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
European Commission Investigates Online Sales Practices -
On 2 February 2017, the European Commission (EC) announced three separate investigations into online sales practices in the EU. It will assess whether various...more
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
On 8 November 2016, the “Autorité de la concurrence” (French competition authority) provided a stark warning about the dangers of early implementation of a transaction prior to merger control clearance. This is one type of...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
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
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 16 February 2016, the European Commission (EC) took the next step in its antitrust investigation into the use of price increase letters by 15 container liner shipping companies (carriers). The concern identified by the...more
3/2/2016
/ Abuse of Dominance ,
Antitrust Investigations ,
Competition ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Google ,
Patent Litigation ,
Pay-For-Delay ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Settlement Agreements ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
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
The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) regularly publishes compliance materials aimed at educating the business community in the UK. These are well worth a read by anyone involved in competition law compliance in the...more
A company that helps with or facilitates a cartel is at just as much risk of sanctions and penalties as are the actual cartelists. This was confirmed by the EU’s highest court (the European Court of Justice (ECJ)) on 22...more
11/13/2015
/ Cartels ,
E-Commerce ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
European Court of Justice (ECJ) ,
Fiat ,
Rebates ,
Starbucks ,
Tax Avoidance ,
Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
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)
Continuing an EU-wide trend, yet another trade association has been fined in the UK for cartel activities. This time it was a medical professionals’ association. The message is clear; trade associations of all types need to...more
On 24 June 2015, the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) was defeated in its first attempt at convincing a jury to convict individuals for the UK criminal “cartel offence”. The jury was not persuaded that the two...more