Antitrust / Competition Archives

In Antitrust / Competition

Switzerland: The Swiss competition authority develops best-practice guidelines after closing preliminary investigation

September 10, 2024 by Roger Thomi, Boris Wenger, Dr. Peter Reinert, Christoph Stutz and Serge Pannatier 10 Mins Read

A preliminary investigation by the Secretariat of the Swiss Competition Commission into information exchanges in the Swiss labor market has found indications of collusion on employee compensation and benefits among more than 200 large companies in various sectors. While the preliminary investigation was initially limited to the banking sector, it became apparent that information exchanges on wage-related topics also occurred in other sectors. Due to the large number of parties involved, the Swiss authority decided that developing best-practice guidelines would be more effective in remedying the situation than launching an in-depth investigation into the behavior of each company. Therefore, the Swiss authority closed the preliminary investigation without opening a formal investigation and without imposing any sanctions.

In Antitrust / Competition

Saudi Arabia: New guidelines to promote competition in the supply and sale of school uniforms and related items

September 10, 2024 by David Monnier, Abdulrahman AlAjlan and Marwan Othman 5 Mins Read

The General Authority for Competition in Saudi Arabia has recently issued new guidelines aimed at promoting competition in the supply and sale of school uniforms and related items. The guidelines cover all relevant equipment, including school uniforms, desks, and chairs, among other necessary supplies. These guidelines are part of the Authority’s continued effort to enhance consumer protection in the Saudi market and Competition Law in Saudi Arabia.

In Antitrust / Competition

Australia: Treasury releases proposed merger notification thresholds

September 4, 2024 by Georgina Foster, Lynsey Edgar and Helen Joyce 3 Mins Read

On 30 August 2024, the Australian Treasury released a consultation paper on the proposed monetary and market share thresholds that will trigger a requirement to notify an acquisition to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) under the Federal Government’s proposed new mandatory merger control regime. It is proposed that transactions which meet either of the thresholds must be notified to, and approved by, the ACCC, with penalties imposed for any failure to notify or for implementation of a notifiable merger without prior notification to the ACCC. The closing date for submissions is 20 September 2024.

In Antitrust / Competition

United States: FTC’s noncompete ban blocked – What’s next?

September 3, 2024 by Brian Burke, Amanda Cohen, Daniel Graulich and Andrea Rivers 7 Mins Read

A federal judge in Texas recently issued a nationwide injunction against the Federal Trade Commission’s rule banning most employee noncompetes. The injunction relieves employers from having to comply with the rule, meaning that employers can maintain noncompete agreements they have in place with employees. The FTC issued a statement indicating that it is considering its appeal options to remove the injunction, and noted that it remains able and willing to challenge the legality of noncompetes on a case-by-case basis, which was never in dispute.

In Antitrust / Competition

United Kingdom: DMCC – Consumer protection – Spotlight on online reviews

August 21, 2024 by Helen Brown, Julia Hemmings and Cara Heaslip 5 Mins Read

The UK Government passed the long-awaited Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (DMCC) on 24 May 2024.
The DMCC will bring radical change to the enforcement of consumer law in the UK, introducing new powers for the CMA to issue direct fines of up to 10% of global annual turnover for breaches. This spotlight series will focus on the substantive changes to consumer law introduced by the DMCC, and how it compares to the position in the EU.

In Cybersecurity, Data and Tech

Argentina: ENACOM repeals ITC Services’ pricing regulations

August 7, 2024 by Guillermo Cervio and Martin A. Roth 1 Min Read

Through Resolution No. 13/2024, the National Communications Authority (ENACOM) repealed certain resolutions that regulated the fixing of prices of information and communication technology services. Pursuant to Decree No. 302/2024, the National Executive Power deregulated ITC Services, modifying Argentine Digital Law No. 27,078 and repealing Decree No. 690/2020, which eliminated the power of ENACOM to regulate prices. The Resolution seeks to promote the expansion of services, fostering a more competitive environment in the ITC industry.

In Antitrust / Competition

EMEA: Key antitrust and competition trends for emerging markets in EMEA 2024

July 31, 2024 by Fiona Carlin, Keltoum Boudribila, Mohamed ElFar, Lerisha Naidu, Angelo Tzarevski and David Monnier 1 Min Read

In recent years, competition law enforcement has intensified in key emerging markets with significant developments in other developing countries. It is vital for companies to remain compliant with applicable antitrust laws and continue their commercially independent behavior. In this webinar, we provided the latest key antitrust and competition developments for the past year in emerging markets in Europe, Middle East and Africa and strategized for what is on the horizon.