Following a consultation in January, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is raising the threshold for markets where mergers might not warrant investigation from £10m to £15m. It is also changing the figure for markets generally considered not sufficiently important to warrant a merger reference from £3m to £5m. The CMA has a duty to refer mergers for an in-depth, phase 2 investigation if they could lead to a substantial lessening of competition. However, it may decide not to, for example, if it believes the costs involved are disproportionate to the size of the market concerned.
22 June 2017
Merger investigations
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Walkers—Muriel Marseille
Ashurst's Chief Risk Officer joins Walkers
Excello Law—John Osborne
Northern family lawyer John Osborne joins Excello
mfg Solicitors—Rebecca Rogers, Kennedy Langley & Victoria Griffiths
Trio of promotions announced at Kidderminster law firm mfg Solicitors
NEWS
A sole director can conspire with their own company for the purposes of the tort of unlawful means conspiracy, the High Court has ruled in a judgment with potentially wide implications for business disputes
The Court of Appeal has reinforced that domicile depends on intention rather than residence alone, in a significant post-Brexit ruling on cross-border financial remedy claims
The Chancery Division's long history comes to an end this autumn as it is reborn as the Business and Property Division, prompting questions over whether the shake-up is really necessary
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) continues to show that failing to disclose regulatory issues can attract harsher consequences than the original misconduct itself
Rejecting a generous settlement can prove an expensive mistake, as two recent high-profile cases demonstrate
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