Interviews and Analysis

In an exclusive commentary for GCR, John Penrose MP discusses his review of the UK’s competition regime and explains why his report published today recommends that the country’s antitrust authority take on a bigger public role.

16 February 2021

Christopher Vajda QC stepped down from his role as a judge at the European Court of Justice following the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union on 31 January 2020. He returned to Monckton Chambers in October, where he began his legal career. Janith Aranze spoke to Vajda about streamlining the General Court’s procedures, the UK’s approach to digital markets and whether further guidance is needed at an EU-level on competition-related SEP matters.

29 January 2021

Lawmakers in Germany have passed far-reaching reforms to the nation’s competition laws, which give its antitrust enforcer sweeping new powers to challenge the behaviour of the major digital platforms. Janith Aranze and Emily Craig spoke to local competition lawyers about the significance and severity of the new law and how it will interact with proposed EU rules for regulating digital gatekeepers.

22 January 2021

The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets published new guidelines in July 2020 detailing how pro-environmental initiatives – such as agreements among competitors to reduce emissions – could be exempted from cartel rules. The authority’s chair Martijn Snoep spoke to Emily Craig about taking the lead on sustainability and competition, the risk of a fragmented EU approach and whether the agency’s guidelines should have gone further.

17 December 2020

As the European Commission and several other national enforcers examine what role they should play in helping businesses to achieve sustainability goals, Charley Connor explores what conclusions have already been reached and asks if competition policy can – and should – help foster such initiatives.

17 December 2020

Brent Snyder stepped down as the chief executive of Hong Kong’s Competition Commission on 28 November after more than three years in the role. He sat down with Charles McConnell just days before departing the agency to discuss the precedent set during his tenure and the challenges in bringing abuse of dominance cases under a criminal standard of proof.

11 December 2020

As European competition authorities and international organisations like the OECD and ICN look to advance the debate on sustainability and antitrust, Baker McKenzie’s global antitrust knowledge lawyer Grant Murray and partner Georgina Foster explore the approach of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and ask if it can provide a blueprint for others to follow.

07 December 2020

Common ownership has been a hot topic in antitrust law for a while and the debate as to its competitive effect is far from settled. India’s competition watchdog recently imposed conditions on a 3% investment because of minority holdings the buyer had in a rival company. Hemangini Dadwal, a partner at AZB & Partners, and associate Shreya Singh examine the potential impact of that decision.

01 December 2020

Sia Aik Kor became chief executive of the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore in October 2019, replacing Toh Han Li, who stepped down after six years in the role. One year on, she spoke to Charles McConnell about the challenges of the covid-19 pandemic and her vision for the future.

10 November 2020

As economies around the world ground to a halt because of covid-19, the role of competition enforcers was cast under a new spotlight. Charley Connor explores if the crisis has undermined the distinction between competition law and consumer protection in two jurisdictions – South Africa and the UK – and how that might impact enforcement in a post-pandemic world.

20 October 2020