Competition

Competition Lawyers for Businesses and Law Firms

The Faros Competition Team advises businesses on various aspects of competition law. These include both companies that we assist on a regular basis and those that require specialised assistance more occasionally, such as in the case of an acquisition or as part of an investigation. In addition, we are trusted by numerous law firms active in corporate law, who turn to our team when specialized competition law questions or procedures arise. We are very proud of the trust our colleagues place in us, and they can attest that our collaboration is always pleasant, efficient, and seamless.

Abuse of Dominance

Faros regularly advises clients on the risks of abuse of dominance, for instance when developing a discount policy, a distribution model or regarding concrete commercial questions. This includes all forms of exclusionary and exploitative abuses. The Faros Competition Team has been involved in some of the most high-profile cases in this area, both at the European and Belgian level.

Horizontal Practices/Agreements

The members of the Faros Competition Team have extensive expertise in all forms of horizontal practices and agreements. We have successfully represented numerous companies in both European and Belgian cartel cases. With the European truck cartel investigation (in which we assisted a manufacturer), we were involved in one of the largest European investigations and proceedings in this area. We have hands-on experience with leniency and settlement procedures across multiple jurisdictions.

Furthermore, we are also ready to assist during dawn raids (unannounced searches by competition authorities). Our team has managed multiple dawn raids smoothly, and we are trained to provide coordinated and seamless guidance during such raids. To ensure readiness, we have developed our own Tool Kit and offer proactive assistance to companies in preparing for potential dawn raids, including training, checklists, and practical tools.

In addition to our experience with cartel investigations, we also assist companies considering collaborations with competitors. Such collaborations are inherently sensitive and require a thorough pre-check from a competition law perspective. We also advise numerous trade associations to ensure their activities do not raise competition law concerns.

Merger Control

Merger control is a key part of the daily work of the Faros Competition Team, covering both European and Belgian cases. We are often asked to coordinate for transactions that need to be notified in multiple countries. Companies choose Faros because of our extensive practical experience with nearly all possible scenarios, including complex pre-notification discussions, the preparation of the notification dossier, responding to requests for information, handling the first and - when necessary - second phase of the formal notification process, discussions regarding commitments, and providing concrete advice to avoid gun jumping (including waiver procedures to allow for early implementation).

State Aid

The Faros Competition Team provides expert advice to governments and businesses on state aid matters. We assist companies in developing compliant state aid packages and have successfully concluded several landmark cases, including the leading training aid case in which the European Commission established the rules in this area. We have also successfully challenged the legality of state aid schemes before the Court of Justice.

Vertical Practices/Agreements

The Faros Competition Team has an impressive track record in the area of vertical practices and agreements. Our team members acted as expert advisors for the European Commission in the preparation of the new vertical regulations that came into effect in 2022. Additionally, we have published various leading books and articles on this topic (available on our ‘Publications’ page). We advise daily on a wide range of aspects of this challenging area, including the establishment of cross-border distribution networks. With our in-depth knowledge and practical experience, we provide clear, applicable solutions for complex legal vertical issues.