Tag Archives: Competition and Markets Authority

What does the CMA’s response to DCMS pro-innovation approach mean in practice?

By Cynthia O’Donoghue, Marjorie Holmes, Alexander Pierce, Vaibhav Adlakha and Michaela Hanzelova on Posted in Merger Control
The Competition & Markets Authority (‘CMA’) recently published its response to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport’s (‘DCMS’) policy paper on establishing a pro-innovation approach to regulating artificial intelligence (AI) on 29 September 2022. This response corresponds with the new National Security & Investment Act 2021 coming into force. The National Security & Investment Act will see … Continue Reading

CMA’s review of market remedies finds breaches across several markets

By Marjorie Holmes, Ross Mackenzie, Emma Weeden and Vaibhav Adlakha on Posted in Antitrust Enforcement Agencies
At a glance The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has recently taken action against companies that have not complied with market investigation orders and undertakings across a range of industries. The CMA appears to be more actively enforcing against breaches of market investigation orders and undertakings – the remedies imposed by the CMA to address adverse … Continue Reading

CMA announces first investigations into COVID-19 price abuse

By Ross Mackenzie, Marjorie Holmes, Emma Weeden and Vaibhav Adlakha on Posted in Antitrust Enforcement Agencies
At a glance First formal action against price gouging in the UK Case will be a test of the fitness of the current legal framework to tackle price gouging Approach to establishing dominance and excessive pricing in the COVID-19 context will impact future enforcement in the UK and possibly in other jurisdictions Amongst the initial … Continue Reading

Putting their foot down – the CMA’s decision to block JD Sports’ acquisition of Footasylum

By Marjorie Holmes, Ross Mackenzie, Emma Weeden and Vaibhav Adlakha on Posted in Antitrust Enforcement Agencies
Earlier this month, the UK Competition and Markets Authority announced that it has prohibited the completed acquisition by JD Sports of Footasylum. We take a detailed look at the case and consider what the CMA’s third prohibition decision of the year signals for future merger activity in the UK. Read the full client alert here. … Continue Reading

How are competition law authorities responding to the unfolding COVID-19 crisis?

By Marjorie Holmes, Marc Lévy, Natasha Tardif, Vaibhav Adlakha, Courtney B. Averbach, Lucile Chneiweiss, Dr. Corinna Kammerer, Emma Weeden and Camille Martin Saint Leon on Posted in Antitrust Enforcement Agencies, Merger Control
With COVID-19 sweeping across the globe, competition law authorities and legislative bodies across the world are having to act quickly and flexibly to minimise disruption while ensuring business compliance and consumer protection. In our recent client alert, we take a look at how COVID-19 is shaping the competition landscape from a multi-jurisdictional perspective, honing in … Continue Reading

Advent International has proposed an acquisition of Cobham plc, but why is the UK Government getting involved – and what are the implications?

By Prajakt Samant, Marjorie Holmes, Simone Goligorsky, Vaibhav Adlakha and Conor Shevlin on Posted in Merger Control
On the grounds of national security, the UK Government made a surprising intervention in the U.S private equity firm Advent International’s proposed acquisition of Cobham plc, a British aerospace and defence company. Since the decision back in September to look into the acquisition, the UK Competition Market Authority has submitted a review to establish if … Continue Reading

What does the Competition and Markets Authority’s decision to impose a 10-year ban on the Sainsbury’s/Asda merger suggest for the future of UK competition law?

By Edward Miller, Marjorie Holmes and Emily Daniels on Posted in Antitrust Enforcement Agencies, Merger Control, Uncategorized
The recently proposed Sainsbury’s/Asda merger would have combined the second- and third-largest UK supermarkets. The merger would also have created the largest retailer of fuel by volume in the UK. The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) decided to step in and concluded that the prohibition of the merger was the only way to go. Most … Continue Reading

Merger control and minority investments

By Emma Weeden, Marjorie Holmes and Vaibhav Adlakha on Posted in Government Investigations, Merger Control
A commonly held view is that merger control filings are not relevant for minority investments. On Friday, 5 July 2019, the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced that it had issued an order to hold separate to Amazon.com Inc and Roofoods Ltd (trading as Deliveroo). We understand that Amazon had made an investment for … Continue Reading

Dawn Raids: Essential tips for preparation and response

By Marjorie Holmes, Edward Miller, Emma Weeden and Vaibhav Adlakha on Posted in Antitrust Enforcement Agencies, Government Investigations
The EU Commission, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) or other sector regulators with competition powers may conduct unannounced onsite inspections of businesses if they suspect a breach of competition law through anti-competitive activity or conduct. These surprise inspections, often dubbed ‘dawn raids’, are employed to gather evidence in relation to suspected cartels. Such raids are … Continue Reading
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