Competition Services

We combine traditional economics with M&A advisory and investigative skills, forensic IT capability and deep industry knowledge to provide robust, commercial and practical advice on a wide range of competition issues. We have a successful track record of anti-trust, merger control and market investigation assignments which provides us with real insight into the approach of competition regulators and of the complex considerations that drive their decisions. 

Our dedicated team of competition professionals bring experience of assignments reporting to the UK Competition Commission, UK Office of Fair Trading, European Commission and US Department of Justice. Our experience includes assignments involving Anti-Trust and Market Abuse investigations as well as Monitoring Trustee and Divestiture Trustee appointments.

We also have considerable experience in undertaking market reviews and studies across a range of industries and in the application of strategy and economics to issues facing the private sector.  Our experience in competition and regulatory support means we can prepare submissions to regulatory authorities around market power, market definitions, industry structure, cost of capital, barriers to entry/exit and pricing policies.  We also help clients with the financial aspects of competition investigations, dawn raids and assistance with claims for damages as a result of infringements of competition law. 

Recent appointments include:

Monitoring Trustee

• BAA Airports (UK-CC*)
• Thomson Corporation/Reuters (M.4726) (EC*/DoJ*)
• De Beers anti-trust case (COMP/38.381) (EC)
• APW/APSA/Nordic Capital/Capio (M.4367) (EC)
• Vivendi/Canal +/Seagram (M.2050) (EC)
• Reuters/Telerate Systems (M.3692) (EC)
• ABF / GBI Business (M.4980) (EC)
• Nordic Capital/ConvaTec (M.5190) (EC)
• Nufarm / A H Marks (UK-CC)
• Bucher Industries/Johnston Sweepers (UK-CC)
• Stericycle International LLC/Sterile Technologies Group Limited (UK-CC)
• South East & Mid Kent Water (UK-CC
• English Welsh and Scottish Rail / Marcroft (UK-CC)
• Stagecoach Group plc / Eastbourne Buses Limited (UK-CC)
• Dräger Medical AG (UK-CC)

Independent Observer

• Torex / Cerberus (M.4763) (EC)

Divestiture Trustee

• English Welsh and Scottish Rail / Marcroft (UK-CC)

Advisory Services

• Financial analysis to support the Office of Rail Regulation's s131 referral to the UK-CC of the leasing of rolling stock for franchised passenger services and the supply of related maintenance services in Great Britain.
• Acted as Independent Insolvency Practitioner in the inquiry into the acquisition of GV Instruments by Thermo Electron Manufacturing Limited (UK-CC)
• Market research to support the inquiry into the acquisition of ABI Building Data Limited by EMAP PLC (UK-CC)
• Provided Independent Expert Witness work advising around allegations of restrictive practices in the area of television rights (UK-OFT*)
• Assessing the market impact of the BBC's Online Service using competition policy techniques
• Macro-level strategic, economic and regulatory input in response to regulatory attack on a UK telecommunications company by OFTEL
• Advising on a competition dispute around operation of retail facilities and associated duty free sales at Eurotunnel passenger terminals

*EC= European Commission, DoJ = US Department of Justice, UK-CC = UK Competition Commission, UK-OFT = UK Office of Fair Trading

For further details of our services or to discuss your needs, please call Mark Byers, Partner on +44 (0)20 7728 2522, or e-mail to mark.byers@gtuk.com; Craig Reed, Associate Director on +44 (0)20 7728 2324 or e-mail to craig.reed@gtuk.com.