Competition/Antitrust | Europe

HAVEL & PARTNERS maintains its position as a leading law firm in the Czech competition market with notable strength in high-profile follow-on damages matters. The team offers additional strength in behavioural investigations and merger clearance filings. It further assists clients with state aid notifications. The team is a popular choice with public sector clients, as well as clients from the transport industry. It is also well placed to assist clients with cross-border matters that also involve the Slovakian authorities.

Nedelka Kubáč advokáti remains one of the leading competition law firms in the Czech Republic. It offers a broad range of competition skills, covering both contentious and non-contentious matters. The team is often active on multi-jurisdictional mandates, particularly those involving Slovakia. On the non-contentious side, it has a strong reputation in merger clearance filings, while on the contentious side, it represents clients in behavioural investigations, state aid complaints and damages litigation.

Skils is highly esteemed for its experience in representing clients in investigations into allegations of abuse of dominance and restrictive agreements, as well as assisting clients with judicial reviews into competition authority decisions. The law firm also represents clients in private damages litigation. It has further expertise in merger clearance filings and state aid matters. The team is a popular choice with clients from the transportation sector.

Kocián Šolc Balaštík often assists clients with queries under the Significant Market Power Act. The law firm's broad competition law practice also encompasses advising clients on merger clearance mandates and representing them in appeals against authority decisions and in follow-on damages actions.

Rowan Legal moves up in the rankings this year on the back of impressive activity on behavioural mandates, representing clients in investigations into alleged abuses of dominance or significant market power, as well as resale price maintenance, bid rigging and cartel involvement allegations. In addition, the law firm represents clients in damages actions. The team further assists with competition compliance issues, particularly those involving distribution agreements and state aid questions.

Often collaborating with the firm's market-leading corporate department, the competition team frequently assists clients with obtaining competition law clearance for proposed transactions. In addition, the team has experience in damages claims, working alongside the firm's Brussels office on significant, multi-jurisdictional follow-on actions. It provides further assistance with competition compliance mandates. On 1st May 2024, Allen & Overy and Shearman & Sterling merged to form A&O Shearman.

Dentons frequently assists clients with the competition law aspects of proposed mergers, often working alongside the law firm's network of international offices to advise on multi-jurisdictional clearances. In addition to its work on merger control and FDI filings, the team has experience in state aid mandates and competition compliance queries.

Schoenherr's team in Prague often collaborates with its colleagues in Austria to advise on the Czech merger clearance and foreign direct investment aspects of multi-jurisdictional transactions. In addition, the law firm frequently assists clients with competition law compliance mandates, particularly with respect to distribution strategies.

The Prague team of White & Case works closely with the firm's offices across Europe to assist clients with the Czech aspects of multi-jurisdictional behavioural investigations and merger clearance filings. The law firm is a popular choice with clients in the technology and financial services sectors for advice on the competition compliance aspects of proposed joint ventures and defending them in damages actions and allegations of anti-competitive agreements.