Administrative & Regulatory Law · European Union
Protect Your Business With a Competition Law Specialist
Competition rules can turn a routine commercial deal into a fine. We match you, free of charge, with a lawyer who handles agreements, merger control and investigations across Europe every day.
- 155+ legal services, 14 practice areas
- Lawyers across the EU & EEA
- No fee to get matched
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Tell us about your situation and receive a free, confidential case review.
Who this is for
Competition law touches more of your business than you think
Competition law — often called antitrust law — keeps markets open by banning agreements that restrict competition, abuses of a dominant position, and mergers that would substantially reduce competition. In Europe the rules are set mainly by the EU’s Treaty provisions and applied by the European Commission and national competition authorities, which can impose significant fines on companies that break them. The same principles are enforced in parallel by each member state, so a single commercial practice can raise issues in several jurisdictions at once. Competition law affects everyday business more than many realise: distribution agreements, pricing policies, information exchanges with rivals, and even informal conversations at industry events can all carry risk. Whether you are planning a merger, drafting commercial contracts, or responding to an authority’s questions, specialist advice early can prevent problems that become far more costly later.
Why businesses get caught out
Competition problems rarely announce themselves.
They are discovered.
What looks like a normal commercial arrangement can, on review, create exposure to fines in one or several jurisdictions at once.
Agreements that attract scrutiny
Distribution contracts, exclusivity clauses, joint purchasing and information sharing with competitors can all restrict competition. What looks like a normal commercial deal can, on review, create exposure to fines in one or several jurisdictions.
Abuse of dominance risk
A strong market position is not illegal, but the way you use it can be. Rebates, exclusivity, refusal to supply and pricing practices are scrutinised closely — and the line between vigorous competition and abuse is often drawn differently from one country to another.
Surprise dawn raids and information requests
Competition authorities can inspect premises without notice and demand documents and interviews. The first hours matter: mishandling a dawn raid can aggravate penalties and trigger separate obstruction fines.
What you get
A competition lawyer who sees the risk before the authority does
We only match you with lawyers who handle competition cases regularly in your sector and jurisdictions.
Compliance & risk review
Your lawyer reviews agreements, pricing policies and market conduct against the competition rules that apply in your markets, so you fix exposure before an authority does.
Merger control & filings
Get support assessing whether a deal requires notification, preparing the filing and managing the review process with the relevant authority or authorities — including multi-jurisdictional deals that must be cleared in several countries at once.
Investigations & dawn raids
If an authority questions, inspects or investigates, your lawyer manages the response — from document requests and interviews to defending your position throughout the procedure.
Litigation & damages
Represent your business in appeals against authority decisions and in private damages claims, where companies harmed by anti-competitive conduct seek compensation for the losses they have suffered.
Coverage
Competition lawyers across Europe
Competition rules are enforced at both EU and national level, and a single practice can raise issues in several countries at once. We match cases across the following jurisdictions and beyond:
Frequently asked
Competition law — common questions
What is the difference between competition law and antitrust law?
In practice the terms are interchangeable. In Europe the field is usually called competition law; ‘antitrust’ is the term common in the United States. Both cover the same core rules against anti-competitive agreements, abuse of dominance and anti-competitive mergers.
What counts as an anti-competitive agreement?
Broadly, any agreement or understanding between independent businesses that restricts competition — for example price-fixing, market-sharing, bid-rigging or limiting output. Some restrictions are serious enough to be treated as illegal by object, while others are assessed for their actual effect on the market.
Can my company be fined for something a manager said at a meeting?
Potentially yes. Information exchanges with competitors and informal understandings can breach competition law even without a written agreement. That is why many businesses train staff and seek advice before industry gatherings, joint ventures or information-sharing arrangements.
When does a merger need to be notified to a competition authority?
When a deal meets the turnover thresholds of the EU or one or more national regimes, it must be notified and cleared before completion — sometimes in several countries at once. Thresholds vary, so early assessment of where a filing is required is essential.
What should we do if our offices are raided or we receive an information request?
Contact a competition lawyer immediately. The early hours of an investigation can shape its outcome: a lawyer will manage document production, protect legal privilege where it applies, and guide your team through interviews and the procedure.
Is being dominant in a market illegal?
No. Holding a strong or dominant position is not itself a breach. What is prohibited is abusing that position — for example through exclusionary rebates, predatory pricing or unjustified refusals to deal. The assessment is fact-specific and varies by case and country.
Free case review
Don’t learn about a competition issue from a fine
Tell us about your agreements, deal or investigation and we’ll connect you with a competition lawyer who handles your sector and jurisdiction — free of charge, with no obligation to hire.