In a significant development for French merger control, on May 2, 2024 the French Competition Authority applied the jurisprudence laid down in the recent Towercast case to an alleged anti-competitive agreement matter in the...more
The French Competition Authority (“FCA”) is committed to an “open door” policy to support companies wishing to pursue projects around sustainable development. Continuing its informal policy since 2020, the FCA has published a...more
On February 6, 2024, the French Competition Authority ("l'Autorité") fined chocolate producer De Neuville 4 million euros for vertical agreements. This decision is interesting in several respects...more
On 27 February 2024, the Nîmes Court of Appeal confirmed that an employee may be dismissed for serious misconduct for participating in an anti-competitive cartel. While the risk of companies being penalised for...more
1. CONTENTIEUX - NON-RESPECT DES ENGAGEMENTS : GOOGLE SANCTIONNÉE À HAUTEUR DE 250 MILLIONS DANS L’AFFAIRE DES DROITS VOISINS - Par la décision n°24-D-03 du 15 mars 2024, Google est sanctionnée par l’Autorité de la...more
On 18 October 2023, the Commercial Division of the French Supreme Court (Court of Cassation) issued a noteworthy ruling, in which it judged its own case law on restrictive competition practices to be "complex", a source of...more
1. CONTENTIEUX - BISPHÉNOL A DANS LES CONTENANTS ALIMENTAIRES : PRÈS DE 20 MILLIONS D’EUROS DE SANCTIONS - Par une décision du 29 décembre 2023, l’Autorité de la concurrence (ci-après l’« Autorité ») a prononcé une...more
In an important judgment handed down on 29 June 2023 (Case C-211/22), the Court of Justice of the European Union (the "CJEU") ruled that a vertical agreement to fix minimum prices does not necessarily constitute a restriction...more
1. CONTENTIEUX - PUBLICITÉ EN LIGNE : MESURES CONSERVATOIRES IMPOSÉES À META - Par une décision du 4 mai 2023, l’Autorité de la concurrence (ci-après l’ « Autorité ») a prononcé des mesures conservatoires à l’encontre...more
Dawn raids: the First President of the Paris Court of Appeal orders the destruction and return of mailboxes delivered by a company, whose premises had been searched, after the closure of the dawn raids. On April 5, 2023,...more
Welcome to the Litigation Gazette. Each quarter, BCLP's Paris team will keep you informed of the main litigation news in competition law, commercial litigation, labor law, IP/IT/Data and compliance....more
1. CONTENTIEUX - ACTION EN FOLLOW-ON : ABSENCE DE RÉPARATION POUR LES SOCIÉTÉS DU GROUPE COLAS DANS L’AFFAIRE DU CARTEL DES CAMIONS - Dans un jugement remarqué du 27 octobre 2022, le tribunal de commerce de Lyon a...more
In 2022, the French Competition Authority (the "FCA") maintained a high level of activity, focusing notably on digital markets, which remain one of its key priorities. Last year also brought the first successful failing firm...more
On 6 October 2022, the Paris Court of Appeal (CoA) partially overturned the French Competition Authority (FCA)’s record EUR1.2 billion fine on Apple and two of its wholesalers, Ingram Micro and Tech Data, for antitrust...more
1. CONTENTIEUX - PREMIÈRE DÉCISION D’ENGAGEMENTS DE META - Par une décision du 16 juin 2022, l’Autorité de la concurrence (ADLC) a rendu obligatoires les engagements proposés par Meta, qui marquent, à notre connaissance, ...more
In a decision dated March 9, 2022 (No. 19/19747), the Paris Court of Appeal ruled on a competition damage claim action for abuse of dominant position brought against Schneider Electric France and Schneider Electric SA by a...more
The French Competition Authority ("FCA") has unconditionally authorized the acquisition of furniture retailer Conforama by Mobilux under the failing firm defence ("FFD"). On 8 July 2019, Mobilux group ("Mobilux")...more
The French Competition Authority ("FCA") fines a company for gun-jumping in a case relating to a progressive takeover and de facto control - On 12 April 2022, the FCA fined the Compagnie Financière Européenne de Prises de...more
Par une décision en date du 12 avril 2022, l’Autorité de la concurrence (l’« Autorité ») a sanctionné la Compagnie Financière Européenne de Prises de Participation (la « Cofepp ») à hauteur de 7 millions d’euros, pour avoir...more
Le 11 mars 2022, la Cour d’appel de Paris a infirmé dans son intégralité un jugement rendu le 31 mai 2019 par le Tribunal de commerce de Paris, qui avait condamné Google à indemniser un annonceur, la société Ulysse Service («...more
During his January 2022 hearing before France’s National Assembly, the newly appointed chairman of the French competition authority (AdlC), Benoit Coeuré, stated that the digital sector would be one of the principal subject...more
Antitrust: The French Competition Authority revises its procedural notice on fines, substantially amending the method for determining fines and exposing companies to significant and increased financial risks. On 30 July...more
Merger control - Infrastructure: For the first time, the French Competition Authority blocked a concentration in the infrastructure sector. The Authority ruled that the acquisition of exclusive control of the Pipeline...more
Order No. 2021-649 of May 26, 2021 (the "Order") finalizes the transposition into French law of the European Directive so-called "ECN +" of December 11, 2018, which aims to strengthen the powers of national competition...more
On 27 January 2021, the French competition authority (Autorité de la concurrence or ADC) adopted a decision accepting commitments from the building block producer Lego France (Lego) to amend its discount policy. The ADC...more