Cartels, dawn raids & compliance

Cartels represent the most damaging form of anti-competitive activity. Authorities devote substantial effort to investigating businesses suspected of cartel participation and other serious competition law infringements.

Investigations can last years and represent a significant drain on management and in-house resource. Investigations can include on-site (or at home) inspections or 'dawn raids'. These can happen to any business, director or employee at any time.

Avoiding being implicated in a cartel is a primary objective; preparing for an investigation is also critical. We help our clients do both.

We provide a range of training and support to clients (businesses and representative associations) in traditional and high tech industries to help minimise the risk of investigation. If one occurs, we help to ensure an effective response.

Our services include compliance training, which is tailored to our client's specific sector and their specific role within the business. We provide online training modules, information/data audits and follow-up and dawn raid guides. We also have a standby service for businesses needing immediate support.

We tailor our dawn raid and compliance services to meet the requirements of your business. This can range from the provision of user friendly dawn raid materials to working with e-discovery service providers to simulate a full dawn raid to test reactions, processes and data storage arrangements.

Experience

• Reviewing and updating Imperial Brand's group-wide competition law compliance policy, drafting supporting materials and developing and delivering competition law dawn raid training to senior management, in-house legal, IT, group audit and security.
• Representing a residential property group in connection with the CMA's recent cartel investigation into estate agency services, and subsequent issues.
• Advising one of the directors of a leading business currently involved in the musical instruments and equipment cartel.