EU/EEA and competition law
Our EU/EEA competition law practice group advices on competition
law, state aid, public procurement as well as general issues
related to EU/EEA law.
Our lawyers have working experience from the Norwegian
Competition Authority, the Ministry of Government Administration
and Reform (the appeal body for decisions adopted by the
Competition Authority), the EFTA Surveillance Authority and
academia (faculty of law). We have extensive experience in handling
complex cases before Norwegian and foreign competition authorities,
and handle litigation before national courts and the EFTA Court on
a regular basis.
Competition law
We offer general advice and handle cases before Norwegian and
foreign competition authorities (the Norwegian Competition
Authority, the EFTA Surveillance Authority and the European
Commission) and before Norwegian courts and the EFTA Court. Our
extensive international network enables us to handle transactions
and cases before authorities in other jurisdictions, inter alia
merger cases involving multiple filings and antitrust cases where
undertakings are investigated in several jurisdictions.
Our advice includes the following areas:
- Mergers and acquisitions, including the handling of notifiable
transactions before the Norwegian Competition Authority and the
European Commission
- The establishment of joint ventures
- Drafting and assessment of distribution agreements, license
agreement and franchise agreements
- The legality of co-operation agreements between
competitors
- Advise to dominant undertakings on the restrictions applicable
to their commercial behaviour pursuant to the abuse of dominance
provisions in EU/EEA and Norwegian competition law
- Drafting of compliance programmes, including guidelines and
procedures, on how to avoid infringements of competition rules and
how to act if subject to investigations by competition
authorities.
- Assistance in relation to competition authorities, the
prosecuting authority and courts, in cartel cases, including
assistance in relation to dawn raids, investigations and leniency
applications.
State Aid
We advise public authorities and undertakings in relation to state
aid rules. The advice is related to, inter alia, assessments on the
limits represented by the rules and issues related to deregulation
of public monopolies. We are involved in procedures before the EFTA
Surveillance Authority, the EFTA Court and the Norwegian courts.
Public Procurement
We advice contractors and bidders on questions related to the
regulatory framework for public procurement in order to ensure that
procurement procedures be of professional legal
standards.
We assists contractors with, inter alia, strategic advice prior
to the procurement procedure, quality assurance of the procedure as
such (including the drafting of all necessary documentation), as
well as follow-up in relation to complaints or legal
proceedings.
Assistance to bidders typically includes continous advice during
the procedure, assessment of the legality of the procedure,
handling of complaints (in relation to the contractor and/or the
Complaints Board on Public Procurement) and action for damages.
We offer tailor-made seminars and lectures based on the specific
needs of each client.
General EU/EEA-law
The EEA Agreement facilitates the free movement of goods,
services, services and capital within the EEA. We advise
undertakings, organisations and private citizens on these issues,
and handle complaints and legal proceedings before the EFTA
Surveillance Authority, the EFTA Court and the Norwegian
courts.