Vogel & Vogel

Chairman: Joseph Vogel, Louis Vogel

Managing Partners: Joseph Vogel, Louis Vogel

Number of partners: 14 (including 2 founding partners and 12 non-equity partners)

Number of lawyers: 28

Languages: English, French, German, Portuguese  

Firm Overview:  

Louis and Joseph Vogel founded Vogel & Vogel in 1990. From the outset Vogel & Vogel chose to specialise in competition, distribution and consumer law and became one of the top firms in those fields. The firm has grown steadily since its establishment, and now employs 28 lawyers (two founding partners, twelve non-equity partners and 14 associates). Vogel & Vogel’s aim is to promote its expertise through the regular publication of legal intelligence, organisation of monthly conferences, creation of the Prix Vogel awarded to authors of works in the field, or innovative digital products made available to assist corporate lawyers such as: news flashes, newsletters, a specialised blog, a YouTube channel, access to its document library, a decision support tool (Vogel Decision Support), a collection of legal textbooks in both paper or digital format, and the Vogel Academy which provides online training sessions in competition, regulation, distribution and consumer law allowing counsel to update and consolidate their knowledge.

Main Areas of Practice:  

-French & European Competition Law

-French & European Distribution Law

-French & European Consumer Law

Vogel & Vogel specialises in European and French competition/regulation, distribution and consumer law, which allows it, in particular, to work with law firms that are not specialised in those areas and to bring a complementary service.

Sectors of activity include: aeronautics; agricultural machinery; automobile; banking; bicycles; building and public works; chemicals; electricity; energy; food and agriculture; governmental agencies; hotel industry; industrial facilities; insurances; leisure; luxury goods; maritime transport; media; motorcycles; natural gas; retail; shipbuilding; sports; pharmaceuticals; perfume and cosmetics; professional associations; shoes; telecommunications; toys; transport; trucks.

French & European Competition/Regulation:  

There are five teams each composed of a partner and one or several associates. Vogel & Vogel’s competition/regulation teams, the largest on the market, intervene in all fields of European and French competition and regulatory law, taking charge of all aspects of the cases entrusted to it.

Areas of Expertise:

Abuse of dominant position; anti-dumping actions; antitrust audits/compliance programs; dawn raids/ search and seizure operations; merger control; private enforcement; restrictive agreements; restrictive practices/price transparency; sector-specific regulations; state aid; unfair competition; free movement/ freedom of establishment.

Recent Activity Includes:

Assisting TF1, Schneider Electric France, Astre and Bouygues in competition litigation cases; TF1 and Wane Group in abuse of dominance cases. Merger control (acting in the creation of TV platform Salto for TF1, assisting TF1 in the acquisition of M6 for the creation of a new competitive entity in the audiovisual sector, representing the Beaumanoir Group in the acquisition of Caroll in the ready-to-wear sector); representing Digicel in a record-breaking damages case against Orange; and State aid issues for a national stadium and an association of undertakings bringing a complaint before the EU Commission in the private laboratories sector; representing a professional association in a litigation against Amazon; representing the Bouygues Group in an action initiated by the French Minister of the Economy against Apple; and representing TF1 against Molotov before the French Competition Authority and the French Commercial Courts.

French & European Distribution Law:  

Vogel & Vogel’s distribution team is renowned for its expertise in ensuring the operation and setting up of distribution networks in all their forms. The firm assists its clients in developing their distribution policy in connection with all types of litigation involving vertical restraints in all economic sectors.

Areas of Expertise:

Automobile distribution; commercial agents/ commission agents; exclusive distribution/supply or brand exclusivity; franchises; qualitative and/or quantitative selective distribution.

Recent Activity Includes:

Hyundai, Renault and Mercedes Benz selective distribution cases for the automobile sector – particularly against actions seeking to automatically renew distribution agreements. The firm represented Hyundai Motor and Mercedes Benz in litigations dealing with distribution networks. The French Supreme Court has in these cases issued three decisions confirming Vogel & Vogel’s position regarding the refusal to grant access to a qualitative distribution network. The firm also advised several automotive groups in the reorganization of the group’s distribution network. Outside the automotive sector, the firm also advised several suppliers on the organization of their distribution network.

French & European Consumer Department:  

Vogel & Vogel’s consumer affairs (one department composed of five partners and a number of associates) is very experienced in problems raised by consumer law on advertising and sales promotions and proposes innovative solutions in all after-sales areas. The firm is particularly renowned for its work with the industry, especially the automobile sector. It is also highly skilled in product liability litigation. A new activity of the firm is the defence to class actions launched by consumer associations.

Areas of Expertise:

Advertising/sales promotions; after-sales; assistance in criminal matters; defense against class-actions and damages actions; expert witness appraisals; product liability; recall actions; unfair commercial practices; unfair contractual terms.

Recent Activity Includes:

Defending a leading client in the motorcycle industry against a class action brought by a consumer association hearing before the Court in 2022.

International Work:  

In recognition of the increasingly international nature of business, the firm places great importance on being able to offer its clients an international service. Lawyers are proficient in the language of the country in question (Anglo-American desk, German and Austrian desk, Indian desk and a Brazilian and Portuguese desk). The firm has also an office in Brussels.

In addition, Vogel & Vogel has created an international network of excellence in competition and distribution law. The Vogel Global Competition Network (www.vogel-global.com) brings together 60 law firms specialising in competition and distribution law from around the world. To constitute its international network, Vogel & Vogel has selected the best competition and distribution law firms in each country. The role of this unique network is to provide a global response to issues brought by the firm’s clients, to whom the national competition laws of various countries may be applicable.

In addition to its activity with the European Commission, Vogel & Vogel is increasingly solicited by its clients to represent them before foreign competition authorities in matters of anti-competitive practices (including cartels), such as the Luxembourg Competition Council, the Polynesian Competition Authority, the Competition Authority of New Caledonia and the Competition Authority of Kuwait.