The Czech Republic’s Office for the Protection of Competition is within its rights to impose cartel fines totalling more than €37 million on electrical goods manufacturers for fixing the price of gas-insulated switchgears on top of penalties from the European Commission, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled.

Havel Holásek & Partners has promoted Robert Neruda to partner in Brno. He is a former deputy chairman of the Czech Republic’s Office for the Protection of Competition.

Sorcha O’Carroll has joined the London office of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer as an associate in its competition group. O’Carroll moved from McMillan in Toronto.

The Czech Republic’s Office for the Protection of Competition should be allowed to uphold its 942 koruna (€38 million) fine imposed on several electronics companies for price fixing on gas insulated switchgears, according to an EU Court advocate general’s opinion.

Every month GCR publishes a summary of associate moves.

Havel Holásek & Partners has hired Petr Kadlec as a partner in its Prague competition practice, the firm announced last week.

GCR talks to Daniel Stankov, head of the international department at the Czech Competition Authority.