The UK Court of Appeal’s judgment in the Marine Hoses cartel shows the interplay between UK criminal investigation and US plea agreement (Whittle / Allison & Brammar)

The Marine Hoses Cartel has been a test case on several grounds: parallel and coordinated dawn raids by the European Commission, the OFT and the US DoJ; first criminal prosecution to be brought under the new Criminal Cartel Offence in the UK; use of DVD covertly recording of a cartel meeting and search of domestic premises by the OFT. The judgment of the Court of Appeal outlines the interplay between US and UK antitrust law as the judge was asked to revise the jail sentences of three UK executives in the limits of the plea agreements agreed before the DoJ. Facts in a nutshell The cartel took place between all principal manufacturers of marine hose worldwide which consisted of the UK company Dunlop, two Italian companies, a French company and two Japanese companies. These companies were