Cartels

A cartel is a secret agreement between competitors, the object or effect of which is to suppress or minimize the competition that should normally take place between them.

In a cartel, competitors typically agree on fixing prices, reducing output, sharing markets, bid rigging, and/or exchanging sensitive business information. According to economists, it is not uncommon that cartels lead to price increases up to 30 %. Cartels are often considered as the most egregious infringement in antitrust law.

bureau Brandeis Paris lawyers have a wealth of experience in litigating cartel cases before both the French and EU competition authorities.

Our lawyers have been involved either as counsels, competition authority officials and senior courts advisors in some of the cartel cases which gave rise to some of the most ground-breaking cartel caselaw and highest fines at both the French and EU levels in the past 20 years.

bureau Brandeis Paris exclusively defends the interests of cartel victims. We are particularly well placed to assist them in obtaining that competition authorities adopt a sanction decision against cartel members.

We have specific experience in assessing information and evidence to establish a potential cartel infringement and define the best follow up strategy.

We have unique experience with the investigation process of the EU and national competition authorities and how to best assist victims before them, as some of bureau Brandeis Paris founding members were directly involved in conducting numerous dawn raids, dealing with immunity and leniency applicants, sending request for information letters and leading interviews with infringers or leniency applicants.

We have first-hand experience in the prosecution, sanction and appeal procedures in cartel cases and how to ensure that the best interests of the victim are taken into consideration at all stages of the procedure, including in the context of criminal investigations which are increasingly carried out in this area of antitrust law.

We have experience in dealing with cartels in a multitude of economic sectors, including the food processing industry, the construction and public work industries, the transport sector, the basic industries sector, the health sector, and the banking and insurance sector.

We have the knowledge and firepower with bureau Brandeis Amsterdam to assist lawyers based outside Europe in representing their clients which are harmed by cartel infringements in the EU before the EU and national competition authorities.

We specialize in bringing cases before both the competition authorities to obtain that the cartel be put to an end and the commercial or administrative courts to obtain damages for the injuries caused by this cartel (see in this regard our expertise in private antitrust enforcement).