In a bold step towards establishing a free trade region, all 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have committed to establishing national competition laws within the next four years. Faaez Samadi looks at the many challenges of uniting a varied and disparate group of countries in a rapidly developing part of the world

Geoff Steadman is assistant director of markets and projects at the UK’s Office of Fair Trading (OFT). He speaks to GCR about his work, including the Reckitt Benckiser case – a landmark ruling in the pharmaceutical sector in which he was lead investigator

Stephen Kon is head of the EU and competition department at SJ Berwin LLP in London. He talks to GCR about his experience in the pharmaceutical industry, and the rapid development of competition law intervention in the sector

Last month, GCR Live held its second annual Competition Litigation Conference, chaired by John Pheasant at Hogan Lovells International. Here, Hogan Lovells partner Nicholas Heaton and senior associate Paul Chaplin present an overview of the issues addressed at the event, and discuss what developments clients and practitioners can expect in the coming months

Review by Kenneth R Logan, former partner, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP

Korea’s Fair Trade Commission wants to help reduce the country’s surge in prices, but will the change in tack risk jeopardising its reputation as a world-class enforcer? Rachel Bull finds out

As Ireland’s government attempts to revive the country’s struggling economy, the European Union and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) say that competition must play a key role in the recovery. As companies consolidate and the competition authority balances its duties to the economy with its enforcement responsibilities, Faaez Samadi takes a look at the firms keeping busy in Ireland’s financial turmoil

For many years, Ireland’s Competition Authority was highly regarded for its efficiency and pluck, but recently it has struggled to maintain its reputation. Faaez Samadi takes a look at the external economic and political factors that have been holding the authority back

Just before stepping down as chairman of Ireland’s Competition Authority, Declan Purcell spoke to Faaez Samadi to discuss the challenges of running an authority in uncertain political and economic times

Despite criticism from Korea’s competition community, KFTC Chairman Dongsoo Kim maintains that the new direction in which he is taking the enforcer is the appropriate one. Rachel Bull met him in Seoul to find out more about his unique strategy

For years, the majority of new law firm hires in Korea have come from the public sector. Scratch the surface of any prominent competition team in Seoul, and it won’t belong before the first ex-official from Korea’s Fair Trade Commission appears – closely followed by the second, third and fourth. But this could all be about to change. Rachel Bull travelled to Seoul to meet the leading competition practices and find out more

Title: Group General Counsel
Company: Solvay
Age: 54

Jan-Erik Svensson
Gorrissen Federspiel
Copenhagen

D Ziv Abramovich
Lapidot, Melchior, Abramovich & Co
Jerusalem

Chang-Sik Hwang and Jong-Woo Park
Kim & Chang
Seoul

Zuzana Sláviková
Wolf Theiss
Bratislava

Ronan Harty and Edward Moss
Davis Polk & Wardwell
New York