Antitrust, Competition & Trade
Discover what antitrust and competition law involves: the practice areas, what lawyers do day to day, the career ladder, and how students prepare for an internship or traineeship.
Introduction
What is antitrust and competition law?
Antitrust and competition law, known in the Netherlands as mededingingsrecht, prevents companies from restricting competition by coordinating with each other, abusing a dominant position, or through mergers and acquisitions that would harm competition. It is about protecting an open market, in the interest of other companies and ultimately the consumer.
The field is enforced at two levels. The European Commission enforces Articles 101 and 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union once trade between member states is affected, while the Authority for Consumers & Markets, the ACM, enforces the Dutch Competition Act for conduct and mergers that mainly affect the Dutch market. Large mergers and acquisitions often must be notified in advance, so the regulator can assess whether the transaction would harm competition.
The trade side of this practice goes beyond competition alone: it includes export controls, sanctions regimes, and the screening of foreign investment in sensitive sectors under the Dutch Vifo Act. These topics increasingly come together in the same file, for example when a foreign acquisition requires both merger clearance and a security screening.
The practice
Three places to practise this field
The breakdown below mainly says something about the client you serve and which side of the table you sit on, not about the quality of the work. The same merger notification can come up at a full-service firm, a specialist boutique or on the regulator's side, each with a slightly different angle.
At full-service firms such as Freshfields and Van Doorne, competition law often sits alongside M&A, because every larger transaction must be screened for merger clearance. At a boutique such as Brinkhof, competition law is combined with intellectual property and litigation. At the ACM or the European Commission, you work on the regulator's side, assessing the notifications and complaints that lawyers file on behalf of their clients.
What they do
What lawyers in this field do
The work differs by file, but the building blocks below recur in almost every case. A lawyer usually works on several files at once, from a pending merger notification to a cartel investigation that has run for years.
Legal framework
The key legislation
Antitrust and competition law revolve around a limited set of core rules that keep recurring, even though the substance differs sharply from file to file. Knowing these rules quickly explains why a case is approached in a particular way.
Practice areas
The main sub-areas
Antitrust, competition & trade is broad, and most lawyers specialise within one of the sub-areas below, often combined with M&A or EU law.
Step by step
How a merger notification unfolds
Most mergers and acquisitions above the thresholds follow a similar path with the regulator, from the initial notification to a final decision. Most notifications are already cleared in the first phase.
Who does which step depends on seniority and the stage of the case. Junior lawyers build the notification and gather the supporting data, while senior lawyers maintain contact with the regulator and set the strategy if concerns arise about the competitive effects.
Only a small share of notifications lead to an in-depth phase 2 investigation. Such an investigation can take months and often requires additional economic analysis and, in some cases, proposed changes to the transaction to address the regulator's concerns.
Roles
Roles in the competition law practice
Each step up the ladder shifts the emphasis further from drafting documents to setting strategy and managing the client relationship. Most lawyers climb this ladder at the same firm, though moving firms or to a regulator at any level is common.
Student intern
Supports lawyers during an internship alongside or after studying.
Trainee lawyer
The mandatory three-year traineeship straight after graduating.
Lawyer / Associate
Handles files independently after being admitted as a lawyer.
Senior Associate
Leads more complex files and supervises junior lawyers.
Partner
Carries ultimate responsibility for clients and the practice group.
Career timeline
How long each step takes
The legal profession has a fixed statutory basis for the first step: in the Netherlands, the traineeship in principle lasts three years and is mandatory for every starting lawyer, regardless of practice area. After that, the pace of progression depends heavily on the firm and on individual performance.
After the traineeship years, the emphasis shifts from learning the craft to independently carrying files. Becoming partner takes upwards of ten years of experience in the profession at most firms, and often comes with a formal nomination by the sitting partners.
Not everyone climbs the whole ladder at the same firm. Some lawyers move after a few years to the ACM, the European Commission or a company, for example as an in-house compliance lawyer, bringing the experience of legal practice with them.
| Level | Typical time in role |
|---|---|
| Advocaat-stagiair | 3 years, mandatory by law |
| Advocaat / Associate | 3 to 5 years |
| Senior Associate | 2 to 4 years |
| Partner | top level, 10+ years in total |
Compensation
Compensation in the legal profession
Compensation in the legal profession usually consists of a fixed salary that rises with seniority, and at some firms a variable bonus tied to individual and firm performance. Antitrust and competition law does not differ materially in pay structure from other practice areas at the same firm.
The ranges below are general indications for larger Dutch and international firms, and do not apply specifically to this practice area or to any of the firms named on this page. Actual pay varies by firm, region and role, and is listed where known in the individual vacancies on this site.
From partner level, the nature of compensation changes. A partner typically shares in the firm's profits rather than receiving a fixed salary, which ties pay more closely to their own client portfolio and the results of the practice group as a whole.
| Level | Indicative range |
|---|---|
| Advocaat-stagiair | €60.000 – €75.000 |
| Advocaat / Associate | €75.000 – €110.000 |
| Senior Associate | €120.000 – €160.000 |
| Partner | €200.000 – €500.000+ |
Ranges are general indications for the Dutch legal profession, not specific to this practice area or a particular firm. See the vacancy pages for concrete salary figures where a firm publishes them.
A day in the life
A typical day for a junior lawyer
The day often starts with going through responses from the regulator, opposing parties and the team itself, followed by work on active files. On days without a call, much of the time goes to drafting merger notifications, researching precedent, and aligning with economists on market definition.
Deadlines play a large role: the first phase of a merger notification is subject to a statutory deadline, and an extension request or a further question from the regulator shifts the whole team's schedule. That pressure makes the work methodical and precise, with little room to slip.
During a cartel investigation the pace shifts. The lawyer coordinates with the client team on which documents are requested, prepares interviews with staff, and aligns with economists on the reasoning behind the defence submitted to the regulator.
Juniors
What trainee lawyers do
Junior lawyers carry much of the drafting a file rests on, under the supervision of a supervising partner.
- Helping draft merger notifications
- Case law and precedent research
- Market definition analysis
- Preparing files for discussions with the regulator
- Drafting opinion memos
- Tracking deadlines and file status
- Attending investigations and hearings
- Correspondence with the regulator
Much of this work goes back and forth several times between trainee and supervisor before a document goes out. That repetition is not inefficiency, it is how a junior lawyer learns which arguments actually persuade a regulator.
Skills
Skills you need
Legal knowledge gets the most attention in training, but the lawyers who stay longest often stand out for economic insight: understanding how a market actually works, not just what the law says about it.
Getting in
How to get into this field
Most routes run through a law master's with a specialisation in EU law or competition law, followed by an internship or traineeship at a firm or regulator. A background in economics is a plus, but not a requirement.
Preparation
How to prepare as a student
Preparation works best when it starts well before the application. Firms test not only legal knowledge, but also whether someone can reason economically about a market and explain that clearly, both verbally and on paper.
Compare
Antitrust, Competition & Trade versus other practice areas
These practice areas often overlap in the same files, which is why students sometimes mix them up. The distinction mainly lies in who the counterparty or regulator is, which body of law applies, and where in a transaction the work takes place.
Antitrust vs Administrative Law
Both concern a decision by a government body, but antitrust focuses specifically on competition, while administrative law covers the broader framework of government decisions.
Antitrust vs Corporate/M&A
Corporate/M&A structures and negotiates the transaction itself. Antitrust assesses whether that same transaction would harm competition in the market.
Antitrust vs Dispute Resolution
Dispute Resolution handles disputes between private parties. Antitrust proceedings almost always play out against a regulator.
Antitrust vs ESG
ESG advice concerns sustainability obligations. Cooperation between competitors on sustainability can still be tested against the cartel prohibition.
Antitrust vs Public Procurement
Public Procurement concerns the rules around government contracts. Antitrust comes into play if bidders on such a contract coordinate with each other.
Employers
Firms with a competition law practice in the Netherlands
A selection of firms with a verified competition law practice in the Netherlands. We only name firms whose practice group is confirmed.
Freshfields, Pels Rijcken and Van Doorne combine competition law with a broader practice. Brinkhof is a specialist boutique that combines competition law with intellectual property and litigation.
Full-service firms and Landsadvocaat
Freshfields
Pels Rijcken
Van DoorneSpecialist boutique
BrinkhofVacancies
Antitrust and competition law vacancies
We only show real, current vacancies with a link to the employer. Internships, traineeships and lawyer roles appear here. In the meantime, browse all current vacancies.
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Recommended resources
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is antitrust and competition law?
Antitrust and competition law, known in the Netherlands as mededingingsrecht, prevents companies from restricting competition through cartels, abuse of a dominant position, or mergers that would harm competition. It is enforced at both the EU and Dutch national level.
What is merger control and when is it required?
Merger control requires companies to notify a proposed merger or acquisition to a competition authority, such as the European Commission or the Dutch ACM, before completing it, once turnover thresholds are met. The authority can clear, condition or block the deal.
What does a competition lawyer do day to day?
Competition lawyers draft merger notifications, advise on compliance with cartel and dominance rules, support clients during dawn raids and investigations, prepare leniency applications, and represent clients before regulators and courts.
What is the difference between EU and Dutch enforcement?
EU competition law, enforced by the European Commission, applies when trade between member states is affected. Dutch competition law, enforced by the ACM under the Dutch Competition Act, applies to conduct and mergers that mainly affect the Dutch market.
What is a leniency application?
A leniency application is a request by a company involved in a cartel to receive full or partial immunity from fines in exchange for reporting the cartel and cooperating with the investigation.
What does foreign investment screening involve?
Foreign direct investment screening reviews acquisitions in sensitive sectors, such as vital infrastructure or sensitive technology, for national security risks under the Dutch Vifo Act, alongside the usual competition clearance.
What skills do you need for this field?
Strong economic intuition alongside legal analysis, precise legal writing, comfort with EU law, attention to detail for complex filings, and the ability to work under strict statutory deadlines.
How do I get into this field as a student?
Take electives in EU law and competition law, do an internship at a firm or the ACM with a competition practice, and apply to structured traineeships that offer a rotation in this field.
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