The disregard of competition law rules by companies is a major source of risks: fines of up to 10% of the group's worldwide turnover, damage to the company's image, litigation for damages... Conversely, companies can make the knowledge of and the compliance with these rules a real competitive advantage, whether by securing their relations with their customers or suppliers, putting a stop to actions on the market that cause them harm, anticipating and managing risks, or obtaining the best possible decision in the context of enquiries by the authorities.
Our expertise in French and European competition law for more than 15 years, both as counsel and in litigation, allows us to advise our clients in an efficient, pragmatic and business-oriented manner, taking into account the diversity of their issues and their strategic business objectives.
Your issues
Ensure the legality of your commercial and pricing practices with regard to the prohibition of cartels, abuses of dominant positions and abuses of economic dependence, and thus avoid the risk of conviction.
Secure and optimize your supplier-distributor relationships (exclusive, selective, mixed distribution systems)
Entering into a strategic partnership with a competitor (R&D, production, purchase, marketing, technology transfer, etc.)
Implementing a competition law compliance policy in your company or group, training your operational staff, preparing you for possible investigations
Defend yourself in the context of investigations by competition authorities, obtaining a negotiated decision, appealing a cartel or other competition decision
Putting an end to anti-competitive practices by competitors, suppliers or customers and obtaining compensation for the damage suffered
Our skills
Our firm has recognized expertise in anti-competitive practices. We advise our clients on agreements between competitors, cartels, vertical restraints and abuse of dominant positions. We assist them when they wish to refer possible practices by competitors or other operators to the authorities and/or courts, in order to put a stop to them and/or obtain damages. We defend them in the event of legal action taken against them.
Our firm also assists its clients in the event ofinvestigations anddawn raids by competition authorities, in the context of leniency proceedings, non-contestation of grievances and settlements, and in appeals against the authorities' decisions. We have developed partnerships with economists' firms that we can call upon for issues related to the calculation of anti-competitive effects or sanctions.
Our firm has significant experience incompetition audits, where we evaluate our clients' business practices and agreements and bring them into compliance with competition law. Finally, we regularly implement competition law compliance programs and conduct staff training.