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Dr Ellen Braun

Partner

Ellen, LL.M. (UC Berkeley), is a German Rechtsanwältin and head of our German antitrust practice. She specialises in EU and German competition law.

She has an active practice representing clients in competition proceedings before the EU Commission, the German Federal Cartel Office and the courts. Her broad practice covers the full breadth of antitrust law including advising on long-term competition and antitrust strategies; complex merger control cases including worldwide multiple filings; structuring of cooperation, joint venture and distribution agreements; compliance advice, audits and design of compliance programs; EU and German cartel investigations including leniency applications; as well as actioning and defending private enforcement cases in court.

Her long-standing client relationships encompass all industry sectors, with a particular focus on consumer products, general industry, construction, infrastructure and energy, media and entertainment, as well as financial services/insurance. She regularly speaks and publishes on EU and German antitrust law issues.

Her publications include the chapters on horizontal agreements under EU law, on horizontal and vertical agreements under German law, and on energy antitrust law and competitor co-operation, all in the Langen/Bunte, the leading German language commentary on EU and German antitrust law. She holds an LLM from UC Berkeley and a doctorate in antitrust law from the University of Hamburg. She is also admitted to the New York Bar. She previously worked as an associate at a leading German antitrust practice. Ellen's mother tongue is German and she speaks English fluently as well as French.

Expertise

Industries

Experience

Representative matters

  • Scania against German follow-on damages actions relating to the “truck cartel” case.
  • Procter & Gamble against various follow-on damages actions relating to the EU “purity cartel” case (detergents) and the German case concerning the “drugstore” cartel.
  • CTS Eventim in a series of nullity cases before the Düsseldorf appellate court.
  • Alliance Healthcare Deutschland against allegations of a cartel on the German investigation of the pharmaceutical wholesale market.
  • Samsung SDI against two follow-on damages claims brought by Grundig and Loewe/Metz.
  • Evonik Industries AG on merger control issues in connection with the acquisition of the specialty chemicals division of Air Products.
  • Bell AG in relation to the “sausage cartel” case.
  • Alliance Healthcare Deutschland against allegations of a cartel on the German investigation of the Pharmaceutical wholesale market.
  • Robert Bosch GmbH on the establishment of a joint IoT industry standard with global competitors in the safety and security market.
  • PON regarding the set-up of its new (selective) distribution system in Germany and other EU member states.
  • Novo A/S on numerous merger control cases.
  • Zitra, a JV between Otto Group and JD.com, on cartel and distribution law issues in connection with the entry into two new business lines. 

Published Work

  • Braun E., Bunte H.J. (2017) "Kommentar zum deutschen und europäischen Kartellrecht", 13th edition (co-author)
  • Braun E., Bunte H.J. (2010) "Kommentar zum deutschen und europäischen Kartellrecht", 11th edition (co-author)
  • Braun E. (2009) "Gleiches Recht für alle", article in FINANCE, 06/2009
  • Braun E. (2012) "Marktdefinitionen", chapter in Hamburger Kommentar - Gesamtes Medienrecht, 2nd edition
  • Braun E. (2006) "Europäisierung des deutschen Kartellrechts - Konsequenzen für Kartellmitglieder?", Europäisches Wettbewerbsrecht nach der Reform
  • Braun E. (2006) "Kartellrechtliche Beurteilung von Horizontalvereinbarungen", EUROFORUM: Schriftlicher Management-Lehrgang in 12 Lektionen, Das neue Kartell- und Fusionskontrollrecht, chapter 7
  • Braun E., Behrens P., Nowak C. (2004) "Europäisches Wettbewerbsrecht im Umbruch", Nomos
  • Braun E. (2004) "Der Systemwechsel im europäischen (und deutschen) Kartellrecht (VO 1/2003) - Vorschläge fuer die Unternehmenspraxis", article in Europäisches Wettbewerbsrecht im Umbruch, Nomos
  • Braun E., Schoneweg H. (2003) "Der Anwalt wechselt sein Spezialgebiet nur selten", article in Financial Times Deutschland, 07/02/2003
  • Braun E., (2002) "Marktabgrenzung wird unterschiedlich gesehen", article in Lebensmittelzeitung, 09/2002
  • Braun E., Bader C. (2002, 2003) "German Competition Law: Overview and recent developments", article in The European Antitrust Review, 03/2002 and 04/2004: Global Competition
  • Braun E., Behrens P. (1996) "EC Competition Rules in National Courts – Germany", Nomos 

Recognition

Leading senior partner”, “Highly recommended.
JUVE 2018/2019
Responsive, approachable and extremely attuned to our commercial needs.
(Client), CHAMBERS 2018

Qualifications

Admissions

Admitted as German Rechtsanwältin, 1994
Admitted to the bar, State of New York, USA, 1999

Academic

LL.M., University of California, Berkeley, USA, 1995
Dr iur, University of Hamburg, Germany, 1995
Second German Law Degree, University of Hamburg, 1991
First German Law Degree, University of Hamburg, 1988 

Languages

English, German
Disclaimer
A&O Shearman was formed on May 1, 2024 by the combination of Shearman & Sterling LLP and Allen & Overy LLP and their respective affiliates (the legacy firms). Any matters referred to above may include matters undertaken by one or more of the legacy firms rather than A&O Shearman.