Euclid Law continues to strengthen its practice with hire of Partner Andrea Zulli to head the Brussels office

Andrea joins from US law firm Covington. He was previously a Partner at Norton Rose Fulbright in Milan.

Being qualified in the UK, Belgium and Italy, Andrea advises clients on all aspects of EU and UK competition law, with a strong focus on merger control, behavioural antitrust, compliance, and foreign direct investment. Andrea’s experience and innovative thinking covers a variety of sectors, including private equity, financial services, basic industries, consumer & luxury goods, technology and life science. He is also instructed by Italian law firms on Brussels matters.

Oliver Bretz, Founding Partner of Euclid Law, commented: “I have known Andrea for over 20 years – in addition to being an outstanding lawyer, his reputation in Brussels, London and Italy and his broad and profound experience across all areas of competition law will be of great value to the firm and to our clients.  I look forward to working with Andrea to expand our Brussels footprint.”

Andrea Zulli commented: “I am delighted to be joining Euclid Law, a truly innovative and diverse boutique firm entirely focused on providing expert competition law and FDI advice to the highest possible standard, both in Brussels and London.  I am looking forward to being able to provide a unique offering and insight to clients both here and in Italy.”

Andrea holds an LL.M. in EU and Competition Law from the University of Stockholm and a J.D. from L.U.I.S.S. University in Rome. He is an Italian avvocato, admitted to the Rome Bar, a Solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales, and registered in the A-list at the Balie Brussel.

European Commission confirms final texts for new EU rules for vertical agreements

On 10 May, the European Commission (the ‘Commission’) published final texts of the new Vertical Agreements Block Exemption Regulation (‘VBER’) and the accompanying Guidelines on Vertical Restraints (‘Guidelines’).  These two documents set out the full legal framework for the assessment of vertical agreements under EU competition law that will apply from 1 June. 

Although the process leading up to this moment started back in 2018, this means that businesses and their advisers have been given only three weeks to digest the final texts before they come into force.  While the main changes that will come into force on 1 June are largely as previewed in the draft texts that were published for consultation back in July last year, there are some surprises.

To discover and be surprised, download a copy of our briefing.

The CMA’s draft VABEO Guidance Consultation

Response of Euclid Law Ltd. to the Consultation on the CMA’s Draft Guidance on the Vertical Agreements Block Exemption Order 2022 (CMA154)

We welcome publication of the CMA’s draft guidance on the Vertical Agreements Block Exemption Order 2022 (‘VABEO’) (the ‘Draft Guidance’) and the opportunity to comment on it.

Given the shared heritage of the VABEO and the EU Vertical Agreements Block Exemption Regulation (‘VBER’), as well as the extensive precedent in which the VBER and related principles of EU law have been applied in a UK context, we agree with the CMA’s decision to “broadly reflect” the EU’s Vertical Guidelines (the ‘EU Guidelines’) in the Draft Guidance.

While there are some instances where the application of principles developed with the EU’s single market in mind to a UK-specific context can come across as somewhat strained, we agree that prioritising consistency is the right approach at this time.

To read and download the full Response, click here.

Response to the additional Public Consultation on Proposed Guidance relating to Information Exchange in the context of Dual Distribution

As part of the ongoing review of the Vertical Block Exemption Regulation and Guidelines, on 4 February 2022, DG COMP launched a two-week consultation regarding proposed guidance on information exchanges in dual distribution.  The proposed new section provides much needed clarity and valuable additional guidance on the circumstances in which information exchange in a dual distribution context will not raise concerns.  The Commission also appears to have dropped the proposed 10% market share threshold, which is very welcome as this will materially reduce complexity and uncertainty.   

Euclid Law’s response is available here

Control Online Sales in the US and Europe for Optimized Growth

BWG ConnectVorys eControl & Euclid Law invite you to participate in an interactive discussion on Feb 24, 2022, 12:00pm – 1:pm EST / 5pm – 6pm GMT

Summary

In this webinar, Sarah Long, Partner at Euclid Law, Daren Garcia, Partner at Vorys eControl and Jessica Cunning, Partner at Vorys eControl will discuss the similarities and differences between a U.S. and European online sales control program to achieve successful eCommerce growth.

Discussion Topics

  • The critical need for online sales control across geographies
  • Key distribution and sales control elements needed to address growing challenges
  • Differences in seller enforcement & monitoring tools when in the U.S. vs. Europe
  • Online sales control as a function of empowering sales growth and protecting brand value

Meta hit with second fine for breach of Giphy hold-separate order

by Charley Connor / 4Feb 22 / the Global Competition Review (GCR)

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority has fined Meta £1.5 million for failing to alert the agency about the departures of three key US staff during an in-depth review into its Giphy acquisition, which Meta claims could interfere with its employees’ rights under US labour law.

The CMA today issued its second penalty to Facebook’s parent company for breaching the initial enforcement order imposed on it as the authority reviewed – and ultimately blocked – its already-completed acquisition of Giphy.

The order in part required Meta to inform the authority in advance of any “material changes” to its business. That included resignations of key staff named on a list drawn up by the CMA and seeking the agency’s prior consent before rehiring or redistributing responsibilities.

But Meta failed to comply with each of these requirements after three “key employees” resigned and the company reallocated their roles, the enforcer said today.

It added that Meta had also failed to properly inform it of staff changes “multiple times” in 2021.

[…]

Sarah Long was quoted, saying “the CMA’s initial enforcement orders can come down like a sledgehammer on a business under investigation.  The scope of any such order can be “draconian” and is not limited to those parts of the business that cause a competition issue. Importantly, any derogation from an initial enforcement order must be negotiated with the CMA on an individual basis, which can take time and require significant interactions with the purchaser’s counsel. Companies therefore have no option other than to take an IEO seriously. Otherwise, as we have seen, the financial penalties for breaching an IEO can be severe.”

Link to the full article for GCR subscribers.

Intel Wins Historic Court Fight Over EU Antitrust Fine

by Stephanie Bodoni (26 January 2022)

  • Court topples $1.2 billion penalty levied by EU in 2009
  • Critics of EU procedures question time taken for ruling

Oliver Bretz quoted in Bloomberg and the Luxembourg Times on the Competition law aspect of the Intel case.

Intel Corp. won a historic victory in its court fight over a record 1.06 billion-euro ($1.2 billion) competition fine, in a landmark ruling that upends one of the European Union’s most important antitrust cases.

The EU General Court ruled on Wednesday that regulators made key errors in a landmark 2009 decision over allegedly illegal rebates that the U.S. chip giant gave to PC makers to squeeze out rival Advanced Micro Devices Inc.

While the surprise ruling can be appealed one more time, it’s a stinging defeat for the European Commission, which hasn’t lost a big antitrust case in court for more than 20 years. 

The Luxembourg-based EU court said the commission provided an “incomplete” analysis when it fined Intel, criticizing it for failing to provide sufficient evidence to back up its findings of anti-competitive risks. 

Margrethe Vestager, the EU’s antitrust commissioner, said her team would “study in detail what it can learn” from the judgment on the case, which was pushed through by her predecessor Joaquin Almunia.

Intel “always believed that our actions regarding rebates were lawful and did not harm competition,” it said in an email. “The semiconductor industry has never been more competitive than it is today and we look forward to continuing to invest and grow in Europe.” 

The judgment follows a 2017 ruling from the bloc’s top court, which criticized the General Court — the EU’s second-highest tribunal — for not properly checking all factual and economic evidence when it previously weighed Intel’s appeal. 

The EU commission in 2009 hit Intel with what was then the bloc’s biggest antitrust fine. It represented about 4% of Intel’s $37.6 billion in sales in 2008. Since then, Santa Clara, California-based Intel has been locked in a non-stop legal dispute with the EU’s antitrust arm. 

Wednesday’s victory may now offer encouragement for other companies to go to court. Many companies under investigation for monopoly abuse have opted not to fight hard since the chances of overturning the EU at court were viewed as low.

But European consumer group BEUC said the duration of the court fight reveals a major flaw in the EU justice system.

Twenty Years

“The ruling is disappointing, as we believe Intel engaged in anti-competitive behaviour which limited consumer choice,” said Agustin Reyna, BEUC’s director for legal and economic affairs.

“But it is even more striking that it has taken over twenty years for a decision on this antitrust case,” Reyna said. “What we need is an urgent, speeding up of antitrust procedures. It cannot take so long for the conclusion of a case in which there are such serious competition concerns raised.”

Following its investigation, the commission said it found evidence that Intel hindered competition by giving rebates to computer makers from 2002 until 2005 — if they bought at least 95% of PC chips from Intel. It said Intel imposed “restrictive conditions” for the remaining 5%, supplied by AMD, which struggled to overcome Intel’s hold on the market for processors that run the devices.

The court on Wednesday said the commission had failed to show “to the requisite legal standard” that the contested rebates posed an anti-competitive risk. 

“There is finally a degree of common sense creeping in,” said Oliver Bretz, a lawyer at Euclid Law in London. In the Intel case that means “to require that rebates have to be capable or likely to have anti-competitive effects, based on the evidence.”

The case is: T-286/09 RENV – Intel Corporation v. Commission.

The articles were posted in Bloomberg and in the Luxembourg Times.

Britain’s government is trying to protect national security

Without throttling investment that will be tricky

On January 4h a new investment-screening law came into effect, heralded by the government as “the biggest shake-up of the uk’s national-security regime for 20 years”. That is no exaggeration. It marks a shift away from economic openness towards suspicion and intervention. Kwasi Kwarteng, the business secretary, said it would show members of the public that “their security remains our number one priority”. What could go wrong?

The government is seeking to stop assets vital to national security falling into hostile hands. A report in 2017 warned that “ownership or control of critical businesses or infrastructure could provide opportunities to undertake espionage, sabotage or exert inappropriate leverage”. The context is concern about Chinese investment, and pressure to fall into line with allied countries such as America, Australia and Germany that have already tightened up.

Becket McGrath had the pleasure of discussing the UK’s new National Security and Investment Act with The Economist. “Just over a week in to the scheme, it’s a relief to see that the Government’s notification platform is working and the Investment Screening Unit is doing a good job at processing filings quickly […]. The really interesting thing now will be to see which deals get called in for more detailed review”.

Clicl here to read the article (subscribers only).

The UK’s National Security & Investment Act Regime: Emerging Themes in Practice

For a law which does not fully come into force until 4 January 2022, its approaching footsteps have been making plenty of noise before it walks through the door. The Euclid Law team has been advising many clients on whether their transactions are caught, assessing substantive risk, liaising with the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and submitting filings. Some themes are already emerging from our experience which we are sharing here. We welcome views and reactions from others.

The Christmas rush

As well as the mad dash to buy a turkey before supply chains crash, some deal-makers have been rushing to complete transactions before 4 January 2022. This makes a lot of sense when all other aspects of the deal point to simultaneous exchange and completion. Complete on or after 4 January 2022, by contrast, and this deal timetable is out of the question if the target business happens to fall into one of the 17 mandatory filing sectors. And where the deal obviously raises no substantive national security concerns, the extra time and cost of a mere technical filing is best avoided. So, if it’s not too late, it’s worth completing certain transactions during the first days of the New Year.

To learn more about the 2022 changes, click here.

Taking Security and Options Seriously: the UK and German Investment Screening Regimes

Arrangements involving current and potential future events, such as taking security and agreeing options, require careful scrutiny under investment screening regimes. It is not safe to assume that a trigger will operate in the same way as under another more developed regulatory regime, such as merger control. Moreover, taking a security or agreeing an option needs to be considered upfront and not just when the security is about to be enforced or the option exercised.

In this piece we consider the position under the UK’s forthcoming National Security & Investment Act (NSI Act) regime and briefly compare this to the position under the recently reformed German regime. We assume that the other requirements for triggering are satisfied and focus on whether a security or an option could in itself take the transaction over the jurisdictional threshold.

Taking security

When a security is actually enforced, then this may well trigger an investment screening regime, as enforcement will typically involve the lender gaining control over the relevant target or its assets which are the subject of the security. The more difficult question, which will likely arise many years earlier at the initial transaction stage, is whether merely taking the security is sufficient.

To download and read the full paper, click here.