The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 received Royal Assent on May 24, 2024, ushering in the most significant reforms to the UK’s competition and consumer protection laws in a generation. The Act introduces...more
In 2023, cartel fines in key jurisdictions increased by 7.7%—totaling $1.4 billion—compared to 2022. While the totals remain significantly below the peaks seen in the mid-2010s, 2023 saw record fines imposed in several...more
Following feedback on the first edition of the National Security and Investment Act 2021 (NSI Act) market guidance, a recently published second edition clarifies aspects of the NSI Act for businesses falling within its scope....more
The UK communications regulator and concurrent competition authority, Ofcom, announced on April 5 its proposal to refer the UK cloud services market to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) for further investigation....more
With a couple of notable exceptions, cartel fines were lower in most jurisdictions in 2022 than in the prior year—and well below historical norms. Fines in the United States—long the leader in cartel enforcement—were lower...more
The UK Competition and Markets Authority has signalled its interest in bringing enforcement actions in the labour market by issuing guidance to employers on competition law compliance. The guidance warns employers that...more
While the global pandemic that began in 2020 continued throughout 2021, cartel enforcement activity increased among a number of leading enforcement jurisdictions. Overall, global fines in 2021 were up by 229 percent compared...more
1/5/2022
/ Anti-Monopoly ,
Antitrust Investigations ,
Antitrust Provisions ,
Cartels ,
Competition ,
Competition Authorities ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Fines ,
Mergers
Laws in the United Kingdom and United States are increasingly taking a more restrictive view on the permitted scope of exclusivity and noncompete clauses. On December 4, 2020, the UK government launched a consultation on...more
The development of connected automobiles crystallizes the tensions between intellectual property law and competition law that have existed for years, particularly in the area of standard essential patents (SEPs). ...more
3/2/2021
/ Anticompetitive Behavior ,
Antitrust Provisions ,
Automotive Industry ,
Competition ,
Connected Cars ,
EU ,
FRAND ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
IP License ,
Patents ,
Standard Essential Patents
Despite the challenges of an unprecedented global pandemic, cartel enforcement activity in 2020 increased in many leading enforcement jurisdictions. Corporate fines, for example, more than doubled from 2019 in the United...more
The UK Competition and Markets Authority published for consultation updated guidelines setting out its approach to analysing mergers on 17 November. The guidelines update the current merger assessment guidelines...more
The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) on 6 November published draft updates to two of its merger guidance documents (CMA2 and CMA56) in preparation for the end of the Brexit Transition Period on 31 December 2020....more
New guidance from the UK Competition and Markets Authority warns that it will not relax its substantive or evidentiary standards for merger investigations during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. ...more
Global cartel fine totals rebounded somewhat in 2019, approaching historical norms following two years of sharply lower fine levels.
The $6.1 billion total is the highest global fine level since 2016. Most of the increased...more
3/2/2020
/ Africa ,
Antitrust Provisions ,
Antitrust Violations ,
Asia ,
Cartels ,
Competition ,
Criminal Investigations ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Deferred Prosecution Agreements ,
Enforcement Actions ,
EU ,
Fines ,
South America