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Mergers, acquisitions & other strategic alliances
From the earliest stages of a proposed deal, we advise clients on how to structure mergers, acquisitions and other strategic alliances so as to avoid or at least minimise potential competition issues. Where necessary, we prepare and submit EU, UK and other national merger filings and ensure that the deal is cleared with the minimum of delay and inconvenience.

Cartels
Speed and decisive action are of the essence if signigicant corporate penalties, individual imprisonment and damages claims are to be avoided or mitigated. In the crucial and hectic first few hours of a cartel coming to light, we provide commercial advice on the decision whether to claim leniency or defend the investigation, and reassurance throughout the process. We advise on preparing for and surviving dawn raids.

Compliance
We provide competition compliance manuals and training, tailored to your business and your culture. We help you to minimise the risk of inadvertent infringement, maximise the likelihood of detecting rogue employees and protecting the company against their actions, and raise awareness of the competition rules so that you can defend against anti-competitive action directed at your business.

State aid
The European Commission continues to stress the importance of state aid policy, and is now promoting private enforcement of the rules on this issue. In this fundamental and often overlooked area of EU competition law, we provide clear advice to those giving, receiving or wishing to challendge aid.

Market investigations
The UK and EU authorities are increasingly relying on widely-drawn and often unfocused market investigations as an enforcement and policy tool. We have experience and policy tool. We have experience of guilding clients through these investigations in a range of industry sectors. We identify the key strategic risks posed bu these investigations and assist you in targeting your response accordingly, challenging the thinking of the authorities and identifying strategic opportunities for your business.

Disputes
We provide robust advice and representation on challenging decisions of competition authorities, regulators and other government bodies before courts and tribunals in the UK, Luxembourg and elsewhere. With private competition damages claims becoming more common, we advise on the offensive and defensive use of competition law before the courts, and on the impact of these claims on the handling of cartel and other investigations.

EU regulatory issues
We advise on a wide range of general EU issues, from parallel trade and product standards to sector regulation and administrative law, where our understanding of the procedures of the European institutions and our experience of EU law can give you a significant competitive advantage. Where necessary, we can help you to ensure that your views are taken into account in the EU legislative process.

Public procurement
Recent changes in the EU public procurement rules provide increased flexibility, but at the same time place greater reliance on general principles as opposed to detailed procedures. We have considerable experience of guiding public bodies, utilities and contractors through the advertising and award procedures, and on the various derogations.

Commercial agreement and technology licensing
We advise on the structure and drafting of commercial agreements and technology licences to ensure that they are compatible with the relevant rules and that they can be enforced when the time comes.

Pricing and supply arrangements
Your concern is to price your products and services at the optimum level, and to supply them as efficiently as possible. We provide practical advice on how to do so while complying with the requirements of the competition rules, including the Commission's new proposals for dominant companies.