Competition, Retail and Consumer Law

Failure to comply with the French and European competition law standards is extremely costly. The Competition team advises clients to ensure compliance with this complex regulation in France and at the EU level. 

Our lawyers understand the intricacies of all applicable regulatory frameworks in France, Europe, and internationally. We anticipate competitive risks, and create value by navigating the law effectively. 

We provide pragmatic and business-oriented support to clients in all aspects of their activities, upstream (supply chain, manufacturing, logistics) and downstream (distribution, intermediation, digitalization). We help clients develop, structure, and deploy projects; and we help them manage the issues that arise.

Merger Notification to National or European Competition Authorities

We help you ensure you properly notify the regulator during a merger, acquisition, or joint venture: 

• Checking whether the notification is mandatory or not 
• Determining the likelihood of obtaining consent from the authorities 
• Preparing and following up the notification documents provided to national and European competition authorities 
• Assistance implementing corrective measures 
• Appeals in the event consent is withheld

Assistance with applications for State funds and European subsidies

We assist beneficiary companies with their  applications for subsidies, from determining eligibility to notifying the authorities. We also advise businesses whose competitors were given a competitive advantage by subsidies, helping them to file a complaint with the European Commission. 

Purchasing strategies

Comprehensive advice on procurement strategies and tailored contract development, whether related to group purchasing or centralized procurement. 

Distribution Networks

Our team has extensive expertise about the current current transformation of distribution processes (multichannel/cross-channel/omnichannel -“phygital”) in both B2B and B2C environments. 

We help you develop a procurement, distribution, and marketing strategy. We advise on: 

• The best sales platform for your requirements (online, distributor networks, direct sales) 
• The acquisition of assets such as a retail space 
• Relevant contracts (exclusivity, commissions, concessions, subcontracting, supplier-distributor relations) 
• Network implementation 
• Network reorganization 
• Termination of commercial relationships 

E-commerce

More and more services and goods can now be delivered to homes, ordered online, picked up and returned in-store. We help you build the best e-commerce strategy.

Discount policy

Our consumer law specialists ensure your commercial offers and discount policies comply with advertising, promotional, and sales regulations. 

Competition Litigation

We are known for our expertise navigating competition law in French, European, and international courts. We help on litigation around unfair advantages provided by public subsidies, collusion, abuse of dominant position, restrictive trade practices: 

• Advising around the execution of search warrants and the seizure of assets 
• Defending our clients’ interests before French and European competition regulators e
• State subsidy cases, before the WTO 

Consumer-related disputes

Our team represents clients in numerous disputes concerning consumer law:

• Damage assessment and class action cases 
• Negotiation with the authorities 
• Unfair/deceptive commercial practices 
• Non-compliant discount policy 
• Comparison between brands 
• Health & safety compliance 
• Controlled designation policy compliance  
• Compliance with standards 
• Criminal liability of executives 

Distribution Litigation

We can handle the full range of distribution disputes, including violations of contractual relationships, anti-competitive or discriminatory practices, disputes with franchises or distribution networks. 

Compliance

Our Compliance offering aims to mitigate legal and reputational risks that could weaken the finances of your business. 

We conduct a comprehensive audit of your commercial practices, distribution networks, and commercial contracts to identify potential legal risks and propose solutions. We can also audit a company you are targeting for acquisition, merger, or a joint venture. 

We then devise a compliance program to address the gaps detected during the audit. Usually this includes training and the implementation of monitoring tools and alert mechanisms on an international scale.