Takeaways -
- The TCA requires parties to maintain standards in nontrade-related policy areas, particularly social, labour and environmental.
- The provisions potentially may disrupt EU-UK trade disputes.
- It...more
The Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) governing post-Brexit trade relations between the UK and the EU includes provisions regulating EU-UK antitrust enforcement and cooperation effective 1 January 2021....more
On 11 December 2020, the U.K. Supreme Court (the Court) handed down its much-awaited ruling in Merricks v Mastercard, dismissing Mastercard’s appeal against the English Court of Appeal’s April 2019 decision in a 3-2 ruling....more
Sustainability issues are increasingly high on the list of competition policy priorities both at the European Union and member state levels. The European Commission (EC) and national competition authorities are actively...more
The European Commission’s (EC) June 2020 white paper proposing wide-ranging controls over foreign-subsidized companies’ access to Europe’s internal market has received fresh impetus. In a report issued earlier this month, the...more
Summary -
The European Commission (EC) has proposed far-reaching new powers to investigate and sanction foreign subsidies that have allegedly distortive effects on the European Union’s (EU) internal market. The proposals...more
The coronavirus pandemic has weakened European economies and companies. EU and national governments have expressed concern that foreign investors may opportunistically take advantage of the crisis to acquire domestic...more
4/21/2020
/ Acquisitions ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Enterprise Act 2002 ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Foreign Investment ,
France ,
Hostile Takeover ,
Merger Controls ,
Mergers ,
National Security ,
National Security Review Proceedings ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Technology Sector ,
UK
The global spread of the novel coronavirus has disrupted everyday life all over the world and imposed significant difficulties on the business community. Antitrust merger reviews — and the authorities who conduct those...more
4/3/2020
/ Asia ,
China ,
Competition Authorities ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Filing Requirements ,
Hart-Scott-Rodino Act ,
Merger Reviews ,
Mergers ,
Notice Requirements ,
Office Closures ,
Relief Measures ,
Saudi Arabia ,
South America ,
State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) ,
UK ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
State measures to combat the spread of COVID-19 have brought many countries across Europe to a standstill. While health care systems struggle to respond, the pandemic has also provided “a major shock for our economies.”1...more
3/31/2020
/ Antitrust Violations ,
Collaboration ,
Competition Authorities ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Foreign Investment ,
Merger Controls ,
National Security ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
State Aid ,
Supply Chain ,
UK ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads rapidly around the world, and countries take unprecedented measures to contain the spread of the disease, businesses are increasingly struggling with the economic impact of this crisis. While...more
The U.K. Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has published “Guidance on the Functions of the CMA Under the Withdrawal Agreement” (Guidance), which sets out the regulator’s approach to merger and competition cases during...more
2/13/2020
/ Abuse of Dominance ,
Acquisitions ,
Antitrust Investigations ,
Cartels ,
Condition Precedent ,
Corporate Counsel ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Exclusive Jurisdiction ,
Jurisdiction ,
Long Arm Statute ,
Merger Reviews ,
Mergers ,
One-Stop Shop ,
Parallel Proceedings ,
Transitional Arrangements ,
UK ,
UK Brexit ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) ,
Withdrawal Agreement
The English Courts have reignited the prospects of a £14 billion class action against Mastercard.
In a much anticipated ruling, on 16 April 2019, the Court of Appeal of England and Wales (the Court) granted an appeal by...more
5/9/2019
/ Anti-Competitive ,
Appeals ,
Class Action ,
Class Certification ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Credit Card Surcharges ,
Damages ,
European Commission ,
Interchange Fees ,
Likelihood of Success ,
Litigation Funding ,
MasterCard ,
Opt-Outs ,
UK
On April 4, 2019, the European Commission published a report1 prepared by three special advisers (the Advisers) appointed by EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager to explore how EU competition policy should evolve in...more
4/9/2019
/ Abuse of Dominance ,
Acquisitions ,
Big Data ,
Competition ,
Data-Sharing ,
Digital Currency ,
Digital Goods ,
Digital Media ,
Digital Single Market ,
Enforcement Actions ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
European Merger Control Regulation ,
Information Reports ,
Innovation ,
Innovative Technology ,
Mergers ,
Technology Sector ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
As the U.K.’s March 29, 2019, exit date from the European Union approaches, companies involved in merger reviews or antitrust investigations should pre-emptively address the risk of a “no-deal” Brexit....more
10/18/2018
/ Anti-Competitive ,
Antitrust Injuries ,
Antitrust Investigations ,
Condition Precedent ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
European Merger Control Regulation ,
Infringement ,
Jurisdiction ,
Merger Agreements ,
Merger Controls ,
Mergers ,
Private Right of Action ,
Statute of Limitations ,
UK ,
UK Brexit ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
On September 26, 2018, the EU General Court (the Court) upheld the European Commission’s refusal to reinvestigate GlaxoSmithKline SA’s (GSK) Spanish “dual-pricing” distribution arrangements, 20 years after the alleged conduct...more
10/5/2018
/ Anti-Competitive ,
Competition Authorities ,
Dual-Pricing ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
General Court of the European Union (GCEU) ,
GlaxoSmithKline ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Sales & Distribution Agreements ,
Spain ,
Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU)