Biography: Competition

Astrid Ablasser-Neuhuber has been practising EC competition law in Vienna and Brussels since 1998. She is currently a partner of bpv Hügel Rechtsanwälte OG, Vienna and head of the competition law practice group. She graduated from the University of Salzburg (Mag iur 1993, Dr iur 1997) where she also obtained a Masters in Journalism and French (Mag phil 1997). Before joining bpv Hügel, Astrid Ablasser-Neuhuber worked with the European Commission as a stagiaire in the merger task force, and as a legal assistant to the president of the Austrian Cartel Court in Vienna. After her doctoral thesis she worked in the EU and competition department of Linklaters & Alliance in London, later joining Hügel & Partner in 1998. She speaks German, English, French, Italian and Spanish.

Astrid Ablasser-Neuhuber has considerable expertise in national and European antitrust and merger control law. She represents national and international clients in antitrust and merger cases before the Austrian and European competition authorities as well as in proceedings before the European courts.

Recent work includes representation of voestalpine Austria Draht in the prestressing steel case before the Court of First Instance, representation of three companies in the antitrust case concerning the carrier industry, advice to Immofinanz Group with regard to a project including multi-jurisdictional filings in six jurisdictions, representation of BP in an antitrust (abuse of dominant position) proceeding before the Austrian Cartel Court relating to an alleged abuse of dominant position of the five most important suppliers of liquefied petroleum gas in Austria, advice to and representation of OMV Gas & Power and Gazprom with regard to a merger project (Form CO/European Commission), general legal advice in antitrust matters to OMV, A1 Telekom Austria, EconGas etc.

She is a frequent speaker at seminars and conferences on Austrian and EU competition law as well as author of numerous books and articles on Austrian and European antitrust and merger control law, inter alia: co-author with Loewenheim, Riesenkampff, Meessen, 'Kommentar zum gesamten europäischen Kartellrecht' (European antitrust law), CH Beck Verlag, 2005, reprint 2009; 'Country chapter Austria' (with Dr Florian Neumayr and Dr Liane Wildpanner), in Antitrust Law and Trade Regulations, Matthew Bender & Company, 2008; 'Country chapter Austria' (with Dr Florian Neumayr) and 'A guide to vertical restraints' (with Mag René Plank), in The European Antitrust Review 2011, Law Business Research, 2010; 'Gruppenfreistellungsverordnung: Technologietransfer (TT-GVO)' (Block exemption regulation: Technology transfer) (with Dr Liane Wildpanner), in EU-Recht Handbuch für die österreichische Rechtspraxis (EC law handbook for the Austrian legal practice), WEKA-Verlag, update 2009; 'Medienmarkt und Fusionskontrolle' (Media markets and European merger control), Heymanns, 1998 (Kölner Schriften zum Europarecht 42).

Astrid is president of the Competition Law Commission of the Union Internationale des Avocats (UIA), member of the board of Studienvereinigung Kartellrecht EV, member of the board of the Austrian Federation for the Protection of Intellectual Property, member of the International Bar Association (IBA), the Vienna Bar Association and the International League of Competition Law (LIDC).