Vertical Agreements and Dominant Firms 2019 3Rd Edition a Practical Cross-Border Insight Into Vertical Agreements and Dominant Firms
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ICLG The International Comparative Legal Guide to: Vertical Agreements and Dominant Firms 2019 3rd Edition A practical cross-border insight into vertical agreements and dominant firms Published by Global Legal Group, with contributions from: ALRUD Law Firm HLG Avocats AZB & Partners Johnson Winter & Slattery Baker Botts LLP Kennedy Van der Laan Barun Law LLC Lee & Lee Callol, Coca & Asociados Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu DDPV Studio Legale Noerr LLP DeHeng Law Offices Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP Dickson Minto Pinheiro Neto Advogados ELIG Gürkaynak Attorneys-at-Law Stavropoulos & Partners Law Office Gorrissen Federspiel SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan The International Comparative Legal Guide to: Vertical Agreements and Dominant Firms 2019 Country Question and Answer Chapters: 1 Australia Johnson Winter & Slattery: Sar Katdare & Jaime Campbell 1 2 Brazil Pinheiro Neto Advogados: Leonardo Rocha e Silva & Daniel Costa Rebello 8 Contributing Editors Charles F. (Rick) Rule & Andrew J. Forman Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, 3 China DeHeng Law Offices: Ding Liang 15 Wharton & Garrison LLP Sales Director Florjan Osmani 4 Denmark Gorrissen Federspiel: Martin André Dittmer & Kristian Helge Andersen 26 Account Director Oliver Smith 5 European Union Baker Botts LLP: Matthew Levitt & Daniel Vasbeck 33 Sales Support Manager Toni Hayward Editor 6 France HLG Avocats: Helen Coulibaly-Le Gac & Pierre Laforet 40 Nicholas Catlin Senior Editors Caroline Collingwood 7 Germany Noerr LLP: Peter Stauber & Robert Pahlen 47 Rachel Williams CEO Dror Levy 8 Greece Stavropoulos & Partners Law Office: Evanthia Tsiri & Efthymia Armata 59 Group Consulting Editor Alan Falach 9 India AZB & Partners: Hemangini Dadwal & Aakarsh Narula 65 Publisher Rory Smith Published by 10 Italy DDPV Studio Legale: Luciano Vasques 76 Global Legal Group Ltd. 59 Tanner Street London SE1 3PL, UK 11 Japan Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu: Kaoru Hattori & Yusuke Kaeriyama 87 Tel: +44 20 7367 0720 Fax: +44 20 7407 5255 Email: [email protected] URL: www.glgroup.co.uk 12 Korea Barun Law LLC: Gwang Hyeon Baek & Ye Eun Choi 95 GLG Cover Design F&F Studio Design 13 Netherlands Kennedy Van der Laan: Annemieke van der Beek & Martijn van Bemmel 102 GLG Cover Image Source iStockphoto Printed by 14 Philippines SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan: Rolando V. Medalla, Jr. 110 Ashford Colour Press Ltd August 2019 Copyright © 2019 15 Russia ALRUD Law Firm: Alla Azmukhanova & Daniil Lozovsky 116 Global Legal Group Ltd. All rights reserved No photocopying 16 Singapore Lee & Lee: Tan Tee Jim, S.C. 123 ISBN 978-1-912509-94-2 ISSN 2399-9586 17 Spain Callol, Coca & Asociados: Pedro Callol & Laura Moya 129 Strategic Partners 18 Turkey ELIG Gürkaynak Attorneys-at-Law: Gönenç Gürkaynak & Hakan Özgökçen 136 19 United Kingdom Dickson Minto: Ajal Notowicz & Maria Ziprani 144 20 USA Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP: Charles F. (Rick) Rule & Andrew J. Forman 156 Further copies of this book and others in the series can be ordered from the publisher. Please call +44 20 7367 0720 Disclaimer This publication is for general information purposes only. It does not purport to provide comprehensive full legal or other advice. Global Legal Group Ltd. and the contributors accept no responsibility for losses that may arise from reliance upon information contained in this publication. This publication is intended to give an indication of legal issues upon which you may need advice. Full legal advice should be taken from a qualified professional when dealing with specific situations. WWW.ICLG.COM PREFACE Welcome to the 2019 edition of The International Comparative Legal Guide to: Vertical Agreements and Dominant Firms. We are honoured to introduce this comprehensive guide to the antitrust and competition law community on behalf of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP. These remain interesting times in competition law, for both enforcers and private practitioners. It is our hope and belief that this guide will serve as a useful tool for those seeking insight into the competition regimes of other jurisdictions, and a concise primer on vertical agreements and dominant firms for those less familiar with the field. This 2019 edition of the Guide brings together leading competition law practitioners from top firms across the globe – firms that Paul, Weiss is proud to partner with in several high-profile matters. The wealth of experience and insight offered by our fellow contributors has made this guide an incomparable resource for antitrust attorneys in every jurisdiction. We extend our deepest gratitude to our partners for the considerable time and effort they have put into this project. We hope you find this latest version of the Guide to be a worthy companion in your practice, and we welcome any suggestions for further improvements in future editions. Charles F. (Rick) Rule & Andrew J. Forman Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP Contributing Editors The International Comparative Legal Guide to: Vertical Agreements and Dominant Firms Chapter 1 Australia Sar Katdare Johnson Winter & Slattery Jaime Campbell 1 General 155 of the Act) the relevant party to provide information and documents relating to the alleged contravention. Such requests can be made more than once (i.e. for different types of information and 1.1 What authorities or agencies investigate and enforce documents) and the ACCC can also require individuals to provide the laws governing vertical agreements and dominant evidence under oath or affirmation. firm conduct? Once the ACCC has gathered sufficient information, it will determine whether to take enforcement action and if so, what type of The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) is action to take. If the ACCC decides to take some type of the Australian independent statutory authority that has the role of enforcement action, the next steps in the process will depend upon investigating and enforcing laws relating to vertical agreements and the action taken (i.e. the process will be different for administrative dominant firm conduct under the Competition and Consumer Act resolutions, court-enforceable undertakings or legal proceedings). 2010 (Cth) (the Act). Whilst there is no single “vertical agreements” prohibition in the Act, the Act regulates vertical agreements and 1.4 What remedies (e.g., fines, damages, injunctions, etc.) vertical conduct through the following prohibitions: are available to enforcers? ■ Anti-competitive agreements and concerted practices. ■ Misuse of market power. The ACCC has the ability to accept an administrative resolution ■ Exclusive dealing conduct. from a party that it considers is likely to be in contravention of the ■ Resale price maintenance (RPM). Act. An administrative resolution is a written undertaking from a The Act regulates dominant firm conduct through the misuse of party setting out detailed terms and conditions of the resolution and market power and exclusive dealing prohibitions. These prohibitions may include agreeing to stop the conduct, compensating those who are explained in more detail in sections 2 and 3. have suffered loss and/or taking other measures to ensure that the conduct does not recur. The ACCC can also resolve contraventions of the Act by accepting 1.2 What investigative powers do the responsible court-enforceable undertakings from a party under section 87B of competition authorities have? the Act. Section 87B undertakings usually require a party to remedy the harm caused by the alleged contravention, accept responsibility The ACCC has compulsory information-gathering powers under for its actions and/or establish or improve its trade practices, section 155 of the Act that enable it to obtain information, compliance programs and culture. documents and oral evidence to determine whether a party’s agreement or conduct contravenes the Act. There are also a number of remedies and penalties available to the ACCC by way of court order including declarations, injunctions, The ACCC also has search warrant and seizure powers (i.e. “dawn pecuniary penalties and other remedial orders. raid” powers) under the Act to gather evidentiary material. Under a search warrant, the ACCC can seize goods or documents, inspect, handle and measure goods and equipment, take samples of 1.5 How are those remedies determined and/or calculated? goods and make copies of documents. The ACCC inspector, pursuant to a search warrant, may also require any person on the premises to answer questions and produce documents that relate to the reasons for Whether the ACCC will accept an administrative resolution or entry to the premises. court-enforceable undertakings from a party or pursue more serious enforcement action in declarations, remedies and penalties through The ACCC can also request parties to provide information and court action will depend on a number of factors. These factors documents to it voluntarily in response to an investigation. include whether the alleged contravention is of significant public interest or concern, whether the conduct results in substantial 1.3 Describe the steps in the process from the opening of consumer or small business detriment and/or whether the ACCC an investigation to its resolution. action will have a deterrent effect or clarify aspects of the law. In general, the more serious the alleged contravention, the more After the ACCC commences an investigation, it will ordinarily likely the ACCC will seek declarations, remedies or penalties request (voluntarily) or require (by compulsory notice under section