William Haig is a lawyer for the UK Government Legal Department. Previously, he was an associate with Van Bael & Bellis in Brussels, and a trainee solicitor with Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner in London. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from University of Oxford, and a Master’s of Laws from The University of Law.
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On 12 January 2021, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (“CMA”) ordered the commercial vehicle and trailer supplier Universal Components UK (which is owned by TVS Europe Distribution) to sell 3G Truck & Trailer Parts, following an in-depth Phase 2 investigation into the completed merger (...)
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On 22 December 2020, the UK’s Competition Appeal Tribunal (“CAT”) rejected concrete producer FP McCann’s appeal of a decision by the Competition and Markets Authority (“CMA”) fining it for its participation in a cartel in the supply of pre-cast concrete drainage products. FP McCann appealed the CMA’s (...)
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On 18 December 2020, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (“CMA”) published the final report of its market investigation into funeral services. The CMA said that it had serious concerns about the sector and it has put in place a number of “sunlight” remedies designed to make the sector more (...)
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On 17 December 2020, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (“CMA”) issued an infringement decision fining two companies which supply groundworks products Vp plc and M.G.F. (Trench Construction Systems) Ltd more than £ 11.2 million and £ 3.7 million, respectively, for illegal collusion. In its (...)
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On 11 December 2020, the UK’s Supreme Court sent a planned £ 14 billion class action lawsuit against Mastercard back to the Competition Appeal Tribunal (“CAT”) for review. This is the first collective proceedings case of this kind to reach the Supreme Court and it addresses important questions (...)
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On 27 November 2020, the UK Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport announced the creation of a Digital Markets Unit within the Competition and Markets Authority (“CMA”) which, from April 2021, will introduce and enforce (...)
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On 19 November 2020, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (“CMA”) fined the price comparison website ComparetheMarket, and its parent companies, £ 17.9 million for breaching the UK and EU competition rules. The CMA found that ComparetheMarket breached the prohibition of anti-competitive (...)
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On 13 November 2020, the UK’s Competition Appeal Tribunal (“CAT”) dismissed Facebook’s appeal against an order by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (“CMA”) preventing Facebook from integrating with Giphy, a company it had acquired while the CMA conducted its investigation into the (...)
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On 11 November 2020, the UK Government published the National Security and Investment Bill (“NSIB”). The NSIB proposes the introduction of a standalone foreign direct investment (“FDI”) regime for the first time in the UK. It introduces a hybrid mandatory and voluntary notification regime with (...)
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On 5 November 2020, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (“CMA”) ordered the platform technology provider FNZ to sell GBST after finding that the completed merger between the two rivals would result in a substantial lessening of competition, which would lead to higher prices and a reduction (...)
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On 4 November 2020, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (“CMA”) imposed fines totalling £9.5 million on two of the UK’s largest rolled lead suppliers for their role in a roofing lead cartel. The CMA fined Associated Lead Mills Ltd and H.J. Enthoven Ltd (trading as BLM British Lead) £1.5 (...)
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On 22 October 2020, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (“CMA”) and the UK’s Serious Fraud Office (“SFO”) signed a memorandum of understanding (“MoU”) allowing the two regulators to investigate and/or prosecute individuals in criminal cartel cases. Under UK competition law the most serious (...)
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On 14 September 2020, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (“CMA”) ordered the blinds supplier Hunter Doug- las to sell off its majority stake in 247 Home Furnishings, which also sells blinds. The CMA found that the deal, which had already been completed, would substantially lessen (...)
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On 8 September 2020, the UK’s Competition and Market Authority (“CMA”) issued a decision fining Amazon for failing to provide 189 documents by the deadline set by the CMA. The document request came during the CMA’s investigation of Amazon’s purchase of a 16% stake in the food-delivery company (...)
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On 5 August 2020, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (the “CMA”) fined JD Sports and its parent company Pentland Group £300,000 for failing to comply with an initial enforcement order (“IEO”) imposed with regard to JD Sports’ completed merger with footwear retailer Footasylum. The CMA found JD (...)
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On 1 July 2020, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (“CMA”) fined the private hospital owner Spire Healthcare Limited and its parent Spire Healthcare Group Plc (together “Spire”) £1.2 million for instigating and facilitating a price-fixing cartel with seven consultant ophthalmologists based in (...)
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On 29 June 2020, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (“CMA”) issued decisions fining two musical instrument manufacturers, Roland and Korg, a combined total of £ 5.5 million for individually infringing the Chapter 1 prohibition of the Competition Act and/or Article 101 Treaty on the (...)
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1. Summary On 28 May 2020, the EU General Court handed down a ruling annulling the European Commission’s (“Commission”) decision prohibiting the proposed acquisition of Telefónica UK (“O2”) by Hutchison 3G UK (“Three”). The ruling has potentially significant implications for mergers in the telecoms (...)
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