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EU & Competition - A selection of recent work
| LMR represented North European Oil Trade (NEOT), a subsidiary of SOK, Finland’s 4th biggest company, in a merger control procedure at the Finnish Competition Authority (FCA) concerning the acquisition by NEOT of part of the business of Shell. The FCA approved the acquisition without conditions |
| LMR represented Viasat Broadcasting/Modern Times Group, a leading international entertainment broadcasting group (Viasat Broadcasting is the largest free-TV and satellite premium pay-TV operator in Scandinavia and the Baltics), as intervener, in a merger control proceeding before the Finnish Competition Authority (FCA) where Swedish TV4 AB acquired C More Group AB, the owner of the Canal+ brands. This was a Phase II case, the only one in Finland between March 2007 and May 2010. The FCA cleared the acquisition, but not without numerous commitments. |
| LMR defended NCC Roads, a large Finnish road construction company and a subsidiary of the Swedish construction giant NCC AB, in a cartel case before the Finnish Competition Authority (FCA), the Market Court and the Supreme Administrative Court (SAC), as well as in related procedures in the Market Court, Helsinki Administrative Court and the SAC. This is to date the biggest cartel case ever in Finland. The SAC imposed fines totalling approx. EUR 83 million. The FCA had proposed fines totalling approx. EUR 97 million. |
| LMR defends NCC Roads as well as Interasfaltti Oy in numerous asphalt cartel case related damages cases initiated by the government and various cities and municipalities. The interest of these cases amounts to millions of euros. |
| LMR represented UPM-Kymmene, a major Finnish listed forest/paper industry company and Finland’s 6th biggest company, in a cartel case before the Finnish Competition Authority (FCA) and the Market Court, including submitting the first ever leniency application in Finland (obtaining immunity from fines for our client). This is to date the second biggest cartel case ever in Finland. The Market Court imposed fines to Stora Enso and Metsäliitto, EUR 30 million and EUR 21 million respectively, as proposed by the FCA. |
| LMR defended a major Finnish industry company in an international cartel case before the European Commission in Brussels. The client’s interest was at least millions of euros. The client received a Statement of Objections from the Commission and we attended the oral hearing in Brussels, but the Commission eventually decided not to fine our client. We consider this a rare and remarkable success. |
| LMR represented Norilsk Nickel, the world’s largest producer of palladium and nickel, in obtaining the approval of the Finnish Competition Authority for its approx. CAD 6.8 billion (approx. EUR 4.4 billion) acquisition of LionOre Mining International Ltd., a Canadian producer of nickel intermediates. |
| LMR represented HOK-Elanto Group, the buyer, a major Finnish retail and catering business group, and SOK Corporation, the seller, the largest Finnish retail and catering business group and Finland’s 4th biggest company, in a merger control procedure at the Finnish Competition Authority (FCA) concerning the acquisition of assets of a large and well known department store (Sokos, Tapiola) in the Helsinki metropolitan area. The FCA approved the acquisition without conditions. |
| LMR represented Outokumpu, a major Finnish listed metal industry company and Finland’s 12th biggest company, in international competition cases before the European Commission and the Community Courts. |
| LMR continuously represents and advises VR-Group (national railways) in numerous national and international merger control procedures and other competition law cases and issues. |
| LMR continuously represents and advises numerous clients, both possible dominant players as well as other market players, in dominant position related cases concerning e.g. price discrimination, excessive pricing, essential facility doctrine, rebate systems, predatory pricing, foreclosure and monopolies, across a wide range of industries. |
| LMR continuously represents and advises numerous clients, both tendering entities and procurement units, in different stages of public procurement processes, including also before the Market Court and the Supreme Administrative Court, across a wide range of industries. |
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