Rodyk and Davidson’s Competition Law Practice represents clients across various industries in notifying mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and anti-competitive agreements before the Competition Commission of Singapore (CCS). The Practice is led by senior partners drawn from across various practice groups thus providing our clients with a full spectrum of competition law services.

Our Competition Law Practice supports clients in achieving their commercial objectives while limiting their risk exposure and ensuring compliance with relevant laws. We assist clients to develop bespoke competition compliance programs to suit the industry and sector in which they operate.

Competition law in the ASEAN region is developing rapidly with a number of countries introducing or strengthening their competition legislative frameworks. Through our regional and global legal networks we are able to assist our clients with comprehensive and integrated services across the globe. Our strong understanding of the local business and regulatory environment enables us to offer clients innovative solutions to difficult and complex regulatory issues promptly and effectively.

General Competition Law Advisory

We offer general competition law advice pertaining to regulatory and complex issues that our clients face in their vertical and horizontal dealings with distributors, customers, suppliers, contractors and competitors. In particular, we advice on issues related to pricing, exclusive agreements, licensing, loyalty and discount scheme agreements, as well as other commercial arrangements. Additionally, we advise clients on a range of competition law issues including the implications of commercial agreements, joint ventures and those arrangements that may raise competition law issues.

Merger Notification & Filings

We draft merger filings on our clients’ behalf for submission to the CCS. Our practice analyses potential competition law issues in a proposed merger transaction, helping parties in address such concerns efficiently. We adopt a holistic approach in assessing competition law risks within the applicable legislative and regulatory framework. We undertake pre-notification discussions and negotiations with the CCS to expedite the merger filing process. Additionally, through our associated offices we facilitate clients in a coordinated merger filing across multiple jurisdictions.

Notifying Anti-Competitive Agreements/Conduct

We analyse business practices, in particular the sales processes, to identify potential infringing agreements or conduct. We advise clients in notifying their agreements or conduct to the CCS for guidance and decision and assist to draft and file such notifications. We work with our clients at every step of the transaction and devise appropriate strategies towards a desired outcome.

Cartels & Leniency

We advise clients on a broad spectrum of issues relating to investigation by the CCS. These include:

• Seeking immunity through leniency programs for clients involved in cartels
• Filing complaints on behalf of clients of alleged violation of competition law practices
• Conducting internal company investigations of suspected cartel behavior or abuse of dominance

Competition Litigation

Our multidisciplinary practice comprises team members with in-depth experience and expertise with contentious competition law claims and the latest developments in competition litigation, as well as defending intellectual property related disputes.

Competition Compliance Programs & Training

Competition Compliance Programmes are vital to a company’s risk management strategy. Such training programs play a key role in encouraging compliance and to mitigate infringement of the law. We regularly conduct training programs for clients that are proactive in competition compliance. We also design specific competition compliance codes and program for companies, depending on the industry they are operating in, so that employees are trained to deal appropriately with dawn raids and with competitors.

Competition Law Briefings & Alerts

Our Practice keeps clients informed of various developments in competition law and regulatory changes across the region through our briefings and alerts.

Recent Transactions

Some examples of our recent deals which we are authorised to disclose include the following: 

• Acted for Japan Airlines and American Airlines (members of the oneworld global alliance) with respect to their Joint Business Agreement and Alliance Agreement and successfully obtained the clearance decision from the CCS on 7th April 2011.
• Successfully obtained a favourable decision for a multinational company that was investigated for alleged infringement of anti-competitive prohibitions.
• Acted as Singapore counsel to AIG, advising on Singapore regulatory and merger control issues relating to the proposed sale of its Asian life insurance arm to Prudential PLC for S$50 billion.