It’s Up to You: Companies Must Ensure EU State Aid Is Legal -
If a company receives illegal State aid from an EU government or public entity, then it is at risk of being required to repay the value of that aid plus...more
EU Kicks Off Review of Critical Rules on Vertical Agreements -
The EU’s 2010 “block exemption” for vertical agreements is probably the most commonly used piece of EU competition legislation in day-to-day practice. ...more
First UK Award of Follow-On Cartel Damages -
On 9 October 2018, a UK court awarded damages in a follow-on private cartel damages claim. This is the first such award by a UK court and a major development in private...more
Risks of Information-Sharing at a Single Meeting -
On 6 October 2017, the UK Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) provided a reminder that competing companies risk infringing competition law if they exchange commercially...more
Brussels-based antitrust partner Matthew Hall brings us an update on two ongoing UK antitrust class actions and one on the horizon.
Antitrust class actions in the UK are beginning to take hold before the specialist...more
More EU Investigations Into Licensing and Distribution Practices -
During June 2017, the European Commission launched yet more competition law investigations into licensing and distribution practices in the EU. The four...more
EU Regulators Open Pharma Pricing Investigations Focusing on Abuse of Dominance -
The European Commission and UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) have both opened new investigations into alleged abuses of...more
6/2/2017
/ Anti-Competitive ,
Competition ,
E-Commerce ,
EU ,
Facebook ,
Member State ,
Mergers ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
UK ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) ,
WhatsApp
Illegal Distribution Activities in the Spotlight Across the EU -
Online and offline distribution issues remain a key focus of competition law regulators in the EU. This has been demonstrated yet again in recent weeks,...more
Latest Developments -
On 29 March 2017, the UK government delivered the formal notice to the other EU Member States that it is leaving the EU. The Brexit process is now formally under way. Companies of all sizes can...more
3/30/2017
/ Article 50 Treaty of the EU ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Data Protection ,
EU ,
EU Single Market ,
Free Trade Agreements ,
Member State ,
MiFIR ,
Referendums ,
UK ,
UK Brexit ,
WTO ,
Young Lawyers
February 1, 2017 Table of Contents On 20 January 2017, the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced that it has provisionally concluded that two suppliers of cleanroom laundry services in the UK have broken...more
First UK Director Disqualification for Competition Law Breach -
The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) recently secured the first disqualification of a director of a company found to have infringed competition...more
Watch the Treatment of Switzerland in Distribution Agreements -
On 29 September 2016, the Swiss Federal Administrative Court (FAC) handed down a judgment impacting any distribution agreement which could touch...more
Stand-Alone Refusal to Supply Claim Launched in UK Court -
Competition law litigation continues to develop rapidly in the UK. Companies should be aware that this can be a useful commercial weapon against competitors...more
Antitrust Liability for the Actions of Third Parties -
It is a long-established principle that a company can be liable for the anti-competitive behavior of a third party. Compliance programmes and training, as well...more
The UK’s new Prime Minister Theresa May has said: “The country voted to leave the European Union, and as prime minister I will make sure that we leave the European Union.”
That seems like a clear statement, but the...more
7/22/2016
/ Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ,
Data Protection ,
Data Protection Authority ,
EU ,
EU-US Privacy Shield ,
European Commission ,
European Economic Area (EEA) ,
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) ,
Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) ,
Member State ,
Personal Data ,
Popular ,
Referendums ,
Subsidiaries ,
UK ,
UK Brexit
Brexit and Competition Law -
Competition law in the UK will be impacted by Brexit. There are steps which we recommend companies take now.
Yet Another UK Case on Online Sales Restrictions -
Another UK...more
Brexit will impact competition (or antitrust) law in the UK. There will likely be material changes in procedural law in particular. Changes to substantive law will probably be less significant, at least for most companies,...more
On 23 June 2016, the UK held a referendum in which the British people voted for the UK to leave the European Union. But what does this mean in practical terms?
Who will BREXIT affect?
Any business or financial...more
On 23 June 2016, the UK will hold a referendum in which the British people will vote on whether the UK should remain part of the European Union or leave. This important decision will be determined by a simple majority of...more
Resale Price Maintenance is Just as Bad Online -
Two recent UK cases have demonstrated once again that any form of resale price maintenance (RPM) in relation to online sales will be treated just as harshly as RPM...more
Third UK Fast-Track Claim Shows Rapid Development of Competition Law Private Claims as a Business Tool -
On 12 April 2016, the UK Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) listed (see here) its third fast-track competition law...more
On February 12, 2016, the United Kingdom (UK) Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), the UK’s antitrust regulator, handed out a huge fine for a pay-for-delay antitrust law infringement in the UK. Although the CMA has been...more
First Fast-Track Competition Claim at UK Competition Appeal Tribunal
- On 17 December 2015, the first fast-track competition claim was filed before the UK Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) under new rules brought into...more
On 14 September 2015, an individual (Nigel Snee) was sentenced by a UK court to six months of imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, for committing the criminal “cartel offence”. He was also ordered to do 120 hours of...more
10/2/2015
/ Antitrust Conspiracies ,
Bid Rigging ,
Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) ,
Cartels ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Dawn Raids ,
Enforcement Actions ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Price-Fixing ,
UK ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) ,
UK Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT)
A self-described “small business” recently succeeded in obtaining an interim injunction (restraining an alleged abuse of dominance) in a UK court against the giant telecom provider Telefónica (trading in the UK under the name...more
9/1/2015
/ Abuse of Dominance ,
Antitrust Violations ,
Capital Markets Act (CMA) ,
Compensation Schemes ,
Competition Authorities ,
CRA ,
EU ,
Excessive Pricing ,
Injunctions ,
Small Business ,
UK ,
UK Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT)