Initiative

2009: The conference series "Atelier de la Concurrence" is launched by three (former/current) Weko Vice Directors. Prof. Philippe Gugler (University of Fribourg), Prof. Patrick Krauskopf (ZHAW) and Dr. Olivier Schaller (WEKO) are creating a Swiss-wide platform dedicated to current topics in competition law and policy in a multilingual, interdisciplinary and practical manner. The series of conferences is aimed at all those who are interested in our economy.

2010: The "Ateliers de la Concurrence" are integrated into the ZHAW.

2012: The "Ateliers de la Concurrence" celebrate their 10th meeting.

2013: In the following years, the "Ateliers de la Concurrence" will be permanently supported by UNCTAD and the New York Bar Association (NYSBA) as partners.

2015: The "Ateliers de la Concurrence" celebrate their 20th meeting.

2019: The "Ateliers de la Concurrence" celebrate their 30th meeting.

2021: The "Atelier de la Concurrence" is dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the Swiss Antitrust Law.

2022: The "Ateliers de la Concurrence" celebrate their 40th meeting.

2023: The "Ateliers de la Concurrence" become independent and are now supported logistically and administratively by AGON Partners Legal AG, which also provides the conference secretariat. Data protection and cyber security are now provided by Konzeptplus AG.

Chair

PROF. DR. PATRICK L. KRAUSKOPF

PROF. DR. PATRICK L. KRAUSKOPF

Prof. Dr. Patrick L. Krauskopf is Head of the Center for Competition Law and Compliance at the ZHAW School of Management and Law. He is also an attorney (Zurich/New York) and partner by AGON partners. In the past he worked as a clerk at the Swiss Federal Court in Lausanne and as Vice Director of the Secretariat of the Swiss Federal Competition Commission (COMCO) in Bern. Krauskopf studied at the Universities of Berkeley, California, and Fribourg, Switzerland (Dr. iur.), as well as at the Harvard Law School (LL.M.).

Organization

Takashi Sugimoto

Takashi Sugimoto

Conference management
AGON Partners Public Affaires AG
Leslie Gurtner

Leslie Gurtner

Data Security Officer
konzeptplus ag, Grafik Design & IT Solution

Advisory Board


Nik Gugger

Nik Gugger

Nik Gugger has been a member of the National Council in the Swiss Parliament since November 2017. He has also been an entrepreneur for 15 years and is the owner of Zingi, ConCordis GmbH, hallo Zukunft and Herzkraftwerk AG. Before becoming a member of the National Council, Nik Gugger already served on the municipal council of the city of Winterthur from 2002 to 2014 and later on the Zurich Cantonal Council from 2014 to 2017.
Dr. Olivier Schaller

Dr. Olivier Schaller

Dr. Olivier Schaller has been Vice Director of the Swiss Federal Competition Commission (COMCO) since 2003. Previously he was Senior Research Officer and Head of Domestic Markets at COMCO and Section Head of the Money Laundering Control Authority. He studied at the Universities of Fribourg, Switzerland (Dr. iur.), San Diego, California, and Freiburg-im-Breisgau, Germany (LL.M.).
Dr. Theodor Thanner

Dr. Theodor Thanner

Dr. Theodor Thanner has been Director General of the Federal Competition Authority since 2007. Previously, he was Head of the Elections/Security Department at the Presidium of the Salzburg Provincial Government and Head of the Presidential Section at the Federal Ministry of the Interior. Thanner is the author of numerous legal books and articles and editor of the Austrian Journal of Antitrust Law. Theodor Thanner studied law and received his doctorate (Dr. iur.) from the University of Salzburg in 1982.
Ute Hammermann

Ute Hammermann

Ass. iur. Ute Hammermann has been Deputy Head of Office at the Office of National Economy (AVW) of the Principality of Lichtenstein since 2020 and Head of Competition Law since 2012. Previously, she worked as an attorney (DE) at a Liechtenstein law firm. Subsequently, she became Head of the Protection and Competition Law Department at the Office of Trade and Transport and Head of the Legal and Economic Affairs Department. Hammermann passed the first and second state law examinations after studies at the Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg im Breisgau.