GCR November 2008

Competition authorities around the world are increasingly turning to criminal prosecutions to punish and deter cartel behaviour. Peter Scott considers the different approaches to tackling executives who participate in cartels.

Susan Bright and Alex Olive of Lovells LLP track the introduction and enforcement of criminal sanctions in the UK and other EU member states. They consider whether Europe is witnessing the first steps towards an Americanisation of its cartel-busting regimes and, if so, what this means for executives and their advisers

Since the launch of Norway's 2004 Competition Act, the country's Competition Authority is yet to succeed in a 'landmark case.' Peter Scott looks at the reasons why

Norway’s competition law ensures a steady stream of merger filings for local firms, but cartel, abuse of dominance and state aid work form an increasingly important part of many practices. Peter Scott visited Oslo to meet the country’s key players

Since Igor Artemiev took control, Russia’s competition authority has transformed from a little-known government agency to an internationally recognised enforcer. Rachel Bull examines the journey so far and what lies ahead

Russia's young competition practices are developing at an astonishing speed. Rachel Bull examines which firms could be the future stars of the bar

Igor Artemiev, head of Russia's Federal Antimonopoly Service, speaks to Rachel Bull about the considerable progress made by the authority in recent years

Knut Eggum Johansen is the head of Norway's Competition Authority. Peter Scott met him in Bergen to discuss the enforcement challenges the authority faces and the ramifications of its move out of the capital to Bergen

Title: FIA: Head of legal affairs//

Age: 36//

Company: Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), the owner and regulator of international motorsports championships//

Previous employment: French Ministry of Youth and Sports - jurist

Antitrust and e-discovery specialist John Rosenthal has joined Winston & Strawn LLP as partner in its Washington, DC office. Rosenthal joined the firm after spending two decades at Howrey LLP.

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development has announced the hire of Hilary Jennings as its new head of competition outreach.

Hunton & Williams LLP has named competition specialist Michael Rosenthal as its new managing partner in Brussels.

The senior core of the now-dissolved Heller Ehrman antitrust team – including co-heads of practice and national practice leaders – have found a new home at Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP.

Kirkland & Ellis LLP has promoted competition specialist Patrick Bryan to partner in its Washington, DC office.

Allen & Overy LLP has appointed a new partner in charge of antitrust in Spain.

Korea’s Fair Trade Commission has fined dealers of two brands of luxury cars a total of almost 22 billion won (€13.6 million) for price fixing, but dropped a parallel investigation into possible abuse of dominance among car importers.

US antitrust regulators last month rushed to approve US lender Wells Fargo’s acquisition of rival Wachovia, approving the hotly contested transaction in about a day.

The UK’s Office of Fair Trading has closed its investigation of six Scottish dairies accused of price fixing and market sharing.

In Whole Foods’ attempt to fight back against a tide of decisions opposing its merger with rival Wild Oats, the company has beefed up its appellate counsel and filed a biting, 16-page brief with the DC Circuit, laying out its case for a new hearing before the entire court.

Discover Financial Services has reached a tentative agreement to settle its US$18 billion lawsuit against rivals Visa and MasterCard for allegedly restricting its access to banks.

A US appeals court has ruled in favour of a patent settlement agreement between two drug manufacturers.

An antitrust suit filed by Madison Square Garden, which owns the New York Rangers ice hockey team, against the US National Hockey League can continue after a judge only partially granted the NHL’s motion to dismiss the case.

UK competition lawyers have broadly welcomed a Court of Appeal ruling that limits the scope for cartel victims to seek follow-on damages in UK courts.

Finnish fertiliser producer Kemira has asked the UK’s Office of Fair Trading to review undertakings required last year by the Competition Commission, as changes in the market for raw carbon dioxide may have changed the competitive impact of its joint venture with its UK rival Terra.

The European Commission has fined three of Europe’s largest banana importers for cartel activity, finding that the companies exchanged information regarding the import price of the fruit in eight EU countries for three years.