Competition/Distribution

Our Expertise
Fully mastering the constraints of competition/distribution law is a prerequisite today to ensure the development of your business on a secure legal footing.

The experience of the Competition/Distribution Group enables it to advise its clients on their needs in competition, distribution and consumer law, both in France and at a worldwide level.

Competition law

• Anti competitive practices: abuses of dominant position, concerted practices
• Investigations by competition authorities
• Merger control
• State aids
• Litigation

Distribution law

• Drafting and negotiating Agreements
• Abusive terminations of contracts/Litigation
• Distribution networks
• Pricing transparency/Commercial co-operation
• Purchasing structures

Consumer law

• Product regulation
• Advertising
• Promotional programmes
• Product safety

Our Approach 

A dedicated team
The Competition/Distribution Group is comprised of a team of lawyers recognised for its ability to advise and represent clients on all aspects of French and Community competition and distribution law.

The Group members' experience enables them to provide clients in many business sectors with practical solutions combining technical excellence with a creative and result-oriented approach.

The diversity of experience also affords our clients the benefit of effective assistance, in particular when dealing with competition investigations and litigation before national or Community authorities and courts.

A comprehensive service
We work in close co-operation with the other teams in the Paris office in order to meet all the needs of our clients.

By way of example, we act, together with lawyers of the Mergers and Acquisitions Group, to notify mergers to the competition authorities.We also advise clients on the structuring of their distribution networks and assist them in collaboration with the lawyers of the Litigation and Arbitration Group, in litigation, in particular in cases of abusive termination of commercial relationships.

Our team is active both at a European and international level via a network composed of some 300 specialised lawyers practising from the other Baker & McKenzie offices throughout the world.

This international network enables the Group to offer its clients a global and commercial approach to differing legal practices and systems. It guarantees our clients efficient and timely legal advice or litigation assistance relative to transactions having a European or worldwide dimension.

Information and workshops
The Group publishes an electronic newsletter for the benefit of its clients: "The Competition and Distribution Newsletter" which analyses, each month, the latest developments in case law on competition, distribution and consumer law related matters.

The Group also drafts and circulates Legal Alerts concerning recent news items of interest in French or community law relative to its field of activity.

Finally, the lawyers of the Group organise workshops for our clients, inviting them on a monthly basis to seminars on various topics at the heart of their concerns:

• Supply transactions
• International agreements
• French antitrust law
• Logistics agreements
• Advertising and sales promotions
• Trade Marketing systems
• Controlling food safety