Competition, foreign investment and subsidy control

We advise on:

• How competition law applies to agreements, commercial agreements and trading practices
• Merger control
• Foreign investment rules; the National Security and Investment Act 2021
• Compliance programs and training
• Fair consumer terms
• Market studies and investigations
• Cartel / anti-trust investigations
• Dawn raids
• Private Healthcare Market Investigation Order
• Subsidy control

• We have advised a leading UK higher education provider on the merger control strategy of its acquisition of a similar but smaller provider, including drafting responses ready for any CMA enquiry. 
• We are advising another UK university on the legality of a restrictive covenant in its agreement with a student residence developer, particularly the enforceability of an accommodation demand test. 
• We have worked with a major private hospital operator to ensure three new joint ventures with referring clinicians comply with the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) Private Healthcare Market Investigation Order.
• We have helped a national financial services client run a mock CMA dawn raid to check and approve its response procedures.
• We have advised a regional funeral director with its responses and contributions to the CMA’s market investigation into the funeral market.
• We have advised a major care homes provider on its terms of business with clients following the CMA’s market study in that sector. 
• We have worked with the British Council on the State aid and competition issues arising from its status and funding.
• Our subsidy control and State aid advice has assisted a number of clients to produce successful, subsidy control compliant, ERDF / Local Growth Fund / Research Partnership Investment Fund grant and loan applications.
• We have advised a Local Enterprise Partnership client on the State aid compliance of a £15 million grant application for a sports innovation campus.

We have worked with a wide range of clients on the impact of competition law, including;

• UK and overseas private companies
• NHS trusts
• Universities
• Local enterprise partnerships
• Central UK government departments