25 results Dawn raid drama: bycatch and data rooms Beware of the fine line in antitrust investigations between illegal fishing expeditions and accidental discoveries pointing at a separate antitrust infringement. If at first you don’t succeed ... Court unblocks two blocked healthcare mergers The ACM needs to ‘try, try again’ when assessing healthcare mergers. The Rotterdam District Court overturned two of the ACM’s healthcare merger prohibitions within less than two months. 2022: the big reveal of 2021’s competition law promises 2021 was riddled with sneak previews of a “review of competition policy tools with unprecedented scope and ambition”. Court rules ACM can use accidental evidence found in dawn raids While skimming through employees’ chat conversations and e-mails, it is not uncommon for competition authorities to stumble across other potential antitrust violations, separate from the initial scope of the search. ACM issues first excessive pricing fine in pharma On 1 July 2021, the Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) imposed a fine of EUR 19.5 million on drug manufacturer Leadiant for excessive pricing of their orphan drug CDCA-Leadiant. ACM rolls the dice on roll-up strategies For the first time, the Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets conducted a merger review involving a ‘roll-up strategy’. The outcome of another roll-up strategy merger assessment is pending. Philippe Campolini co-authored a book dedicated to the protection of trade secrets in Belgium The book, entitled 'Secrets d'Affaires' explores the EU Trade Secrets Directive and its implementation in Belgian law, covering key concepts, lawful/unlawful acts, contract implications, and trade secret protection in administrative law. Don't take the ACM's digital inspection guidelines too literally The Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets' (ACM) digital inspection guidelines should be on every company's reading list. However, they should not be taken too literally; at least according to the recent ruling from the Court of Appeal in The Hague. ICO to impose record-breaking fines for inadequate security measures and data breaches Though the European data protection authorities have taken their time in enforcing the GDPR two announcements by the ICO in the UK regarding proposed fines for British Airways and Marriott demonstrate that large fines are about to start landing regularly. Prove it or lose it: court sets aside ACM fines in two separate cases The Rotterdam District Court recently confirmed the high bar which has been set for the ACM when proving its case: the court annulled the fines imposed by the ACM in two different cases and, significantly, each for the same reason. Brush up and avoid dawn raid drama - the clock is ticking There is no time like the present for companies to give their staff an opportunity to brush up on their responsibilities so they know what to do during dawn raids. Never fear, a post-Brexit competition law checklist is here On 1 January 2021, the United Kingdom completes the process of separating from the European Union. However, the split between the UK and EU regimes will be a gradual process rather than a swift surgical cut, due to the treatment of ongoing cases and vario Deleting WhatsApp chats during dawn raids may cost you dearly Companies should be aware that the Dutch competition authority (ACM) will not only examine electronic records and emails, but can also check WhatsApp messages during dawn raids. Find my address… if you can: Constantin Film Verleih v. Youtube and Google On 9 July 2020, the CJEU clarified the scope of the right of information in the context of IP rights infringement proceedings. Belgian watchdog tackles bid rigging In recent cases in the fire protection and private security sectors, the Belgian Competition Authority has made the prosecution of bid-rigging one of its top priorities, imposing hefty fines on infringers for their participation in cartel schemes. Qualcomm falls prey to EU court’s predatory pricing ruling The EU General Court confirms that Qualcomm’s below-cost pricing strategy designed to eliminate competition was predatory. This judgment, the first of its kind in over a decade, provides useful guidance on predatory pricing practices. Sharing is caring? Commission can take over NCA probe The EU case cooperation mechanism does not create any rights for companies to have their case dealt with by a particular competition authority. Companies should therefore factor the dynamics of this cooperation mechanism into their defence strategies. EU merger guidelines review: catching up with the times? A potential major overhaul of EU merger control review began on 8 May 2025. Time for stakeholders to speak up about whether and particularly how the European Commission should incorporate wider strategic or societal objectives into its merger assessments. Pagination Current page 1 Page 2 Next page
Dawn raid drama: bycatch and data rooms Beware of the fine line in antitrust investigations between illegal fishing expeditions and accidental discoveries pointing at a separate antitrust infringement.
If at first you don’t succeed ... Court unblocks two blocked healthcare mergers The ACM needs to ‘try, try again’ when assessing healthcare mergers. The Rotterdam District Court overturned two of the ACM’s healthcare merger prohibitions within less than two months.
2022: the big reveal of 2021’s competition law promises 2021 was riddled with sneak previews of a “review of competition policy tools with unprecedented scope and ambition”.
Court rules ACM can use accidental evidence found in dawn raids While skimming through employees’ chat conversations and e-mails, it is not uncommon for competition authorities to stumble across other potential antitrust violations, separate from the initial scope of the search.
ACM issues first excessive pricing fine in pharma On 1 July 2021, the Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) imposed a fine of EUR 19.5 million on drug manufacturer Leadiant for excessive pricing of their orphan drug CDCA-Leadiant.
ACM rolls the dice on roll-up strategies For the first time, the Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets conducted a merger review involving a ‘roll-up strategy’. The outcome of another roll-up strategy merger assessment is pending.
Philippe Campolini co-authored a book dedicated to the protection of trade secrets in Belgium The book, entitled 'Secrets d'Affaires' explores the EU Trade Secrets Directive and its implementation in Belgian law, covering key concepts, lawful/unlawful acts, contract implications, and trade secret protection in administrative law.
Don't take the ACM's digital inspection guidelines too literally The Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets' (ACM) digital inspection guidelines should be on every company's reading list. However, they should not be taken too literally; at least according to the recent ruling from the Court of Appeal in The Hague.
ICO to impose record-breaking fines for inadequate security measures and data breaches Though the European data protection authorities have taken their time in enforcing the GDPR two announcements by the ICO in the UK regarding proposed fines for British Airways and Marriott demonstrate that large fines are about to start landing regularly.
Prove it or lose it: court sets aside ACM fines in two separate cases The Rotterdam District Court recently confirmed the high bar which has been set for the ACM when proving its case: the court annulled the fines imposed by the ACM in two different cases and, significantly, each for the same reason.
Brush up and avoid dawn raid drama - the clock is ticking There is no time like the present for companies to give their staff an opportunity to brush up on their responsibilities so they know what to do during dawn raids.
Never fear, a post-Brexit competition law checklist is here On 1 January 2021, the United Kingdom completes the process of separating from the European Union. However, the split between the UK and EU regimes will be a gradual process rather than a swift surgical cut, due to the treatment of ongoing cases and vario
Deleting WhatsApp chats during dawn raids may cost you dearly Companies should be aware that the Dutch competition authority (ACM) will not only examine electronic records and emails, but can also check WhatsApp messages during dawn raids.
Find my address… if you can: Constantin Film Verleih v. Youtube and Google On 9 July 2020, the CJEU clarified the scope of the right of information in the context of IP rights infringement proceedings.
Belgian watchdog tackles bid rigging In recent cases in the fire protection and private security sectors, the Belgian Competition Authority has made the prosecution of bid-rigging one of its top priorities, imposing hefty fines on infringers for their participation in cartel schemes.
Qualcomm falls prey to EU court’s predatory pricing ruling The EU General Court confirms that Qualcomm’s below-cost pricing strategy designed to eliminate competition was predatory. This judgment, the first of its kind in over a decade, provides useful guidance on predatory pricing practices.
Sharing is caring? Commission can take over NCA probe The EU case cooperation mechanism does not create any rights for companies to have their case dealt with by a particular competition authority. Companies should therefore factor the dynamics of this cooperation mechanism into their defence strategies.
EU merger guidelines review: catching up with the times? A potential major overhaul of EU merger control review began on 8 May 2025. Time for stakeholders to speak up about whether and particularly how the European Commission should incorporate wider strategic or societal objectives into its merger assessments.