Ákos Kovách is a Partner in the Budapest office of Hogal Llovels. He concentrates on merger control cases, cartel proceedings and antitrust matters. His practice includes advising and representing clients throughout various proceedings initiated by the Hungarian Competition Authority and advising on the implementation of competition compliance programmes. He also advises on M&A matters and EU regulatory issues. Ákos is regularly ranked as a leading individual by legal directories Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners: the Chambers Guide describes him as ‘prepared and very thorough’, and he ‘understands the ethos and approach of his clients’, while Legal 500 rates him by having ‘comprehensive legal knowledge’, ‘good communication skills’ and ‘clear advice’. Ákos is a qualified lawyer in both Hungary and France. He was appointed as a foreign trade advisor for France in 2013.
357
The Hungarian Parliament has recently adopted an amendment to the Hungarian Competition Act, in Act LV of 2022, which will enter into force on 1 January 2023 (the “Amendment”).The changes include increased general turnover thresholds, clarification on notifications under the so called “soft (...)
104
For the first time ever, the EU Commission has issued a decision on the relationship between EU merger control law and national FDI screening rules. It found that the Hungarian Government’s veto of Vienna Insurance Group’s planned acquisition of the Hungarian subsidiaries of Dutch insurer (...)
175
The current COVID-19 pandemic is posing unprecedented challenges on our public health systems and communities. It is also heavily impacting economic activity, including for companies in the midst of M&A or joint venture transactions. Deals that are subject to merger control review in the (...)
2203
With its final judgment of second instance on 17 September 2008, the Metropolitan Court of Appeal upheld the judgment of first instance and therefore the decision of the Hungarian Competition Authority in the lawsuit brought by Dél-magyarországi Áramszolgáltató Zrt. (DÉMÁSZ) as Plaintiff (...)
2350
With its judgment of second instance adopted on 11 June 2008, the Metropolitan Court of Appeal has upheld the judgment of first instance and therefore the decision of the Hungarian Competition Authority in the lawsuit brought by Egút Egri Útépítõ Zrt, Strabag Építõ Zrt and Hídépítõ Zrt as (...)
5372
The Hungarian Competition Office (HCO) held a procedure ex officio against the company Antenna Hungária under allegations of abuse of a dominant position on the market by setting excessive prices. Background / Facts of the case Antenna Hungária provides terrestrial broadcasting services (...)
4137
Background / Facts of the case The Hungarian rail transport market was liberalized upon the accession of Hungary to the European Union on May 1, 2004. As a consequence, the railway authorities must ensure non-discriminatory access to railways to new market entrants. At the date of accession (...)
3857
Hungarian Competition Office (Gazdasági Versenyhivatal), 30 May 2006, British American Tobacco - BAT, Case n° Vj-94/2005 The Hungarian Competition Office (HCO) initiated an ex officio procedure to examine whether BAT’s Hungarian distribution network, involving 23 distributors, infringed the (...)
