Gerald Brei

Dr. iur., Attorney-at-law

Gerald Brei advises his clients particularly in Swiss and European competition law. He can draw on a wealth of consulting experience spanning more than 25 years. Gerald represents clients in administrative and sanction proceedings initiated by antitrust authorities as well as in merger control proceedings. He advises clients with regard to distribution and licensing agreements and on antitrust compliance programmes, internal investigations, public procurement and regulated markets.

Prior to joining VFS Partner Gerald was a partner at two other Swiss law firms and used to work, inter alia, as inhouse counsel for many years. As former Head of the Antitrust Group of a Munich-based international company, he is familiar with all practical questions relating to competition law and thus is well suited to advising corporate clients hands-on and goal-orientated.

Gerald Brei is admitted to the bars in Switzerland and in Germany. He has published numerous articles on antitrust law and has lectured regularly in his area of expertise, e.g. at the Studienvereinigung Kartellrecht, the Spring Meeting of the ABA Antitrust Section, the Fall Meeting of the Canadian Bar Association or the Inter­national Competition Forum in St. Gallen. For many years, he used to serve as Swiss delegate to the ICC Com­petition Commission and there as Co-Chair of the Task Force on Due Process.

Education
  • Admission to the bar in the canton of Zurich, March 2009
  • Admission to the bar in Munich, May 1993
  • Second State Exam, Munich 1992
  • Doctorate in law (Dr. iur.), University of Munich, 1991
  • First State Exam, Munich 1988
Practice Areas
  • Competition and EU law
  • Commercial and Contract Law
  • Compliance
  • Internal Investigations
  • Distribution Law
  • Public Procurement
  • Public Administrative Law
  • Regulated Markets
  • Criminal Law, in particular Commercial Criminal Law
Selected Publications
  • Gerald Brei: Die einheitliche und fortgesetzte Zuwiderhandlung – eine mehr als fragwürdige Rechtsfigur im Europäischen Kartellrecht, in: NZKart 2017, S. 211 ff.
  • Gerald Brei: Fragwürdige extraterritoriale Anwendung schweizerischen Kartellrechts. Kritische Anmerkungen zum Fall BMW, in: SJZ 2016, S. 321 ff.
  • Gerald Brei: Due Process in EU antitrust proceedings – cuase finita after Menarini?, in: ZWeR 2015, S. 35 ff.
  • Gerald Brei: Kartellrechtsverfahren nach PubliGroupe – Offene Fragen und praktische Probleme, in: SJZ 2014, S. 177 ff.
  • Gerald Brei/Franz Hoffet: Das neue Abkommen zwischen der Schweiz und der EU über die Zusammenarbeit bei der Anwendung ihres Wettbewerbsrechts, in: NZKart 2014, S. 393 ff.
  • Suzanne Rab, Ilyse Stempler and Gerald Brei: EU and Swiss Competition Law: Navigating the Boundaries, in: SZW/RSDA 2/2012, S. 136 ff.
  • Gerald Brei: Die Entscheidung des EuGH in Sachen Roquettes Frères. Reichweite der Kontrollbefugnis nationaler Gerichte bei Nachprüfungsentscheidungen der Kommission in Kartellverfahren, in: ZWeR 2004, S. 106 ff.
  • Gerald Brei: Grenzen zulässigen Verteidigerhandelns, München 1991
  • Other Publications: Publications
Languages
  • German
  • English
  • French
Memberships and further activities
  • Studienvereinigung Kartellrecht (German association of competition lawyers)
  • Zurich Bar Association’s Committee on Competition Law
  • American Bar Association – Section of Antitrust Law
  • Member of the Zurich Bar Association (ZAV)
  • Admitted to the bar in Munich, 1993

Independent recommendations

Gerald Brei is recommended as expert in competition law by Chambers & Partners 2019 and Who’s Who Legal 2019.

Contact

VFS Partner
Fortunagasse 15 / Rennweg
8001 Zürich

+41 44 206 20 20

brei@vfs-partner.ch