Competition

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What we advise on: we provide clear, commercially astute and pragmatic advice on all aspects of competition law across a wide range of industry sectors. We have significant experience in relation to

• advisory and compliance issues, with strong credentials in sectors including automotive, media and retail,

• competition and EU law in relation to data and technology

• competition law relating to local markets, such as retail mergers (see our client guide Local Market Mergers)

• competition litigation, in particular concerning claims

• the UK/EU interface, relating to competition law and overlapping topics such as data, technology and vertical agreements

• trade law, including its overlap with competition law, subsidies and State aid

• National Security transaction filings, both for UK mergers and similar regimes in the EU and elsewhere.

Shoosmiths is regularly one of the top three M&A law firms measured by deal volume and so in relation to M&A activity, joint ventures and co-operation agreements we have considerable experience in guiding clients through the merger control process, in the UK, the EU and elsewhere.

For further details including examples of our experience please see;

How we work

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 (including through the provision of e-learning), 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 we are more than willing to have a preliminary discussion with you about any competition law issue you wish to raise, before the subjects of formal engagement and fees arise.

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.

Our team is well-regarded for offering clear and commercially astute advice on the full range of competition law related matters.

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.

We commonly work with colleagues that are specialised in particular practice areas, such as corporate, inquests and inquiries, litigation and technology, and particular sectors, such as mobility, retail and consumer, technology and infrastructure to ensure there is a holistic approach to the issues arising.

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.

Chambers 2019

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.

EU competition law is relevant to clients doing business with the EU. Our advice on EU competition law is provided by EU qualified lawyers ensuring that clients obtain the benefit of legal privilege for any advice given on sensitive matters.

Our lawyers are adept at providing advice that ensures, where relevant, clients understand the position under EU and UK law. We work with our clients on the most efficient manner to operate their businesses within this dual legal environment.

Our profile

We are the go-to competition advisors to numerous household name clients, domestic and international, who recognise and appreciate the practical and pragmatic way in which we deliver competition law advice.

We often engage in novel legal issues, underlining our focus on thought leadership in relation to a number of sectors and legal issues, such as the mobility and technology sectors. We contribute to reputed legal and business journals and speak on topics that are debated in the legal and business community.

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.

Legal 500