There are very few sectors of business which are not affected by competition law/antitrust rules in some way. Appropriate guidance on how to navigate these complex rules is essential. Our team of lawyers on both sides of the Atlantic routinely work alongside household names, providing pragmatic and commercially-viable solutions to the complex issues they encounter.
Whether it is 'bet the company' litigation, getting merger authority clearances for notifiable transactions, successfully making National Security/CFIUS notifications or recovering losses from identified cartelists, we've been there and successfully done that.
Our wide ranging experience, across numerous sectors, helps us to add value and effectively manage this regulatory risk.
When businesses occasionally make mistakes, we are on hand to advise on the options available. If the regulators arrive at your business premises demanding to see senior executives and to have access to your paper and electronic records, we are there to help manage that highly stressful situation. We know what to look for, what to expect and how to deal with it.
The services we offer include:
Recovering damages arising from a competition/antitrust breach
Defending businesses under investigation for alleged competition/anti-trust or consumer law breaches and working with individuals referred for separate legal advice
Defending individuals facing the prospect of a Competition Disqualification Order
Challenging the unacceptable exploitation of intellectual property rights including non-FRAND licensing terms and premature injunctive applications
Obtaining merger clearances in the UK, US (HSR filings), at the EU Commission and co-ordinating applications in other countries of the world
Advising on whether proposed subsidies or grants are permissible under the UK Subsidy Control regime
Advising on and making notifications under the UK NSIA and CFIUS filings
Counselling businesses on a wide variety of commercial transactions including pricing issues, refusal to supply, and e-commerce restrictions
Assisting businesses to respond effectively to market studies, sector inquiries and other interventions by Competition Regulators such as Civil Investigative Demands or RFIs
Reviewing/updating Competition Compliance Procedures including stress testing their efficacy, undertaking audits of business units and providing training for staff members.
Whether you’re wondering what steps to take after breaching competition law, or want to shore up your defences by requesting an audit on your current compliance procedures, our competition law firm can assist you. To find out more about the antitrust services we provide, or to seek out competition litigation help, contact our attorneys by filling out our online enquiry form, or browse through t
To find out more about the competition and antitrust services, contact our lawyers by filling out our online enquiry form. Information of our US practice can be found on the antitrust litigation page.
Examples of work
Examples of work by team members include:
Damages litigation – successfully pursuing a damages claim on behalf of a sports equipment retailer, acting for the defendant in the Rest & Play Footwear case including negotiating a successful resolution
Competition Disqualification Order – representing an individual in the first defended application by the CMA for a Competition Disqualification Order before the English Courts
Agency investigations – representing an accused party in the CMA's investigation into conduct in the modelling sector, including responding to RFIs, making oral and written submissions in response to the Statement of Objections and Draft Penalty Notice, and securing a substantial reduction in the fine to be imposed on the accused party
Consumer Law enforcement – representing one of the parties involved in the CMA's enforcement action in the Leasehold case, including agreeing a resolution
Merger clearances – providing multi-jurisdictional merger control advice to the purchaser of a UK headquartered business and liaising with the UK CMA to obtain the necessary comfort
Internal investigations – undertaking an internal investigation and advising the client on appropriate remedial action and disciplinary action following an unauthorised disclosure of commercially sensitive information
Advisory – assisting both public sector and private sector organisations with their assessment of whether proposed arrangements involve possible State Aid/permissible Subsidy.
Competition and antitrust laws are the referees in the big game of business. Whether a major player or starting out, these laws ensure everyone plays fair and sticks to the rules. Missteps can lead to reputational damage and penalties for you and your business. Having the right guidance by your side is a no brainer.
Litigation, regulatory investigations, obtaining merger authority clearances, making National Security (NSIA) notifications, and recovering losses from identified cartelists all require your attention. These tasks aren’t just for the big moments when you’re sprinting for the finish line; they need to be integrated into your daily operations.
Not acting can lead to unwelcome investigations by competition regulators, including the UK CMA and the UK FCA. You need expertise at your fingertips for compliance consultancy, defence strategies, leniency applications, and early settlement procedures. Across all these challenges, we’ve been there and successfully done that.
Your team
Your competition and antitrust team
You need a team with a proven track record of success. Handling market inquiries and consumer enforcement action by the CMA is our bread and butter. Keeping up to date across the latest competition litigation in UK courts is in our nature.
With unmatched capabilities in damages claims, Collective Proceedings Orders (CPOs), competition law pleadings in complex commercial litigation, judicial reviews, and enforcing restrictive covenants, whatever the task, you can count on us.
Need counsel on a transaction? We’re here to help, with merger control analysis, with Phase I and Phase II Merger Reviews in line with the National Security and Investment Act.
In need of an antitrust and competition lawyer? Look no further.
At Womble Bond Dickinson we have an exceptional team of talented lawyers and business professionals who can offer guidance and find the solutions right for your business. We have both broad and niche expertise across all our UK and US offices
Depend on proven experience to ensure your success. Our team has acted in CMA Leasehold investigations, negotiated undertakings to avoid court proceedings, advised defence of standalone damages claims before tribunal, pursued damages, advised on large mergers, submitted multiple NSIA notifications and successfully dealt with information requests following call-in notices, leading to clearance decisions.
Testimonials
“All of Womble Bond Dickinson's solicitors were very knowledgeable and always ready to assist with highly technical and complex matters.”
Legal 500 2022
“Womble Bond Dickinson’s team were available all hours for urgent advice on environmental emergencies.”
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