Dr. Reto Batzel
Attorney (Rechtsanwalt), Partner

Reto studied law at the University of Passau and the Humboldt University in Berlin. He holds a Doctor of Laws degree from the Humboldt University.

Reto served his legal traineeship (Referendariat) at the Higher Regional Court of Berlin (Kammergericht) with stations at Noerr LLP and the unit for competition law policy at the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs in Berlin. After being admitted to the bar in 2010 (Rechtsanwalt), he worked at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP in Cologne, where he advised national and international clients in all aspects of German and European Competition Law.

In 2012, Reto moved to METRO AG in Düsseldorf as Legal Counsel Competition. In 2017, he became head of the department METRO Competition & Compliance, with responsibility for all competition law matters, anti-corruption, anti-money-laundering and the group-wide compliance management system (CMS).

Reto Batzel ist Partner at MARCK since 2020. He is a member of the German Association of Antitrust Lawyers (Studienvereinigung Kartellrecht e.V.), the American Bar Association (Antitrust Section) and the German Institute for Compliance (DICO - Deutsches Institut für Compliance e.V.), where is head of the working group on competition law.

• International sugar manufacturer in the comprehensive update of its antitrust compliance management system, including antitrust email screenings and training
• Various food retailers and food manufacturers as well as trade associations on the law against unfair trading practices (AgrarOLkG) - with the aim of integrating into existing compliance management systems and defending against unfair trading practices by obligated buyers
• International pet supplies retailer on various compliance issues, particularly on optimizing and internationalizing the CMS, on whistleblower protection (HinSchG) and on supply chain due diligence obligations (LkSG)
• National food retailer in conducting a comprehensive antitrust audit and subsequent training to improve antitrust compliance
• International purchasing group in the fashion/textiles sector on the antitrust group privilege, the admissibility of joint purchasing and other antitrust issues
• Purchasing cooperation in the beverage trade and in the wholesale sanitary, heating and air conditioning sector on antitrust issues, particularly on joint purchasing issues
• Ready-mixed concrete manufacturer on various antitrust and merger control issues, particularly with regard to the admissibility of establishing joint ventures and cooperating with co-shareholders
• Freight forwarding company in defending against boycott calls by a food retailer
• Trade association in the health sector on antitrust issues and industry standards under the LkSG
• Manufacturer of cooking boxes on various antitrust compliance issues
• National Instruments Corp. on merger control and antitrust issues in the acquisition of Kratzer Automation GmbH, a manufacturer of test systems and test bench solutions
• Advising a leading European mining company in the sedimentary rock sector on the implementation of the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act
• Defense of a former managing director in the context of the so-called German cable proceedings before the Federal Cartel Office
• METRO AG on merger control and antitrust issues in the acquisition of the catering and commercial kitchen equipment supplier Günther Group
• Majority shareholder of the GMC Group, a provider of electrical test and measurement solutions, in the takeover by funds advised by KLAR Partners
• AON Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, in the acquisition of Karl Köllner GmbH and Karl Köllner GmbH & Co. KG Marine Insurance Brokers.

• „Die Regulierung des Zugangs zu Erdgas mittels europäischen Wettbewerbsrechts“, Dissertation, published 2010, Nomos-Verlag, Publication series of the “Institut für Energie- und Wettbewerbsrecht in der Kommunalen Wirtschaft” (EWeRK)
• „Risiken identifizieren – Kartellrechtliche Audits in der Praxis“, presentation given November 5, 2014, on the Competition Law Summit of the German Association of Inhouse Counsel (Bundesverband der Unternehmensjuristen e.V.)
• „Rabatt- und Bonusgestaltung – Optionen für eine zukunftsorientierte und rechtskonforme Vertragsgestaltung im Vertrieb“, presentation on Februar 20, 2014 in Frankfurt, September 30, 2014 in Cologne und April 14, 2015 in Cologne, for the FORUM Institute, Co-presenters: Dr. Stefan Meßmer & Dr. Jochen Bernhard
• „Relevanz des Kartellrechts für die unternehmerische Praxis“, Chapter 2 im „Praxishandbuch Kartellrecht im Unternehmen“ (Editors Meßmer / Bernhard), published 2015, De Gruyter Verlag, in the publication series “De Gruyter Praxishandbuch”
• „Kartellrechtliche Schadensersatzverfolgung“, published October 2015, in Kölner Schrift zum Wirtschaftsrecht (KSzW), Verlag Dr. Otto Schmidt, Co-author: Dr. Michael Buch
• „Risikoskalierung und Audits“, presentation on April 18, 2018, 9. Anticorruption and Compliance Summit 2018 by DKN Networks in Frankfurt am Main
• „Vorüberlegungen zur Reform der Vertikalgruppenfreistellungsverordnung und Vertikalleitlinien“, presentation of Februar 15, 2019, at the Antitrust Lawyers Association meeting (Studienvereinigung Kartellrecht) in Brüssel
• „Herausforderung Online-Vertrieb“, presentation November 19, 2015, Publication series of the Handelsblatt Fachmedien-Verlag in Cologne, Co-presenters: Julia Amling & Dr. Gregor Schiffers
• „Compliance und die Strukturierung von Geschäftsprozessen – Das Beispiel Einkaufskooperationen“, presentation on März 26, 2019, Anticorruption and Compliance Summit in Berlin
• “Wie die Digitalisierung die Kartellrechts-Compliance verändert”, published in “Compliance - Die Zeitschrift für Compliance-Verantwortliche”, March 2021
• “Fair für alle” - Interview with Lebensmittel Praxis concerning the AgrarOLkG, LP 10/2021 pp. 124
• “Konkurrenten im Markt - Partner im Einkauf - Chancen und Risiken bei Einkaufskooperationen”, Co-author: Daniel Belka, Beschaffung Aktuell, November 2021
• “Gemeinsam geht’s leichter - Lieferkettensorgfaltspflichten”, Beschaffung Aktuell, April 2023
• “Die Gründung einer Einkaufskooperation aus Inhouse-Sicht - a four-part series, published in “Compliance - die Zeitschrift für Compliance-Verantwortliche”, March - June 2023

• Juve Handbook 2024/2025: “The lawyers are extremely knowledgeable and sustainably solution-oriented” (client); “his combination of antitrust law, compliance and practical relevance is unique” (client).
• WirtschaftsWoche Top-Anwalt Kartellrecht 2024
• brand eins Beste Wirtschaftskanzleien 2024 - Kartellrecht
• Handelsblatt “Best Lawyers” Wettbewerbs- und Kartellrecht 2024

• Studienvereinigung Kartellrecht e.V.
• DICO - Deutsches Institut für Compliance e.V. (head of the antitrust working group)
• Forum Investitionsprüfung e.V.
• American Bar Association (Antitrust Section)