competition

The new Competition Act 1998 (Motor Vehicle Agreements Block Exemption) Order 2023 (‘MVBEO’) came into force on 1 June 2023. Typically, agreements that hinder competition are prohibited under UK competition law; however there are certain exemptions available where the agreements provide sufficient benefits to offset any anti-competitive aspects. The new MVBEO will provide a UK […]

Please join us for our upcoming webinar on UK Competition Law This session will provide In-house lawyers and General Counsels with a snapshot of key UK Competition Law topics (and risks) to be aware of in 2023, including commentary on: Competition Law and Employment terms The Competition and Markets Authority’s new guidance on cooperation between […]

National leading law firm Freeths has been named as a supplier on Crown Commercial Services (CCS) Public Sector Legal Services RM6240 framework, for all Lots for which we applied: Lot 1 (a) Full Service Provision (England and Wales) Lot 2 (a) General Service Provision (England and Wales) Lot 3 Transport Rail Services Crown Commercial Services […]

Businesses should now be conducting a competition law review of their supply and distribution contracts as the UK (and EU) rules that apply to such ‘vertical agreements’ are changing imminently. The UK’s retained EU block exemption, the Vertical Agreements Block Exemption Regulation (VABER) expires on 31 May 2022. It will be replaced on 1 June […]

Two recent government consultations could have far-reaching implications for UK competition law and policy generally, as well as for digital markets in particular.   Major reform to competition law and policy On 20 July 2021, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) published a consultation on reforming competition and consumer policy. The key […]

At long last, the Government has published its Subsidy Control Bill (“the Bill”) in order to establish a new subsidy control regime. This follows the post-Brexit period within which we have had the uneasy situation of following certain “general principles” from the UK Trade & Co-operation Agreement (“TCA”) but have lacked the granularity that we […]

The UK’s new ‘subsidy control’ regime is gathering pace, but the continued effect of EU state aid rules in certain circumstances remains contentious. As we reported in State Aid post Brexit, as of 1 January 2021, the UK is no longer bound to follow EU state aid rules (except as provided for in the Northern […]

Following the end of the Brexit transition period, seven EU block exemption regulations in force on 31 December 2020 were retained under UK law. The block exemptions include the retained Vertical Agreements Block Exemption Regulation (VABER). In the UK, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) advises the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial […]

Since our last trade remedies update, the UK and the EU have agreed on a Brexit deal and the UK is now operating its own independent trade remedies system. The Government has also decided to retain some EU trade remedy measures, which will continue to be imposed to protect UK industry from foreign unfair trade practices […]

A recent judgment involving Goldman Sachs has key implications for UK private equity and other investors: antitrust needs to be a key part of the M&A due diligence process. On 27 January 2021, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) handed down its ruling in Goldman Sachs’ appeal, challenging the Commission’s decision that had found it […]