"…this broad-ranging and deeply respected practice operates from the firm’s Bristol office. The “very prominent team” has developed significantly over recent years and is now widely celebrated for its “extremely sophisticated competition advice.” Clients compliment the lawyers for their “bright, responsive and positive approach”." Chambers and Partners 2007
Burges Salmon's Competition Unit is the only competition practice based outside London to be included amongst those recommended by Legal 500 in its London listings. This reflects our status amongst the top UK competition practices. The Competition Unit is also at the top of the Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners rankings for the South West region.
The unit sits within the Commercial department, and comprises two full-time competition partners in addition to two further partners handling the litigation aspects of competition law and six further fee earners.
Work
The team has developed particular expertise in advice relating to the impact of the Competition Act 1998 and the Enterprise Act 2002, including 'Dawn Raid' support, and dealing with investigations under this legislation, particularly cartels. It also continues to oversee compliance audits and to devise compliance programmes. The team has also developed extensive experience in advising on state aid and public sector competition issues. It continues to handle significant merger control cases (including a number of Competition Commission references) both in the UK and at EC level. It also advises on mainstream competition matters and regulatory issues arising in various industry sectors including energy, transport, food production, manufacturing, retail, construction and waste, technology and sport.
Recently the team has been particularly involved in two high profile cases: Argos's landmark appeal to the Court of Appeal challenging certain findings by the Competition Appeal Tribunal and the FirstGroup/Greater Western merger reference to the Competition Commission. It has also considerably increased its involvement in public procurement and state aid advice.
Examples of work include:
• Advising on compliance procedures in for example the aggregates industry and the food and drink sector
• Advising the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority on procurement and state aid issues associated with the functioning of its decommissioning competitions (estimated value several billion pounds)
• Advising on a number of investigations under Chapters I and II of the Competition Act 1998, instigated by the Office of Fair Trading
• An increasing volume of EC work, most notably involving notifications to the EC Commission in connection with two very large joint ventures in the transport sector
• A broad range of advice on the application of EU and UK competition law to trading practices and policies, particularly joint ventures and distribution, franchising, purchasing and technology transfer arrangements
• Advising on market references to the Competition Commission
• Advising the Carbon Trust on it's funding of new and cutting edge low carbon technologies
• Advising the Ministry of Defence and Department for Transport on the procurement aspects of their outsourcing of search and rescue helicopter services in the UK (estimated value £3 – 5 billion).
Requirements
In an applicant, we look for excellent academics, acquired from a top university, coupled with evidence of good quality training and EU/competition experience gained from one of the UK's leading law firms.
A candidate with regulatory, economic, or state aid experience would be ideal.
