On 10 May 2022, the European Commission (EC) adopted the new Vertical Block Exemption Regulation (VBER), accompanied by the new Guidelines on Vertical Restraints (Vertical Guidelines). The new rules are the result of a...more
The European Commission published the new Vertical Block Exemption Regulation and related guidelines on May 10, 2022. The purpose of the block exemption is to generally exempt agreements between market players at different...more
As Russia’s bloody invasion of Ukraine nears the end of its second month, with regular reports of human rights violations, possible chemical weapons attacks, and head of state musings regarding whether this campaign amounts...more
From my perspective, as well as what seems to be many others in the west and around the globe, the incredibly long table that Vladimir Putin sits behind separating himself from his minions, as well as other country’s visiting...more
Western sanctions against Russia have continued to broaden substantially into new areas of trade, especially in the energy sector. Policymakers in Washington DC, Brussels, London and other allied capitals also continue to...more
Last week, the United States continued to impose sweeping restrictive measures in response to the conflict in Ukraine, including measures targeting imports of certain Russian energy and “signature” products into the United...more
Watch Out, More Things Are Luxury Than You Think! On March 11, 2022, the President issued Executive Order 14068 (EO 14068) Prohibiting Certain Imports, Exports, and New Investment with Respect to Continued Russian...more
On March 11, 2022, President Biden called on Congress to revoke permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) with Russia. In a fact sheet regarding actions being taken simultaneously with the European Union and Group of Seven (G7)...more
The Background: The European Commission ("Commission") recently unveiled long-awaited draft revisions to its Vertical Block Exemption Regulation ("VBER") and Vertical Guidelines. The VBER includes safe harbors that exempt...more
On 30 December 2020, the EU and China agreed in principle on a Comprehensive Agreement on Investment ("CAI"). The text of the agreement is not yet available,1 but the European Commission called it "the most ambitious...more
The Development: The European Commission ("EC") recently released two long-awaited legislative proposals, the Digital Services Act ("DSA") and Digital Markets Act ("DMA"), that would significantly increase the EC's regulatory...more
On 4 April 2019, the European Commission published the much anticipated Report Competition Policy for the digital era (hereinafter referred to as the "Report"). ...more
On 14 March 2019, the EU Horizontal Safeguard Regulation 2019/287 ("HSR") entered into force to streamline the implementation of bilateral safeguard measures in EU trade agreements concluded with third countries....more
Side letters are an (increasingly) common way of formalising negotiated arrangements between a private fund and an investor. Whilst used more widely in the closed-ended fund context (given the limited withdrawal rights...more
We have followed over the last years Europe grappling with the issue of most favoured nation clauses and hotel booking. Our last update regarded a joint monitoring project between the CMA and the European Commission, designed...more
Does CETA provide a workable model for market access in the financial services industry? At the risk of spoiling the plot: no, not really. What does the industry mean when it says it wants market access?...more
Many US (and EU) companies operate in Europe with pricing and distribution policies which may breach EU competition rules. EU regulators are taking an increasingly tough line on pricing and online market place access. Robert...more
EU: Regulatory Scrutiny of Online Hotel Booking Continues - The 13 July 2016 saw the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announce that it had sent a questionnaire to a large sample of hotels throughout the UK. As...more
The 13 July 2016 saw the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announce that it had sent a questionnaire to a large sample of hotels throughout the UK. As part of a joint monitoring project with the European Commission,...more
It appears that the United Kingdom will exit the European Union as a result of the vote taken in the so-called Brexit referendum. Although the full impact of Brexit is hard to predict, it appears that its effects on United...more
Competition authorities worldwide ramped up scrutiny of e-commerce business practices in 2015. The European Commission (Commission) launched an expansive sector inquiry in May 2015 aimed at identifying anticompetitive...more
United States Holds First Round Of Negotiations With 13 Trading Partners Toward An Environmental Goods Agreement - On July 8, 2014, the United States and 13 other Members of the World Trade Organization (WTO),...more