Irish firm Arthur Cox is a new entrant to the GCR 100, after its competition practice was designated “elite” in our country survey earlier this year. John Meade has been head of the practice for 17 years. He and fellow partner Patrick O’Brien are both Who’s Who nominees.

Magic Circle firm Allen & Overy makes an appearance in the inaugural GCR 20, thanks to its size, pedigree and estimation among rivals. A&O’s 78-strong practice boasts 12 Who’s Who nominees, the majority in Europe – including Brussels partner Martin Bechtold, poached from Clifford Chance in October 2006, and Michael Reynolds, who is particularly known for his work for Sun Microsystems, one of the original complainants in the Microsoft case, which reached a conclusion at court of first instance this year.

There was change at the top for Irish firm McCann FitzGerald this year. Longstanding Who's Who nominee Gerald FitzGerald, who founded and led the firm's EC, competition and regulated markets group for over 30 years, retired from the partnership in August. He became a consultant and will remain active in both client work and promoting the firm's competition practice at home and abroad. The new co-heads of the competition group are Damian Collins and Philip Andrews. Who's Who nominee Collins leads the team in Brussels, Andrews in Dublin.

The authority recently cleared Britvic’s acquisition of C&C’s soft drinks business, despite the high market share that the merged entity would enjoy. It shows once again the effects-based approach favoured by the authority

Damian Collins and Philip Andrews have taken over the leadership of Irish firm McCann FitzGerald’s competition practice.

The UK's leading supermarkets and dairy processors have been accused of fixing the price of milk, butter and cheese. The alleged cartel cost consumers an estimated £270 million.

Budget airline Ryanair is appealing against the European Commission’s decision to block its proposed acquisition of Ireland’s national carrier, Aer Lingus.

Earlier this year, some of Washington, DC’s leading antitrust lawyers participated in a special GCR roundtable. Last month, they reflected on a decade of practising law in the United States. Here they discuss the two US antitrust authorities, plus several significant Supreme Court decisions.

The Irish Competition Authority has cleared a merger in phase I after the buyer offered to divest an overlapping business.

Two recent decisions by the Office of Fair Trading suggest that it will challenge allegedly abusive pricing schemes only if there is actual evidence of an anti-competitive effect

Matheson Ormsby Prentice has boosted its European competition group with the acquisition of a partner from Hammonds in Brussels.

Ireland’s Competition Authority has hit back at suggestions that food prices have "soared" since the abolition of the Groceries Order last year.

After the diehard evangelism of Ireland’s former competition chief, lawyers expect great things from his successor, Bill Prasifka. JULIUS CAVENDISH reports on his first year in office

Ten months into his tenure as chairman of Ireland’s Competition Authority, Bill Prasifka should be ready to stamp his mark. He talks to JULIUS CAVENDISH

Irish competition lawyers are seeing their market boom as rapidly as any in Ireland. JULIUS CAVENDISH reviews the country’s leading competition practices