Competition/Antitrust

Our London and Brussels teams advise on every aspect of UK and EU competition law – from merger control and investigations to compliance and litigation. Clients rely on us to deliver commercially-sound advice that helps them manage risk, protect their reputation, and navigate often-complex regulatory environments.

We are trusted on landmark matters, often involving high-stakes legal and commercial issues. Our advice is strategic and pragmatic, designed to address immediate challenges while supporting long-term growth. Our breadth and depth of experience means we can mobilise large, multi-disciplinary teams at speed, handling major, high-profile cases and time-sensitive matters with confidence.

Our expertise spans the full spectrum of competition law and other regulatory regimes, such as foreign direct investment reviews, national security rules and the EU’s foreign subsidies regulation. Drawing on deep sector knowledge – in industries such as consumer goods, financial services, media, pharmaceuticals, sports and gaming – we deliver advice that is technically precise and commercially astute.

We advise on:

• cartels and anti-competitive agreements;
• collaboration, strategic alliance and joint-venture agreements;
• abuse of dominance;
• competition investigations (including leniency applications);
• market studies and inquiries;
• bespoke regulatory regimes in a wide range of industries, including digital markets, energy and pharmaceuticals;
• merger control before the CMA and European Commission and coordinating multi-national filings;
• foreign direct investment and national security regimes;
• competition litigation (standalone actions, follow-on claims and appeals);
• state aid, procurement and regulatory issues; and
• compliance programmes and training.

Whether clearing mergers before the CMA or the European Commission or assisting clients navigate multi-national filings, managing dawn raids or litigating damages claims, our focus is on helping clients to manage risk and achieve effective outcomes.

Work highlights include:

• We successfully obtained a speedy Phase 1 clearance for the acquisition of competing brand The Famous Grouse Scotch whisky for William Grant & Sons.
• Whilst advising XPO Logistics, we successfully obtained an unconditional Phase 1 clearance from the CMA for its acquisition of Kuehne & Nagel’s UK logistics business after successfully persuading the European Commission to refer the case back to the CMA.
• We obtained European Commission clearance for Total Produce on its acquisition of Dole Food.
• Assisting the BBC to navigate the CMA’s freelance labour investigations with one investigation being successfully settled and the other dismissed.
• Assisting Bloor Homes in connection with the CMA’s high profile housebuilding investigation.
• Whilst advising Mercedes-Benz, we successfully applied for immunity in connection with the CMA’s end of life vehicles recycling investigation.
• Successfully overturning the CMA’s 2016 phenytoin decision against Flynn Pharma and fighting all the way to the Supreme Court and successfully reinstating the right to recover litigation costs from the CMA.
• Assisting Perse Technology to obtain an interim injunction against ElectraLink, the first ever interim injunction obtained before the Competition Appeal Tribunal in stand-alone proceedings.
• Defending damages claims against Daimler Truck arising from the European Commission’s trucks cartel decision.