With the approval of Law 15/2007 on the Defence of Competition and its supplementary legislation, Spain has set up one of the most sophisticated and demanding antitrust regimes in the world. As a direct consequence of the extreme belligerence of the Spanish competition authorities (both at the national and the regional level), companies that are found to be in violation of competition laws face a growing risk of detection and heavy fines, which can reach up to 10 per cent of the turnover of their group of undertakings.
Consistently ranked among the leading players in Spain, Baker & McKenzie’s EU & Competition team is perfectly suited to respond to our clients’ needs within the above framework.
Working closely with lawyers from the Firm’s Brussels office, our experienced EU and Competition lawyers advise on all issues relating to antitrust regulations, assisting our clients in receiving merger control clearance for their transactions from the European Commission or the national competition authorities and representing them in administrative investigations, as well as in court and arbitration proceedings involving antitrust/competition violations.
How we can help
We have a great deal of experience in this area of law in Spain and overseas. Drawing from the knowledge and experience of our colleagues worldwide, we can provide multi-jurisdictional assistance on a wide range of issues such as cartels, restrictive agreements, abuse of dominant position and merger control. Specifically, we are fluent in assisting and representing our clients in the following areas of practice:
- Legal representation and defence in EU and national antitrust investigations
- Legal representation and assistance in leniency applications filed before the European Commission and the national competition authorities
- Assistance and legal representation before the European Commission and the national competition authorities in merger control filings until receiving clearance for the transaction
- Legal representation and defence in court or arbitration proceedings relating to alleged antitrust violations
- Legal representation in court appeals to decisions issued by the European Commission and/or the national competition authorities
- Assistance in lobbying actions before the European Commission and the national competition authorities
- Antitrust advice on horizontal and vertical agreements (distribution, agency, franchise agreements, etc.)
- Assistance with the impact of competition law on the negotiation of complex agreements (strategic alliances, joint ventures, purchasing agencies, etc.)
- Advice on the intricacies of EU law governing regulated sectors (electronic communications, energy, electricity, agri-food, etc.)
- Training in relation to antitrust compliance programmes tailored to our clients’ businesses
- Assistance in organizing and carrying out internal audits on antitrust issues
- Advice on how to comply with State Aids programmes