Susan Black is a Senior Partner at Herbert Smith Freehills LLP in the London office. She specialises in EU and UK competition law, advising clients on major acquisitions and joint ventures, strategic matters (including compliance) and high profile investigations. Susan has extensive experience of advising companies across various sectors and industries, with a particular focus on consumer/retail and she is co-head of the firm’s consumer sector group. She was a co-founder of the firm’s Women Lawyers Network and has been a driving force behind the firm’s diversity initiatives. Susan is consistently recognised and praised by clients in the major legal directories, most recently having been included in the Legal 500 UK 2022 Hall of Fame for EU and Competition.
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On 1 March 2022 the EU Commission published, for consultation, its draft revised rules on horizontal cooperation agreements. The rules consist of two horizontal block exemption Regulations (covering Research & Development agreements and Specialisation agreements) and Guidelines on the (...)
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On 9 July 2021, following a comprehensive consultation process, the EU Commission (Commission) published its proposals for a revised Vertical Block Exemption Regulation (Draft VBER) and Draft Vertical Guidelines, due to replace the current regime which expires on 31 May 2022. The previous (...)
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On 17 June 2021 the CMA published a consultation on its proposed recommendations to the Secretary of State on the future of the retained vertical agreements block exemption Regulation (VBER). At the end of the Brexit transition period the EU VBER became retained EU law in the UK, until its (...)
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On 27 January 2021 the CMA published high level Guidance on environmental sustainability agreements and competition law (Guidance). Supporting the transition to a low carbon economy is one of the CMA’s strategic objectives (set out in its annual plan for 2021/22) and the CMA is keen to ensure (...)
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On 10th May 2019 the CMA secured the disqualification of three former directors of companies involved in a bid rigging cartel in the design, construction and fit-out services sector. The three directors have given legally binding disqualification undertakings under which they will be banned (...)
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On 7 September 2018, the Competition Appeal Tribunal ("CAT") handed down its judgment in Ping upholding the Competition and Market Authority ("CMA")’s decision that Ping’s online sales ban ("OSB") constituted a restriction of competition by object under EU and UK competition law. The aim of (...)
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On 10 May 2017 the EU Commission published its final report in the e-commerce sector inquiry launched in May 2015 as part of a wider Digital Market Strategy which aims to achieve better access for consumers and businesses to online goods and services across the EU. The aim of the sector inquiry (...)
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On 9 April 2019, the European Commission published the full text of its decision to fine Crédit Agricole, HSBC and JPMorgan Chase for participating in a cartel in the euro interest rate derivatives ("EIRD") sector. While four of the seven participating banks settled the case with the Commission (...)
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This article has been nominated for the 2016 Antitrust Writing Awards. Click here to learn more about the Antitrust Writing Awards. The supranational merger control regime of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa ("COMESA") has been fully operational since 14 January 2013. The (...)
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