Prof. Dr. Patrick Krauskopf, LL.M. (Harvard)

AGON Partners is Switzerland’s leading full-service Competition law & policy firm which provides clients with legal and other support (political and media channels). Our philosophy is to provide efficient and professional support (“quick and clean”), consider all circumstances (“360° view”) and go to trial only when necessary as a last resort (“solution oriented”). Our work starts well before a competition authority initiates proceedings. We do not want our clients to even come close to private or public enforcers’ scrutiny.

Clients: Both domestic and international companies and associations, ranging from small and medium sized enterprises (SME’s) to large multinational corporations.

Full service provider: AGON Partners advises and represents its clients in all legal and economic competition law and policy matters, such as administrative and civil procedures in cartel and unilateral conduct cases (including claims for damages), merger notifications, the design and implementation of customized compliance programs and the organisation of economic empirical studies. 

Prof. Dr. iur. Patrick L. Krauskopf is both a Rechtsanwalt and an Attorney-at-law (Zurich/New York) with an LL.M. from Harvard. He is the Founder and Chairman of AGON Partners and Head of the Centre for Competition Law at Zurich University (ZHAW). He is fluent in German, French, English, and Spanish. 

Education: Studies at the Universities of Fribourg and Berkeley (Master of Laws & PhD); Harvard Law School (LL.M.); Admitted to the bar in Switzerland and in the State of New York. 

Awards: Master of Laws (summa cum laude), PhD (summa cum laude), Walther Hug Award (Best PhD of the year). 

Career: Lawyer in a Zurich law firm; Judge’s clerk at the Supreme Court of Switzerland (Lausanne); Vice-Director to the Swiss Competition Commission ‘COMCO’ (Berne).

Activities: Professor of competition law at Zurich University (ZHAW); Lecturer in competition law at various Universities; Advisor (NGA) to the International Competition Network (ICN), WTO and UNCTAD; Chairman of the Swiss Chapter (New York State Bar Association). 

Notable legal work: (i) Advisory work and representation (inter alia): car distribution, banks, credit cards, brand manufacturer, watch industry, books, real estate, media, publicity, railway, patents. (ii) Legislative work (2002–today): Drafting/implementing the Federal Cartel Act of 2003; the Ordinance of fines and leniency program of 2004; the Block Exemption Regulations (“Communications”) on vertical restraints of 2007 and on Motor Vehicles of 2002. Advisory Ex-pert to the Swiss parliament regarding the new Federal Cartel Act (2013). (iii) Technical assistance in Competition Law/Policy (2002–today): i.e. Colombia, Peru, Salvador, Nicaragua, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia. 

Areas of expertise: (i) Advisory and Public Procedures: Agreements (horizontal / vertical), Market power / Monopoly (abuse of), Mergers, Administrative procedures (incl. fines); (ii) Private Enforcement: Civil antitrust proceedings, Class Actions; (iii) Compliance: Mock dawn raids, Training, Codes of Conduct.