Merging chambers – challenges and opportunities – The Future of Law

Posted April 22nd, 2014 in barristers, legal profession, mergers, news by sally

‘Kate Beaumont interviews Frank Feehan QC, head of chambers at 42 Bedford Row, on the forthcoming merger between 42 Bedford Row and a substantial number of 13 King’s Bench Walk.’

Full story

The Future of Law, 16th April 2014

Source: www.futureoflaw.lexisnexis.co.uk

Akzo Nobel NV v Competition Commission and others (Metlac Holding Srl intervening) – WLR Daily

Posted April 17th, 2014 in competition, enforcement, foreign companies, jurisdiction, law reports, mergers by tracey

Akzo Nobel NV v Competition Commission and others (Metlac Holding Srl intervening): [2014] EWCA Civ 482;   [2014] WLR (D)  171

‘For the purposes of determining whether the Competition Commission had power under section 86(1) of the Enterprise Act 2002 to make an enforcement order against a person in order to prevent the anti-competitive outcome of a transaction, a person who exercised the strategic and operational management and control of a manufacturing and sales business, a substantial part of which was carried on within the UK, was to be regarded as “carrying on” that business in the UK, even where he or she never established a presence in the UK and his or her management and control took place entirely outside the UK.’

WLR Daily, 14th April 2014

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

OFT clears Google’s takeover of Waze – OUT-LAW.com

Posted November 13th, 2013 in competition, internet, mergers, news, ombudsmen, takeovers by tracey

“The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has cleared Google’s takeover of Israeli-based mapping technology company Waze Mobile after finding it does not raise competition concerns.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 12th November 2013

Source: www.out-law.com

Google’s acquisition of Waze under scrutiny by OFT – OUT-LAW.com

Posted August 29th, 2013 in competition, mergers, news by sally

“Google’s acquisition of an Israeli-based mapping technology company is being scrutinised by the UK’s Office of Fair Trading (OFT).’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 28th August 2013

Source: www.out-law.com

Small law firms may be forced to merge under legal aid plans – The Guardian

Posted July 4th, 2013 in law firms, legal aid, legal representation, mergers, news, select committees by sally

“Small law firms reliant upon legal aid will be forced to amalgamate under plans being examined by the Ministry of Justice to save £220m a year.”

Full story

The Guardian, 3rd July 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 – legislation.gov.uk

Full text of Act

Source: www.legislation.gov.uk

Anyone for another round? The Court of Appeal’s nuanced approach to the duty of “sincere cooperation” – Competition Bulletin from Blackstone Chambers

Posted January 16th, 2013 in competition, EC law, mergers, news, treaties by sally

“The duty of ‘sincere cooperation’ set out in Article 4(3) TEU requires Member States to take appropriate measures to ‘ensure fulfillment of the obligations arising out of the Treaties or resulting from the acts of the institutions of the Union’ as well as to ‘refrain from any measure which could jeopardise the attainment of the Union’s objectives’. When and in what way are Member State authorities required to act – or desist from acting – in order to comply with this duty?”

Full story

Competition Bulletin from Blackstone Chambers, 16th January 2013

Source: www.competitionbulletin.com

In re Itau BBA International Ltd – WLR Daily

Posted July 2nd, 2012 in EC law, law reports, mergers by sally

In re Itau BBA International Ltd [2012] EWHC 1783 (Ch); [2012] WLR (D) 187

“The definition of ‘existing transferee company’ in regulation 3(1) of the Companies (Cross-Border Mergers) Regulations 2007 was intended to do no more than to exclude from merger by absorption a transferee company formed for the purposes of, or in connection with, a merger by formation of a new company.”

WLR Daily, 28th June 2012

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Phone hacking: Rupert Murdoch forced to back down over BSkyB takeover – Daily Telegraph

Posted July 12th, 2011 in competition, media, mergers, news, ombudsmen by tracey

“Jeremy Hunt, the Culture Secretary, wrote to Ofcom, the media regulator, and the Office of Fair Trading yesterday morning to ask whether the failure of News International, News Corp’s British newspaper arm, to properly manage the News of the World could mean the takeover should be blocked. Hours later, News Corp withdrew its proposal to spin off Sky News as a financially and editorially independent unit, which would have got the merger cleared by regulators, effectively forcing Mr Hunt to refer the bid to the Competition Commission.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 11th July 2011

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Takeover Panel tables M&A code overhaul – The Independent

Posted March 22nd, 2011 in mergers, news, takeovers by sally

“The Takeover Panel has moved a step closer to drastically overhauling its code as it seeks to remove the ‘tactical advantage’ for hostile bidders targeting UK companies.”

Full story

The Independent, 22nd March 2011

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Merger of Competition Commission and OFT meets with muted response – The Lawyer

Posted March 17th, 2011 in competition, consultations, consumer protection, mergers, news, quangos by sally

“Competition lawyers have offered a lukewarm response to Government proposals to streamline and improve the UK’s competition regime.”

Full story

The Lawyer, 16th March 2011

Source: www.thelawyer.com

Opponents of News Corp takeover of BSkyB consider judicial review – The Guardian

Posted March 3rd, 2011 in judicial review, media, mergers, news by sally

“An alliance of media groups opposed to News Corporation’s takeover of BSkyB, including BT and the publishers of the Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph and Guardian, are considering seeking a judicial review of the government’s approval of the deal on Thursday.”

Full story

The Guardian, 3rd March 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Ofcom ‘to review’ News Corp bid for BSkyB – BBC News

Posted September 16th, 2010 in competition, media, mergers, news by sally

“The BBC has learned that Ofcom will be asked to review News Corporation’s bid for BSkyB once a formal offer is made.”

Full story

BBC News, 15th September 2010

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Competition Commission clears music biz merger – OUT-LAW.com

Posted May 10th, 2010 in competition, mergers, news by sally

“The Competition Commission has given the all clear to a merger between two live music companies for the second time. Its first decision in the case was quashed by the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT).”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 7th May 2010

Source: www.out-law.com

Sky forced to slash ITV holding as court sets benchmark for corporate influence – OUT-LAW.com

Posted January 26th, 2010 in competition, media, mergers, news by sally

“Pay TV company BSkyB has been told that it must follow the Competition Commission’s orders and sell over half of its stake in broadcaster ITV at a loss of around £500 million. The Court of Appeal backed the Commission’s ruling.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 21st January 2010

Source: www.out-law.com

British Sky Broadcasting Group plc and another v Competition Commission and another – WLR Daily

Posted January 22nd, 2010 in appeals, competition, law reports, media, mergers by sally

British Sky Broadcasting Group plc and another v Competition Commission and another [2010] EWCA Civ 2; [2010] WLR (D) 5

“In deciding whether or not the recommendation of the Competition Commission that a proposed merger should be prevented as contrary to the public interest, the Competition Appeal Tribunal was not required to exercise a greater intensity of judicial review than would be applied on a normal judicial review application. S 120(4) of the Competition Act 1998 required the appeal tribunal to apply the same principles as would be applied by a court on an application for judicial review. It would fly in the face of the section’s words if the tribunal, as a hyper-competent specialised tribunal, were required to undertake a more intensive review.”

WLR Daily, 21st January 2010

Source: www.lawreports.co.uk

Please note that once a case has been fully reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.

Sky ordered to sell down stake in ITV – The Guardian

Posted January 21st, 2010 in appeals, competition, media, mergers, news by sally

“The court of appeal today ordered BSkyB to sell down its 17.9% stake in ITV.”

Full story

The Guardian, 21st January 2010

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

UK competiton regulator rules against Ticketmaster, Live Nation merger – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 8th, 2009 in competition, mergers, news by sally

“Britain’s competition authorities have provisionally ruled against the controversial mega-merger of ticketing giant Ticketmaster with the world’s largest concert promoter Live Nation.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 8th October 2009

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Survey on the future provision of Library services

Posted July 21st, 2009 in inns of court, libraries, mergers, news by sally

CHEMS Consulting is carrying out a feasibility study on behalf of the Inner and Middle Temple to investigate the potential benefits of merging their two libraries and creating a Joint Education and Advocacy Centre.

One element in the feasibility study is to assess what the demand for library services is on the part of the Bar, students and other members of the Inns, and how it is currently being met. Both Inns also want to consider what services a merged library should offer its users if a merger were to proceed.

A survey questionnaire has been developed by the consultants in order to get the views of Inner and Middle Temple members and tenants and other Library users. From 29th June to 17th July the survey was available in electronic form on the Inns’ web sites and in printed form in both Libraries. Members and tenants of both Inns were also emailed about the survey. The Inner Temple results are now available on the Library’s web site. To view the results of the survey click here.

Survey on the future provision of Library services

Posted June 29th, 2009 in inns of court, libraries, mergers, news by sally

CHEMS Consulting is carrying out a feasibility study on behalf of the Inner and Middle Temple to investigate the potential benefits of merging their two libraries.

One element in the feasibility study is to assess what the demand for library services is on the part of the Bar, students and other members of the Inns, and how it is currently being met. Both Inns also want to consider what services a merged library should offer its users if a merger were to proceed.

In order to get the opinion of members, tenants and other Library users the consultants have developed a survey questionnaire. Click here to complete the survey.