Like life, sometimes antitrust conspiracies are complicated. Not everything always fits into a neat little package. An articulate soundbite or an attractive infograph isn’t necessarily enough to explain the reality of what is going on. The paradigm example of an antitrust conspiracy is the smoke-filled room of competitors with their evil laughs deciding what prices […]
According to a judgment of the LG Hamburg (Regional Court of Hamburg), extending fixed-term promotional discounts for no particular reason constitutes an infringement of competition law. GRP Rainer Lawyers and Tax Advisors in Cologne, Berlin, Bonn, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Stuttgart and London conclude: Fixed-term promotional discounts are an important form of advertising for […]
IR Global, the world’s largest exclusive network of advisory firms is delighted to introduce Stephen Hornsby of Goodman Derrick LLP. Stephen has joined as our exclusive Competition Law member in England. Goodman Derrick LLP is a leading commercial law firm in the City of London. They are recognised for providing high quality legal advice across a range […]
The Bundeskartellamt (German Federal Cartel Office) has prohibited a hotel reservation portal from using so-called “narrow” best-price clauses, arguing that they restrict competition. GRP Rainer Lawyers and Tax Advisors in Cologne, Berlin, Bonn, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Stuttgart and London conclude: The use of best-price clauses has long been controversial and a thorn in […]
In early 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court held in North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners v. FTC that the “active state supervision” prong of the state-action immunity from antitrust liability test applied to state licensing boards controlled by market participants. You can read my analysis of the decision here. And you can read the amicus brief that Bona Law filed in […]
According to a ruling of the Oberlandesgericht Hamburg (Higher Regional Court of Hamburg), advertising with a lowest price guarantee is potentially misleading and thus anti-competitive (Az.: 5 U 160/11). GRP Rainer Lawyers and Tax Advisors in Cologne, Berlin, Bonn, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Stuttgart and London conclude: “Lowest price guarantee. Your interest is our […]
Bona Law PC announces that San Diego Super Lawyers has once again named Jarod Bona a Rising Star. Super Lawyers selects award winners through a process that includes peer nominations and evaluations and independent research. 2.5 percent or less of eligible attorneys in a state are named to the Rising Stars list. San Diego Super […]
In its judgment of December 10, the BGH ruled that statements such as “lernstark” (fast learner) and “Mit Eisen zur Unterstützung der Konzentrationsfähigkeit” (with iron to promote concentration) are permissible on foodstuffs (I ZR 222/13). GRP Rainer Lawyers and Tax Advisors in Cologne, Berlin, Bonn, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Stuttgart and London conclude: The […]
On 21 January 2016, the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 (Commencement No.3 and Transitional Provisions) Order 2016 was laid before the Scottish Parliament. This was closely followed on 28 January by two new sets of Scottish Procurement regulations, the Utilities Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2016, which replace the Utitlities Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2012, and the Public Contracts (Scotland) Amendment Regulations […]
Audio books have attracted the attention of the Bundeskartellamt (German Federal Cartel Office). The competition watchdog is investigating whether an online mail order company and a manufacturer of consumer electronics are acting contrary to competition law. GRP Rainer Lawyers and Tax Advisors in Cologne, Berlin, Bonn, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Stuttgart and London […]
Specifications regarding the energy consumption of empty vacuum cleaners do not infringe competition law. That was the decision of the General Court of the European Union (EGC) in its ruling of November 11 (Az.: T-544/13). GRP Rainer Lawyers and Tax Advisors in Cologne, Berlin, Bonn, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Stuttgart and London conclude: Information […]
2015 was a transitional year for the renewables industry in the UK in many ways, as a succession of policy changes altered the subsidy regime and shook investor confidence. The last of these took place on the 17 December, when DECC announced the UK government’s response to the consultation on the Feed-in Tariffs scheme. As […]