Competition and anti-trust

In an area of increasing risk and complexity, the consequences of failing to comply with competition law rules are serious. Businesses face the possibility of multi-million pound fines and damages actions and employees face the prospect of criminal sanctions and director disqualification. Our competition and antitrust lawyers guide you through these risks and provide straightforward, practical and commercial advice. 

We deal with all aspects of competition law, advising national and multinational companies and the public sector clients across a wide range of industries. We routinely advise on issues such as competition authority investigations (including dawn raids), UK and multi-jurisdiction merger control rules, distribution and online resale structures and strategies and the implementation of effective competition law compliance programmes. 

What we do

• Clients – we advise national and international clients, including private and public sector bodies. 
• Sector expertise – we have detailed sector expertise many key sectors including automotive, retail, distribution, health and agriculture. 
• Supply and distribution - advising on supply and distribution structures and strategies including online resale channels. 
• Joint ventures and co-operation agreement – advising on issues such as R&D projects and large-scale commercialisation agreements. 
• Dominance – advising on the assessment of dominance and conduct by dominant businesses. 
• UK, EU, and multi-jurisdictional merger control – advising on all aspects of merger control from initial jurisdictional analysis to seeking UK and EU clearances and coordinating multi-jurisdictional filings. 
• UK national security and investment / FDI controls – assessing the application of the UK’s new national security and investment rules to transactions and dealing with notifications to the Investment Security Unit (ISU). 
• Competition authority investigations, dawn raids, leniency and immunity applications – we handle investigations from beginning to end including providing rapid response dawn raid teams, handling detailed information requests, making leniency/immunity applications and responding to statements of objection. 
• Appeals against competition authority decisions – we have brought successful appeals against competition authority decisions and quantum of fines. 
• Market investigations – we advise on how to deal with competition authority market investigations. 
• Competition law complaints and disputes – advising on bringing complaints to the competition authorities and private actions for damages. 
• Compliance programmes including competition law audits – developing and implementing competition law compliance programmes including initial risk assessments, compliance manuals/guidance notes and delivering interactive training sessions.