Conventus Law

Conventus Law

by

30 July, 2015
 

Competition law is increasingly complex, both at national and supranational levels and the potential for private enforcement is developing. Whether pursuing M&A, joint ventures or looking to defend your market position or conduct, either before regulators or before the courts—top-level global expertise is essential for compliance and commercial success.

Our competition, regulation and trade practice is widely recognised by peers and legal directories as one of the leading teams in the field. We advise many of the world's blue chip organisations, in a wide range of industries, across the full spectrum of competition work, including investigations, litigation, merger clearance, and advice on regulated sectors.

Our clients' increasing global presence is matched by our international footprint; we frequently advise on complex, multi-jurisdictional matters across offices in London, Brussels, Paris, Madrid, Japan, China, South East Asia, Russia and Australia.

Many of our lawyers have spent time working for regulatory authorities and for clients enabling us to provide a unique insight. Whether advising a complainant, defendant or regulator, our team has unrivalled experience.

Given the depth and range of our competition experience, leading companies regularly come to us for advice on competition compliance and for specialised training programmes. We have developed comprehensive compliance manuals and provided tailored training sessions including staging mock dawn raids to a range of clients across various sectors.  We have also developed an online training guide which can be used as an integral part of your compliance programme.  Please click here for more information on our online compliance programme or contact any of our team.

Recent experience includes advising:

  • Virgin Atlantic on cartel investigations in a number of jurisdictions into long-haul passenger fuel surcharges including the OFT's criminal prosecution, which was the first contested criminal cartel case under the Enterprise Act 2002
  • Metcash in successfully defending its acquisition of Franklins against opposition by the ACCC. This included resounding wins at all stages, the ACCC’s initial application to the Federal Court for an injunction to block the acquisition, a further application by the ACCC for an interim injunction pending its appeal, and the ACCC’s appeal to the Full Court of the Federal Court 
  • BSkyB on EU merger clearance and UK competition law issues regarding the bid by News Corp; on Ofcom's Pay TV market investigation and the successful challenge to the outcome of that investigation before the Competition Appeal Tribunal; and on the UK Competition Commission's two-year investigation into movies on pay TV  
  • AUSTAR in respect of ACCC merger clearance of its merger with FOXTEL. The ACCC released a Statement of Issues identifying market definition amid media convergence, supply of subscription TV, content acquisition and telecommunications markets as areas of focus – particularly taking into account the Government’s proposal to roll out a National Broadband Network. The ACCC’s review of the acquisition was one of its longest, and in April 2012, it announced its decision not to oppose FOXTEL’s proposed acquisition of AUSTAR.  
  • Arriva plc on the EU/UK competition aspects of the £1.585 billion public offer by Deutsche Bahn (Germany's incumbent rail transport operator); and the UK Competition Commission investigation into local bus services 
  • Pilkington in relation to the car glass cartel, on an appeal to the Court of First Instance against a European Commission decision; and follow-on damages claims in UK and German courts

herbert smith Freehills

 

For further information, please contact:

 

Paul Hughes, Partner, Herbert Smith Freehills

paul.hughes@hsf.com

 

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