About
Ole helps clients navigate their most consequential competition law matters, from strategic product decisions and major global transactions to high-stakes antitrust litigation.
As a core member of the firm’s Technology, Media and Telecoms (TMT) group, Ole advises and represents leading technology companies and digital platforms on complex EU and German competition law matters. A significant part of his practice involves strategic product counselling on platform design, pricing, data, algorithmic tools and go-to-market strategies. His practice also covers the EU’s rapidly evolving digital regulatory framework, including the Digital Markets Act (DMA), Digital Services Act (DSA) and the German Competition Digitalisation Act (GWB10). His experience includes representing Meta in the first successful challenge to a European Commission decision under the DMA.
Ole also plays a leading role on major global transactions in highly regulated and technically complex markets. His experience includes advising on KONE’s proposed €29.4 billion acquisition of TK Elevator, an industry-defining combination and one of Europe’s largest industrial transactions in recent years, and the proposed combination of Subsea7 and Saipem. He has significant experience advising on complex cross-border mergers, including Phase II investigations before the European Commission and transactions requiring complex remedies.
Ole is a seasoned trial lawyer, having appeared more than 50 times before German and EU courts, including the German Federal Court of Justice and the Court of Justice of the European Union. His contentious practice covers challenges...
Ole’s leading litigation and investigatory matters include representing:
- Meta on the newly enacted EU Digital Markets Act, including Meta’s “gatekeeper” designation, the specification of its “core platform services” and its ongoing global compliance.
- Meta in overturning the European Commission's decision to designate Facebook Marketplace as a "core platform service" under the DMA The Court’s judgment marks the first time a Commission decision under the DMA has been successfully challenged.
- OTTO FUCHS on its successful appeal before the Higher Regional Court of Düsseldorf against a cartel fine imposed by the German Federal Cartel Office, securing a fine reduction of more than EUR 100 million (80%) for the client following a 10-month trial under criminal procedure rules.
- Thyssenkrupp on its appeal before the European Court of Justice against the European Commission’s decision to block its merger with Tata Steel.
- A leading automotive company in civil litigation concerning software access rights and distribution before courts across Germany.
- A leading automotive company on its defence in the landmark “Car Emissions” antitrust proceeding by the European Commission, which for the first time applied a “sustainability” theory of harm.
- Various industrial clients in follow-on damages claims concerning steel and forged aluminum products.
- A tech company on its defence in an abuse of dominance investigation by the Federal Cartel Office.
Ole’s leading transactional and advisory matters include representing:
- Advent and Cinven on merger control and other regulatory aspects of the agreed combination of Kone Corporation and TK Elevator (TKE), creating one of the world’s leading elevator and escalator companies. The transaction would result in an enterprise value for TKE of EUR 29.4 billion.
- Subsea7 on the merger control, FDI and FSR aspects of its proposed multi-billion combination with Saipem (offshore energy construction and maintenance sector).
- A leading online travel company on a wide variety of EU strategic competition counselling matters, including in relation to its global product and pricing strategy, a wide variety of exclusivity and parity considerations, customer-facing algorithmic tools, and other relevant global competition, consumer and regulatory matters.
- A private equity fund on its acquisition of genome editing company focused on developing curative therapeutics using CRISPR/Cas9 technology.
- A private equity fund on its acquisition of a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of next-generation immunotherapies.
- Catalent on its acquisition of RheinCell Therapeutics, a developer of human induced pluripotent stem cells.
- Altor and SMS on the acquisition of a 50 percent stake in KAEFER Isoliertechnik, a provider of technical industrial services.
- Etex on its acquisition of URSA, a European provider of insulation solutions.
- Beiersdorf on its acquisition of Chantecaille, a producer of skincare and cosmetics.
- A leading automotive company on its global data strategy.
Dr. Ole Schley
Feldmühleplatz 1
Düsseldorf 40545