Prohibited Practices Under Antitrust Regulations
Competition regulations prohibit specific practices: secret agreements between competitors to fix prices, divide the market among themselves, or abuse market dominance by a controlling party to exclude smaller competitors. We help businesses understand these specifically prohibited practices to avoid unintentionally falling into them.
Reviewing Merger and Acquisition Deals From a Competition Angle
We review merger and acquisition deals from a competition compliance angle, and assess whether the deal might need prior notification or approval from the competent authority before completion, especially when the parties' combined market share exceeds certain limits.
Prior Notification to the Competent Competition Authority
Some merger deals require mandatory prior notification to the competent authority before completion, and we help parties assess whether their deal warrants this notification, and prepare the required file to ensure quick approval without delaying the deal.
Defending Businesses Accused of Monopolistic Practices
When a business receives an accusation of monopolistic practice or competition regulation violation, we defend it through precise review of presented evidence, and clarify any legitimate commercial justification for its behavior not involving intent to exclude competitors.
Exclusive Distribution Contracts and Their Legal Limits
We help businesses draft exclusive distribution contracts not exceeding statutorily permitted limits, since excessive or unjustifiably long-term exclusivity could be considered a competition-restricting practice in some cases.
Complaints Against Violating Competitors' Practices
We help businesses harmed by a larger competitor's monopolistic practices file a formal complaint with the competent authority, documenting the actual impact of this practice on their competitive capacity in the market.
Ongoing Compliance With Competition Regulations
We advise major businesses to periodically review their commercial practices to ensure ongoing compliance with competition regulations, especially when entering new agreements with distributors or potential competitors that could be interpreted differently than the business intended.
Penalties for Competition Regulation Violations
Competition regulation violation penalties range from substantial financial fines to entirely invalidating the violating deal, and we help clients understand the scale of potential risks before making any commercial decision carrying a sensitive competitive dimension.
Leniency Programs for Reporting Violating Agreements
We help businesses previously involved in a competition-violating agreement assess the option of benefiting from leniency programs, which could reduce potential penalties in exchange for voluntary disclosure and full cooperation with the investigation.
How We Start With You
Send us the details of your deal or the commercial practice you need reviewed from a competition regulations angle on WhatsApp. We assess potential risks and help you proceed with legal confidence.
Frequently Asked Questions
We're planning an acquisition deal for a competitor in the same market. Do we need prior approval from the competent authority?
It depends on the combined market share after the deal, and we help you assess whether the deal warrants prior notification and prepare the required file.
We were accused of a monopolistic practice despite our behavior being purely commercially justified. How do we defend ourselves?
We review presented evidence and clarify any legitimate commercial justification for your behavior not involving intent to exclude competitors.
Can an exclusive distribution contract be considered a competition regulation violation?
It could be if exclusivity is excessive or unjustifiably long-term, and we help you draft a contract staying within statutorily permitted limits.
A larger competitor is practicing predatory pricing to exclude us from the market. What are our options?
We help you document this practice and file a formal complaint with the competent authority, clarifying the actual impact on your competitive capacity.
What are the potential penalties if our competition regulation violation is established?
They range from substantial financial fines to entirely invalidating the violating deal, and we help you assess the risk scale before making any sensitive decision.
Is agreeing with a competitor not to target each other's customers considered a violation?
Yes, this type of agreement is considered market division and is among the most prominent prohibited practices under antitrust regulations.
We previously participated in an agreement that could be considered a competition regulation violation. Would voluntary disclosure benefit us?
We help you assess the option of benefiting from leniency programs, which could reduce potential penalties in exchange for full cooperation with the investigation.