Competition disputes are now firmly part of the antitrust landscape, with private enforcement of competition law – both multimillion follow-on cartel damages claims and standalone litigation – having risen massively in recent years.
Furthermore, the growth in collective redress and other group litigation mechanisms, through the introduction of an "opt-out" class action regime in the UK in October 2015, is increasingly gaining momentum.
We are at the forefront of these developments and ideally placed to deal with the substantive, procedural and tactical challenges in this rapidly evolving area. We help clients set strategy, manage risks and conduct disputes, working with them to achieve successful resolutions, whether in court or by settlement.
Appeals of antitrust, merger and economic regulatory decisions are also increasingly common, given the high stakes involved. We guide clients across multiple jurisdictions through the decision whether to launch an appeal, and conduct complex and often highly technical challenges to the decisions of competition and economic regulators, both on behalf of addressees and third parties. We have a significant track record of delivering excellent results for clients in such business critical disputes.
We are consistently instructed on the largest, most high profile competition litigation cases. Our cross-practice team is integrated within our Competition, Regulation and Trade team and the wider Dispute Resolution team, providing clients with a seamless service taking a cartel case, for example, from leniency application to dawn raid to appeal to damages action, and managing the interplay between public and private enforcement.
The practice is supported by our innovative and cost-effective Belfast-based document review and management function, with advanced facilities for reviewing and analysing the large volumes of documents found in major contentious cases. This means we offer an additional edge in competition litigation, particularly where relevant cases progress towards the disclosure stage
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COMPETITION NOTES - Find the latest developments on our blog. |
Recent Experience
FURUKAWA ELECTRIC CO
On appeals before the EU courts stemming from the European Commission's decision in the Power Cables cartel case
PILKINGTON
On its defence of follow-on damages claims in the UK and Germany stemming from the European Commission's car glass and flat glass cartel decisions, as well as on related EU litigation
RECKITT BENCKISER
On multiple follow-on and stand-alone private damages actions stemming from the (then) UK OFT's decision, in which it found that Reckitt Benckiser abused its dominant position in relation to the supply of Gaviscon
THE SOUTH AFRICAN INDUSTRY BODY REPRESENTING COURIERS
In multiple litigation matters concerning the claimed monopoly right by the national postal utility over letters and small parcels
DIA AND EROSKI
On an appeal brought by two trade associations before the Spanish National Court challenging the CMNC's decision to close their investigation regarding the cooperation agreement entered into between the two retailers for the joint negotiation of commercial conditions with large suppliers
Accolades
Tier 2 for Competition Litigation
Insights and updates
