Competition Lawyers Blog

“Is there a lack of competition in the Euro Car Parts acquisition?” – The CMA are investigating whether the acquisition between Euro Car Parts has decreased competition

Recently, the Competition and Market Authority (CMA) served an initial enforcement order (IEO) against the LKQ Corporation Group, who owns the U.K. subsidiary Euro Car Parts Limited. The order was served on the LKQ Group following their recent acquisition of the Andrew Page business.
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“A lack of competition in SSCP’s recent acquisition?” – CMA are investigating whether SSCP has acted anti-competitively in Acorn acquisition

In September this year, the Competition Markets Authority (CMA) served an Initial Enforcement Order (IEO) on Stirling Group and SSCP Spring Topco for an allegation that they acted anti-competitively in their recent acquisition.

Earlier this year, Acorn Care 1 Ltd was acquired by SSCP Spring. Acorn is a reputable care service provider who offers special needs education, residential and foster care, for children and young adults with complex needs.

But the acquisition may be in breach of the rules!
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“Suspected anti-competitive agreements in the solid fuel industry” – Agreements that could infringe EU and national competition laws

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) are looking into an alleged anti-competition agreement made between companies for the supply of solid fuel products in the U.K.

There are no substantive grounds to find that there has been a breach of national and EU competition laws at present, but the CMA was notified of the suspicions, and an investigation was recently launched.
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“Anti-competitive agreements in the Tobacco industry” – Authorities have fined two manufacturers and nine retailers £225 million

In April 2008 there were concerns into whether the tobacco manufacturing industry was unlawfully fixing cigarette prices.

As a result of the concerns, the Competition and Markets Authority (formerly the Office for Fair Trading) investigated several manufacturers and retailers, including Imperial Tobacco, Gallaher Group, Asda, Somerfield Stores, and Co-operative Group Food for their potential infringements of competition law: specifically in relation to the retail pricing of certain tobacco products.
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“Are the U.K. government guilty of anti-competitive agreements?” – Speculations that the U.K. government has made an anti-competitive deal with Nissan post-Brexit

Claims of the U.K. entering in to anti-competitive agreements have surfaced following assurances supposedly given to Nissan Motor Company following the recent referendum result for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union – i.e Brexit.

The EU anti-competitive regulator is looking into the allegations in accordance with currently active anti-competitive regulations, like the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).
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Financial Price Fixing – a look back at the 2003 ABN Amro Scandal

In 2003, the London office of the investment bank and security trading group based in the Netherlands, ABN Amro, received a fine of £900,000.00 for helping a US client to rig share prices.

The Financial Services Authority (who are now the Competition and Markets Authority) imposed the £900,000.00 fine after discovering that the Dutch investment bank had allowed for the prices of the US companies shares to be increased. This reportedly happened on three separate occasions over a six month period between April and October 1998.
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Construction companies cover pricing case in 2008

Our Competition Lawyers take a look back at this huge cover pricing case from 2008.

In 2008 the Office of Fair Trading named 112 construction companies who they believed had been engaging in cover pricing. Cover pricing is where artificially high bids for contracts are made with no intention to win the bid, therefore increasing the final bid price by distorting the look of the competition.

Construction companies involved in this case were found to have worked together illegally to increase the cost of a large number of contracts, including bids for the developments and extensions of schools, universities, and hospitals.

i.e. – public sector ventures, meaning taxpayers money was used to fund these projects!
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“Is the cleaning services sector lacking a competitive edge?” Alleged anti-competitive agreements in the industry may be an infringement of the Competition Act

The cleaning services sector is the next sector to receive the limelight and an investigation from the UK’s Competition Markets Authority (CMA).

In March this year, the CMA launched an investigation into alleged agreements following allegations that the sector were involved in anti-competitive arrangements, which claimed an infringement on the Competition Act 1998.

These are very serious allegations.
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“Energy Markets Competition Remedies” – Competition and Markets Authority’s investigation has led to a positive outcome for healthy competition in the energy market

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has been investigating the supply and acquisition of energy in Great Britain. The two year investigation was sparked when the CMA became concerned with competition in the energy markets, and the pricing for domestic and micro business customers (micro businesses defined as with fewer than 10 employees.)
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“CMA’s Energy Price Comparison investigation given the red light” – The investigation into companies agreeing not to bid for the same search terms has closed, says the CMA

Back in October last year, the Competition Markets Authority (CMA) initiated an investigation into energy price comparison websites as a result of suspected anti-competitive behaviour.

Now, the CMA has decided to close the case on ‘administrative priority grounds’.
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