Investment funds
Fund management investments
Advising a leading independent fund management company offering investors access to high quality infrastructure assets on the competition and merger control aspects of two major toll road concession projects.
Asset management and wealth management
Securing for a large UK bank a Phase I European Commission clearance (as well as clearances in Brazil, USA, Canada, Mexico and Japan) on the sale of part of its wealth management and exchange traded funds business to one of the leading asset management companies worldwide.
Private equity
Advising a large Asian private equity house on the merger control aspects of an acquisition of a stake in one of the world's largest razor manufacturers.
Leniency
Advising a private equity house and one of its portfolio companies on a complex cartel investigation by the Competition & Markets Authority, and securing a Type A immunity marker.
Investigations
Advising a company in respect of the Payment Sector Regulator's first ever investigation into an alleged breach of the competition rules on cartel activity, including advising during the dawn raid.
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Shipping
Compliance policy and dawn raid guidelines
Preparing, rolling out and delivering for a large international shipping company on its antitrust policy and dawn raid guidelines across the Asia region and advising on competition law aspects of pooling/alliance arrangements more generally.
Trade associations and competition law
Advising an offshore, marine and underwater solutions trade association on general competition law issues, including membership criteria and participation, collection of statistics, information exchange as well as standardisation processes.
Pooling arrangements and information barriers
Preparing an information barrier policy for a large international shipping company which is part of a large LNG pooling arrangement.
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Shipping
Foreign direct investment
Radio frequency and microwave technologies
Advised Alaris Holdings Limited on the public interest regime under the Enterprise Act 2002 and the application of the National Security and Investment Act 2021 in respect of its acquisition of Linwave Technology Limited, a supplier of radio frequency and microwave component products with various end-use applications.
Agriculture
Advised a global agricultural company on the sale of a 50% shareholding in one of its subsidiary companies to an investment firm successfully securing FDI clearances in the United States, Spain, Romania and Australia. Merger control clearances were also secured in this matter from COMESA and in Serbia and Egypt.
Cyber security
Advised Kroll on the implications of its acquisition of Redscan, a UK-based cyber security firm, under the NSIA and the public interest regime under the Enterprise Act 2002, ensuring the transaction was completed successfully.
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Competition
Cartels
Defending a company in the agricultural processors sector in multiple cartel investigations before the European Commission and appealing European Commission adverse decisions to the European Courts successfully reducing the level of the fines.
Acting for an international bank in a European Commission cartel investigation, including applying for leniency before the Commission and various NCAs; and advising on the roll-out of a global competition law compliance programme.
Advising a private equity house and one of its portfolio companies on a complex cartel investigation by the Competition & Markets Authority, and securing a Type A immunity marker.
Leniency
Successfully obtaining full immunity for a company in the chemicals sector for alleged cartel behaviour, including representing the company on an intervention appeal before the European courts.
Dawn raid
Providing on-site dawn raid assistance to a chemicals company (tar pitch, naphthalene, creosote) under investigation by the European Commission for alleged cartel activity.
Audits (including mock dawn raids)
Conducting antitrust audits (including mock dawn raids) for and advising a leading construction company allegedly involved in anti-competitive and abusive practices and devising a compliance strategy.
Abuse of market power
Defending one of the largest global financial information services providers in relation to an exclusionary abuse of dominance investigation by the European Commission, including the negotiation of commitments.
Merger control
Advising one of the largest Japanese food and drink companies in the world on its acquisition of a leading soft drinks manufacturer, successfully obtaining clearance in Spain, Portugal and Ukraine.
Advising a leading player in the UK transport market, operating rail and bus franchises across the UK on its rolling stock joint venture with a leading global Japanese player in the rail sector to run the East Anglia rail franchise and successfully securing a Phase I clearance from the European Commission.
Advising a leading global energy provider of diversified services on all merger control aspects of its divestiture of a petroleum storage facility in the UK to one of the largest petroleum refiners in the world, including securing an informal clearance from the Competition & Markets Authority's Mergers Intelligence Committee.
Commercial agreements
Advising clients on a host of antitrust issues in commercial agreements, including acting for a large real estate investment management company on lease restrictions in commercial agreements following the repeal of the UK's Lands Agreement Exemption.
Advising a leading provider of health and social care in the UK on all merger control aspects of its acquisition of a large portfolio of care homes implementing a "fix it first remedy" in order to secure a Phase 1 clearance from the Competition & Markets Authority.
Advising a US healthcare company on the competition law risks resulting from the proposed acquisition of another healthcare provider in the UK, respectively two of the largest private providers of in-patient mental healthcare services in the UK; resulting in an extended Phase 1 Competition & Markets Authority merger review with significant divestments.
Complaints
Advising a large US private hospital provider on a complaint to the UK competition authorities against a leading medical insurance provider for alleged unfair discrimination in the application of certain selection criteria.
Market investigations
Advising various large home warranty providers on the legality of the set up and development of an industry code following the UK's Office of Fair Trading's (predecessor to the Competition & Markets Authority) investigation into the home building sector.
Advising a leading bank on all aspects of the European Commission's Market Study into Syndicated Loans.
Private actions and litigation
Part of a team advising a leading Indian real estate developer in one of the first test UK civil cases about alleged manipulation of the LIBOR benchmark.
Compliance
Developing and rolling out tailored competition compliance policies and guidelines for companies in various sectors (eg tobacco, pharmaceutical, shipping) across the globe.
Criminal liability
Advising individuals in relation to criminal cartel investigations by the UK competition authorities in various sectors, including the airline and financial services industries.
Advising on the extradition of a UK trader involved in a US Department of Justice cartel and market abuse manipulation investigation (including advising on the dual criminality principle).
Investigations
Advising a company in respect of the Payment Sector Regulator's first ever investigation into an alleged breach of the competition rules on cartel activity, including advising during the dawn raid.
Audit
Advising a leading construction company on allegations brought by a former employee in relation to competition law infringements, carrying out an audit and advising on ways to mitigate any risks to the company as well as advising the client on the roll-out of a company-wide competition law training programme.
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