group. He previously worked for Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in Düsseldorf, most recently as a Principal Associate.

Attorney-at-law Dr. Moritz Dästner (37) joins Orth Kluth’s Düsseldorf office as a salary partner on 1 November. He advises national and international clients on all issues of German and European antitrust law. Dr. Dästner has accompanied merger control proceedings and antitrust proceedings both before the German Federal Cartel Office and the European Commission. In addition to advising on antitrust law during transactions, he has extensive experience in internal company investigations to clarify cartel violations in the context of compliance investigations. Furthermore, he has also advised on general antitrust issues in the past.

“We are very pleased that with Dr. Moritz Dästner we have been able to win an antitrust law expert from a law firm with an excellent reputation. Mr. Dästner is the ideal antitrust reinforcement to implement our strategic ambitions in transactional and compliance-related advice,” says Dr. Anselm Grün, partner and head of the antitrust practice group.

“Our specialised Audits & Investigations team is delighted to welcome Dr Moritz Dästner. Due to the strong increase in antitrust investigations and antitrust litigation, a staff reinforcement is important for our further growth,” comments Dr. Markus Berndt, Partner and Head of the Criminal Compliance Practice Group.

“I am very pleased to join Orth Kluth’s antitrust practice and thus take the next professional step. The firm’s existing structures offer numerous points of contact for genuine antitrust advice as well as for dovetailing with other practice groups”, said Dr. Moritz Dästner.

With the recruitment of Dr. Dästner, the firm is continuing to implement its growth plans and, with his appointment, is also strengthening itself professionally and qualitatively in antitrust law. The addition of Dr. Dästner is an important step for the firm in the expansion of its antitrust practice.

Mr Dästner studied law at the Universities of Bonn and Sussex, Great Britain, passed his second state examination at the Higher Regional Court of Cologne and in 2015 wrote his doctoral thesis on “The Principle of Determination and the Principle of Culpability in EU Antitrust Fines Law” under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Martin Böse.