The UK government is consulting on highly anticipated amendments to the antitrust legislative framework. Its proposals are aimed at delivering economic growth by supporting the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)’s 4Ps...more
1/27/2026
/ Algorithms ,
Antitrust Provisions ,
Competition Authorities ,
Consumer Protection Laws ,
Digital Markets Strategy ,
Merger Controls ,
Merger Reviews ,
New Legislation ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Threshold Requirements ,
UK ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
At the end of what was a transformational year for UK merger control policy, the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) published revised guidance on its approach to merger remedies (Revised Guidance). The upshot: the CMA...more
1/16/2026
/ Competition ,
Competition Act ,
Competition Authorities ,
Divestiture ,
Merger Agreements ,
Merger Challenges ,
Merger Controls ,
Merger Remedies ,
Merger Reviews ,
Mergers ,
New Guidance ,
UK ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)’s strengthened consumer protection powers took effect in April 2025. For the first time, the CMA gained direct powers to determine breaches of consumer law and impose potentially...more
11/21/2025
/ Advertising ,
Advertising Standards Authority ,
Consumer Protection Laws ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Digital Platforms ,
Enforcement Actions ,
False Advertising ,
Fees ,
New Legislation ,
New Regulations ,
Online Platforms ,
Penalties ,
Price Transparency ,
Regulatory Authority ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Telecommunications ,
UK ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
On October 16, 2025, the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launched a consultation on draft revised guidance on its approach to merger remedies (Draft Guidance). The upshot: a more flexible approach is on the cards,...more
How are dealmakers responding to an uncertain and volatile macro environment? Our latest M&A Insights report offers a global perspective on the forces shaping M&A activity, from the rising interest in the European defense...more
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched a consultation on proposed changes to its mergers guidance on jurisdiction and procedure (CMA2) and its mergers notice template....more
6/25/2025
/ Competition ,
Jurisdiction ,
Merger Controls ,
Merger Reviews ,
Mergers ,
New Guidance ,
Premerger Notifications ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Regulatory Reform ,
UK ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
Our review of the European Commission’s current approach to merger enforcement in chemical, steel and other basic industries—and thoughts on how to plan transactions accordingly.
Industrial companies with operations in...more
The UK government has issued the final version of its “strategic steer” to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), directing the authority to act in a way that prioritises growth and encourages investment in the...more
Hot on the heels of the UK government’s February 2025 draft "strategic steer", the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has published a new Mergers Charter. The Charter details principles the CMA will apply when engaging...more
Chief executive of the U.K. Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), Sarah Cardell, has announced that the authority will launch a review of its approach to merger remedies in early 2025.
Most notably, this will include a...more
This newsletter is a summary of the antitrust developments we think are most interesting to your business. James Webber (partner based in London) and Jess Bowring (counsel based in London) are our editors this month. They...more
9/30/2024
/ Acquisitions ,
Antitrust Division ,
Antitrust Litigation ,
Competition ,
Corporate Governance ,
Draft Guidance ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
European Court of Justice (ECJ) ,
Global Dealmaking ,
Merger Controls ,
Mergers ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Threshold Requirements ,
UK
The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 will introduce groundbreaking new rules to regulate digital markets in the U.K. It aims to boost competition by controlling the conduct of the largest digital firms,...more
6/3/2024
/ Antitrust Provisions ,
Competition ,
Consumer Protection Laws ,
Digital Marketplace ,
Digital Markets Strategy ,
EU ,
Merger Controls ,
Pending Legislation ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Technology Sector ,
UK ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 will result in a landmark overhaul of the U.K. consumer protection regime. It will dramatically increase the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA's) enforcement powers...more
6/3/2024
/ Competition ,
Consumer Protection Laws ,
Digital Marketplace ,
Digital Markets Strategy ,
Enforcement Actions ,
EU ,
Penalties ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Technology Sector ,
UK ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 will in the main start to take effect in stages later in 2024 and will bolster the powers of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to enforce U.K. antitrust rules....more
6/3/2024
/ Antitrust Litigation ,
Antitrust Provisions ,
Competition ,
Compliance ,
Digital Marketplace ,
Digital Markets Strategy ,
EU ,
Investigations ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Remedies ,
Technology Sector ,
UK ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 has finally been enacted. It introduces significant changes to U.K. merger control and antitrust rules, establishes a new consumer protection regime and introduces a...more
6/3/2024
/ Antitrust Division ,
Competition Act ,
Consumer Protection Laws ,
Digital Markets Strategy ,
EU ,
Investigations ,
Merger Controls ,
Mergers ,
New Rules ,
Online Platforms ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Technology Sector ,
UK ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
Shearman & Sterling advises on many of the most significant subsidy matters in the UK and European Union. As part of this work, we have seen the increasing role that subsidy has played in the policy choices made by...more
In a decision of major importance for litigation in the UK, the UK Supreme Court has held that litigation funding agreements (“LFAs”) under which a litigation funder receives a percentage of any damages recovered by the...more
Overview -
- The European Court of Justice (CJEU) brought back to life an old theory which allows acquisitions, which fall below EU and national merger control thresholds, to be challenged post-completion under abuse of...more
The EU Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR) entered into force on 12 January 2023. It represents a massive expansion in the European Commission’s power to investigate inward investment to the EU. This new regulation—the first...more
The high production costs of renewable hydrogen (RH2) limit its ability to compete with alternative non-renewable fuels and technologies. This is exacerbated by a number of market failures (including failure of carbon pricing...more
12/2/2022
/ Climate Change ,
Energy Market ,
Energy Sector ,
EU ,
Green Energy ,
Green Finance ,
Hydrogen Power ,
Member State ,
Private Equity Funds ,
Renewable Energy ,
Sustainable Finance
Will 2022 be seen as the year in which the gates finally opened for damages claims in the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT)?...more
Quick Read -
- The EU’s jurisdiction to review mergers is no longer linked to notification. This is a big change and sharply reduces parties’ ability to predict antitrust hurdles to closing based on notification thresholds....more
On 18 May 2022, the European General Court rejected Canon’s appeal against a €28 million fine imposed by the European Commission in 2019 for its breach of EU gun-jumping rules, just a few months after a similar judgment,...more
The U.K. Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is expected to be granted wider jurisdictional powers for merger control enforcement in legislative proposals mentioned in today’s Queen’s Speech. The powers derive from the...more
On 26 January 2022 the General Court (GC) issued its latest judgment in the Intel case, faulting fundamental aspects of the Commission’s original decision almost 13 years prior. The judgment’s findings are promising for...more