Competition specialism

What is Competition law?

Whether you are part of an owner managed business or a multi-national corporation the rules of fair competition and a level playing field in business apply to you. The rules of competition are designed to make available to the consumer the ability to make a wide choice between different providers of goods and services to keep the prices he or she pays for them as competitive as possible.

Competition regulations may seem to apply to large corporations who exploit a dominant position in the market but the ramifications affect a wide spread of businesses

For example;

• Pioneering inventors who create products and services that give them a unique position in the area in which they operate. In this case there is a delicate balance to be struck between protecting their intellectual property and allowing them to profit from the competitive advantages it allows them.
• The rules are also there to make sure that the agents, or franchisees, acting for large organisations, have the ability to compete as openly as possible. This could take the form of making sure that the price they pay for goods or services supplied by the organisations allows them the potential to make a healthy profit.  

Our expertise

Since the firm’s inception in 1996 we have played a leading role in the way these regulations are enforced in the areas of water, petrol and beer. We have managed high-powered, group litigation including hundreds of individual clients on the highest stage both nationally and (before the implementation of the competition regulations in the UK from 1998 onwards) on a European level, against large corporations.

We have appeared before a Department of Trade and Industry committee inquiry on Pub Companies, but also, more recently, we have handled an appeal to the Competition Appeals Tribunal against the Office of Water Services (OFWAT) for a client who has been seeking to open up competition in the supply of water on a national level.

Both our partners are listed in the legal 500 as being leading individuals in the field of Competition law in the Midlands, a reflection or our reputation within the profession.

If you have any questions about the above or think that we might be able to help you then please contact us and we will be more than happy to deal with your query.