Felix Helmstädter

Deutsche Version

Felix Helmstädter is a counsel at the German office of Morrison & Foerster in Berlin. He advises clients in the area of public commercial and regulatory law, in particular on all matters of German and European public procurement law, state aid law and sector-specific regulatory law; foreign trade law, export control law and EU sanctions law; as well as antitrust and merger control law. Mr. Helmstädter has particular, industry-specific expertise in the areas of transportation, technology, media and telecommunications. Another area of emphasis of his work lies in the health and energy sectors. He has years of experience in providing strategic regulatory advice to companies as well as representing them in administrative litigation, civil litigation, and public procurement disputes before national and European authorities and courts.

Mr. Helmstädter also provides comprehensive advice on antitrust and procurement law compliance issues, and on compliance with EU sanctions and export control law. He structures and coordinates internal investigations on both the prevention of, as well as the analysis of violations of law. In cross-border M&A transactions, he assumes the main functions of guiding projects and advising globally active clients on matters of German and European antitrust law, regulatory law, investment control law and subsidy law.

Mr. Helmstädter studied in Berlin (Dr. iur.) and Geneva, Switzerland (“Certificate in Transnational Law”). He worked as an intern in the ‘Hearing Office’ of the European Commission (Directorate-General for Competition) in Brussels; and at the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (Department of Competition, Regulation and Privatization Policy) in Berlin.

He lectures at the Humboldt University of Berlin on media antitrust law within the scope of an LL.M. course of study, and regularly publishes articles on issues of procurement and regulatory law. His dissertation deals with the market regulation issues of liberalizing the railway sector.

Before joining Morrison & Foerster, Mr. Helmstädter worked for several years in the area of antitrust and regulation law at two international law firms.

Representative Matters

• Advice to a Fortune 500 company on public procurement law compliance in agreements with German and European public contractors.
• Antitrust and procurement law advice as well as general compliance advice to a German healthcare group within the scope of internal investigations and follow-on litigation, including successful representation in proceedings before the public procurement review bodies.
• Successful representation of internationally active investors in proceedings for investment control according to German foreign trade law.
• Advice to Viacom on the establishing of a joint venture for the marketing of TV and online advertising.
• Advice to cable network operator Tele Columbus on antitrust and public procurement law matters.
• Advised a German tech company on public procurement, antitrust and EU state aid law to foster its entrance into local e-mobility infrastructure markets.
• Advice to private railway operators with regard to their market entry in Germany and in Austria, in particular the Railway Development Corporation Deutschland (RDC), Hamburg-Köln-Express GmbH (HKX) and WESTbahn Management GmbH (Vienna), including representation before the European Commission and before regulatory agencies in Germany (Federal Network Agency, Federal Railway Authority, Federal Cartel Office).
• Advice to Axel Springer SE on the acquisition of N24 Media GmbH.
• Advice to the public transport company Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe in the conducting of public procurement procedures.
• Advice to internationally active companies on compliance with EU sanction regulations and with German and European export control law.
• Regular representation of clients in merger control proceedings.