Expertise
The Antitrust Alliance offers extensive expertise in all fields of competition law, combining its member firms experience at the EU level with a thorough understanding of the specifics of each jurisdiction.
Abuse of Dominant Market Position
Companies in a dominant market position must pay careful attention to some additional legal principles. The Antitrust Alliance has incomparable expertise both defending and advising clients with leading market positions.
Competition Litigation
Our European network allows us to efficiently coordinate national and multi-jurisdictional litigation strategies to pursue or defend claims on behalf of our clients.
Merger Control and Joint Ventures
As a Pan-European Alliance, we occupy a prime position to help our clients with their merger control strategy on a multi-jurisdictional basis.
Antitrust Compliance Training and Audits
Preventing antitrust infringements is always preferable to managing them after they arise. As such it is vital to have an effective compliance program in place that explains competition risks and how to deal with them.
Dawn Raid Services
Competition authorities frequently carry out investigations into alleged competition law infringements. Companies need an efficient and rapid response. As part of the Antitrust Alliance, we work directly with the client to ensure their protection before and after the dawn raid.
Contact member
More info about our expertise, feel free to contact our members.
Cartels and Anticompetitive Agreements
Antitrust infringements, cartels in particular, cause enormous damage to businesses: significant reputational damage, heavy financial penalties and carry the risk of subsequent damages actions.
Suggestions
Preventing antitrust infringements is always preferable to managing them after they arise. As such it is vital to have an effective compliance program in place that explains competition risks and how to deal with them.
Publications
Read our publications in various languages for different offices.
Abuse of Dominant Market Position
Companies in a dominant market position must pay careful attention to some additional legal principles. The Antitrust Alliance has incomparable expertise both defending and advising clients with leading market positions.
Our strategic position in the European legal landscape puts us in an unparalleled position to design cross-border compliance strategies for companies in complex dominance related issues.
We represent both complainants and defendants in several industry sectors by:
- Advising our clients at an early stage on how to achieve their commercial goals in a legally compliant manner;
- Advising and guiding our clients on all strategic and procedural aspects of the investigation on a multi-jurisdictional basis;
- Understanding our clients’ business and providing expertly tailored economic and legal advice.
Antitrust Compliance Training and Audits
Preventing antitrust infringements is always preferable to managing them after they arise. As such it is vital to have an effective compliance program in place that explains competition risks and how to deal with them.
We help clients to adopt and implement effective compliance policies:
Implementation Guidelines and Codes of Conduct
Our team has developed guidelines and codes of conduct to help company representatives at all levels comply with competition laws. We provide:
- Guidance and help for employees in their internal relationships;
- A practical view of the risks when dealing directly with competitors;
- Basic information about risky clauses, samples of distribution and supply agreements, and tips on how to handle conversations.
Training
The Antitrust Alliance has substantial experience training clients in the prevention of practices which can lead to competition infringements. Our training sessions and seminars are practical, relevant to your business and easy to understand.
We communicate with our clients on any antitrust developments, and keep you updated about Implementation Guidelines which can affect your businesses.
Verification
Our team will arrange periodic compliance audits. We also offer in-depth audits, either in the event antitrust conduct is suspected or as part of a due diligence process. We believe that once you are aware of anti-competitive behavior, you can deal with it before it comes to the attention of the authorities.
Read more about Competition Law Compliance and Dawn Raid Protection
Cartels and Anticompetitive Agreements
Antitrust infringements, cartels in particular, cause enormous damage to businesses: significant reputational damage, heavy financial penalties and carry the risk of subsequent damages actions.
We have extensive experience in advising on all types of restrictive agreements falling within Article 101 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU and equivalent national legislation.
We offer legal assessment of our clients’ commercial agreements: distribution, agency, franchise, discounts or pricing policies and advise of any changes they may need to make in order to comply with competition law.
As a multijurisdictional network, we are able to provide our clients with efficient and integrated advice on cross-border cartels:
- We analyze relationships with competitors to avoid situations where the client could be considered part of a cartel;
- We advise on leniency applications from a multi-jurisdiction point of view;
- We defend our clients’ interests throughout an investigation;
- We represent clients in any resulting antitrust litigation.
Competition Litigation
Our European network allows us to efficiently coordinate national and multi-jurisdictional litigation strategies to pursue or defend claims on behalf of our clients. We have a wealth of experience in handling complex international cases before national courts and the European Court of Justice.
Thanks to our global resources across Europe, we have developed a market-leading practice in antitrust disputes in several areas:
Private actions for damages:
Companies affected by anti-competitive behavior may bring the matter before the EU courts and seek damages, which are often substantial. Our team has demonstrable experience in defending our clients against these private actions for damages caused by findings of cartel, price fixing or abuse of a dominant position in the market.
Negotiating private commercial settlements:
Our team regularly advises clients on commercial agreements and out-of-court settlement negotiations to achieve their commercial goals.
Dawn Raid Services
Competition authorities frequently carry out investigations into alleged competition law infringements. Companies need an efficient and rapid response. As part of the Antitrust Alliance, we work directly with the client to ensure their protection before and after the dawn raid.
As a specialized network of top-quality competition law firms, the Antitrust Alliance has extensive experience in assisting clients with dawn raids, ensuring a unified and efficient response across multiple jurisdictions.
We work to help our client in the event of an inspection from the competition authorities by providing:
- Guidance and compliance training to help ensure clients are prepared for the unexpected;
- Face-to-face training programs on handling a dawn raid to make sure that your employees are prepared;
- Mock dawn raid to test client procedures for dealing with a dawn raid.
In the event of a dawn raid, what should you be doing? Behind the scenes we provide:
A 24-hour dawn-raid hotline to put you straight in touch with the right expert from the right country. Our network, conformed by outstanding professionals who specialize in antitrust matters, covers all European jurisdictions; this ensures a rapid and focused response;
Possibilities for a leniency application?
On-site assistance in the event of a dawn raid to make sure that officials act within their statutory powers; just because regulators ask for something does not necessarily mean they are entitled to it; and
Responses to information requests and negotiation with the European Authorities.
Read more about Competition Law Compliance and Dawn Raid Protection
Merger Control and Joint Ventures
As a Pan-European Alliance, we occupy a prime position to help our clients with their merger control strategy on a multi-jurisdictional basis.
We know that merger control is a key factor in the success of M&A deals. Through our alliance, we can combine legal, economic and political considerations to achieve a successful transaction.
We work with our clients to help them minimize antitrust risks by:
Applying antitrust aspects into the deal in a proper way. Paying a specific attention to due diligence processes:
- Making sure that the target company has not engaged in violations of the competition law;
- Including appropriate safeguards in transaction documentation to ensure apportionment of risk;
- Advanced logistical planning and preparation in order to mitigate risk in all jurisdictions;
- Making and coordinating notifications to the regulatory authorities;
- Proffering and negotiating solutions with the relevant competition authorities;
- Additionally, acting for clients who want to protect their market share position which is being threatened by a competitor.
Publications
State Aid & Sports – How to play it by the rules?
This brochure explains, on the basis of many examples of real cases, that the State aid rules must also be taken into account in the sports sector. The brochure is available in the languages listed below.
Resale price maintenance (RPM)
RPM is a form of vertical price fixing where the manufacturer tries to excess control over a down-stream market where it is not directly active, for example the retail market.
According to the European Commission’s Guidelines on Vertical Restraints RPM may restrict competition in a number of ways [paragraph 48]. The Commission’s starting point is that an agreement which includes RPM is presumed to restrict competition and thus to fall within Article 101(1) TFEU.
Despite the Commission’s guidance, the way in which the European member states deal with RPM differs. The Resale Price Maintenance brochure gives a brief explanation of the state of play in each member state. The brochure is available in the languages listed below.
Suggestions
Preventing antitrust infringements is always preferable to managing them after they arise. As such it is vital to have an effective compliance program in place that explains competition risks and how to deal with them.
Possibility of establishing other EU services such as:
Company law and corporate governance:
- Corporate mobility in the EU.
- How can a company move or expand abroad?
- How can a company protect itself against a hostile takeover from a firm abroad?
Trade Regulations, Customs and Standards in the European Union:
- Free movement of goods, services, persons and capital.
- EU economic sanctions and export controls.
Environmental law, telecommunications and public procurement.