McDermott Will & Emery has taken over the EU law group of Stanbrook & Hooper.

Competition Policy Associates and RBB Economics have teamed up to offer their European and American clients more harmonised economic analysis.

Lovells has added to its European scope by recruiting local competition specialists within Italy and Spain. Senior associate Veronica Pinotti will work from Milan, while Natalia Lacalle will work from Madrid, also as a senior associate. Each is to lead competition lawyers in their office

Although the first direct application of Community competition law by the IAA dates back to 1999, this case is significant in that the IAA used its new powers under Article 22 of Regulation 1/2003. This enabled dawn raids to be carried out in France, Germany and Spain in order to obtain evidence supporting the Italian case. This is an important test case for the functioning of the European Competition Network in the context of a coordinated investigation. Maura Demattè and Gian Luca Zampa Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer Rome

The IAA has alleged that Tetra Pak has contravened a 1993 ruling preventing it from acquiring its competitor Italpack. The IAA believes that Tetra Pak has de facto control of the company through its contractual links with Eaglepack, which acquired Italpack in 1995.

DAVID SAMUELS reports on the IBA's Global Competition Forum in Seoul, 23 April, and its two-day conference on telecoms and competition in Rome, 17–18 May

Luca Sanfilippo

The new Italian franchise law contains much that will be subject to commentary and differing views in the months to come. For the moment, however, international franchisers are expressing relief that the most offensive feature of the original proposal did not survive the scrutiny and challenges of franchise associations and other interested parties.

This case again shows the difficulties connected with the liberalisation of formerly heavily regulated sectors. It also shows the necessity for a strict scrutiny by the national antitrust authority in order to ensure that private actions do not prevent the gradual opening of these markets. On the substantive side, the facts investigated by the IAA emphasise the crucial role played by modulation electricity in enabling a player to compete in this market against an incumbent.

Baker & McKenzie has opened a third Italian office, joining forces with Studio Bernini e Associati in Bologna.

Gianni, Origoni, Grippo & Partners, the Italian firm in a relationship with Linklaters, has hired Piero Fattori, formerly of the Italian Antitrust Authority.

Italian high-tech company Finmecanica has completed the purchase of the Marconi Mobile Holdings from the debt-stricken British company Marconi

The European Commission appears not to be happy with the proposed cooperation agreement between Alitalia and AirFrance.

The sixth running of the IBA's competition event in Fiesole, Italy, this September was dominated by merger sessions and timely speeches. John Jolliffe and David Samuels report