We work closely with our clients to help them understand and comply with the competition law rules.
This includes guiding businesses on day-to-day competition compliance queries, designing competition compliance policies, offering genuinely engaging competition law and dawn raid training, and carrying out audits of data to assess latent competition law exposure.
If you have not used us for competition law advice before, try us out for free. We offer a free initial call for up to 1 hour to discuss and advise on any competition law issues you would like to discuss.
Prevention may be better than cure, but, if the worst happens, we support businesses in managing competition authority investigations (including dawn raids) and have a proven track record of successfully defending enforcement action. We also guide clients – both claimants and defendants – in relation to competition litigation.
On the transactional side, our team advises on the competition considerations arising from mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and collaborations between competitors. We have considerable experience in guiding clients through the merger control process, both in the UK and elsewhere.
Our team is well-regarded for offering clear and commercially astute advice on the full range of competition law related matters. We are the go to competition advisors to numerous household name clients, who recognise and appreciate the practical and pragmatic way in which we deliver competition law advice.
We recognise that our role as competition advisers involves much more than simply knowing the law. Rather, our role is to help businesses understand, in practical terms, what the rules mean to them.
Simon Barnes covers a range of competition law topics, advising on investigations and merger filings. Clients describe him as "a very good listener, who is easy to work with and forms a strong relationship with the client.".
Whether we are helping businesses ensure their business complies with competition law – for example, through in-person training, e-learning or written advice and guidance – or whether we are guiding businesses in relation to conduct under scrutiny before the courts or competition authorities, we work closely with our clients to ensure we understand their business and the markets in which they operate, enabling us to provide clear, pragmatic and strategic advice.
Recent experience includes:
- Representing a party under investigation in a CMA airport facilities case, securing rapid case closure on behalf of our client.
- Representing a market-leading business in the CMA’s market sharing investigation into cleanroom laundries and successfully securing a 90% discount off the fine.
- Advising a major UK insurer on the CMA’s market investigation into private motor insurance.
- Advising a major funeral care provider on the CMA’s market investigation into the UK funeral industry.
- Advising a party involved in the CMA’s commercial catering equipment infringement investigation.
- Advising a party involved in the CMA’s modelling agencies cartel investigation.
- Advising a party involved in the CMA’s investigation into Compare The Market’s use of MFNs in relation to price comparison websites.
- Representing a leading market player in one of the CMA’s ongoing investigations into musical instruments.
- Acting for an individual called in for interview by the CMA in relation to one of its ongoing investigations in the pharmaceuticals sector.
The team at Shoosmiths LLP attracts praise for its ability to 'cover all major areas of EU law', with Simon Barnes singled out for his 'excellent knowledge of UK authorities'.
