Competition

“Flexible and creative people, eager to find the proper solutions for the clients’ needs” (Chambers & Partners 2011).

Always up to date with the most recent developments in the competition field, the Competition Practice constantly offers in-depth and innovative competition advice in a wide array of complex competition matters.

Our team has a broad experience in assisting local and foreign clients active in various sectors (such as telecommunications, construction, banking and other financial services, consumer goods, pharmaceutical, media, automotive, and energy – natural gas, oil services, electricity) in structuring transactions and operations to meet the requirements of Romanian and EU competition legislation and in defending or obtaining clearance for their business conduct.

We have the capacity to provide the entire range of tailored competition advice, through a creative and thorough approach:
• assistance in all phases of investigations: dawn raid assistance, post-dawn raid risk assessments and recommendations, preparation of defense strategies and statements of defense in response to the competition authority’s statements of objections, pleading during the hearings, challenge in court of decisions (including suspension of the obligation to pay the fine)
• advice on leniency and commitments applications
• structuring of transactions and commercial mechanisms in order to meet the requirements of Romanian and EU competition legislation
• merger clearance
• competition audits and follow-up recommendations in consideration of the identified risks
• specialized competition training
• state aid assessments

The Competition Practice Team is coordinated by Georgeta Harapcea, who, according to Chambers & Partners (2011), “garners praise for her profound understanding of her clients’ business needs”, sources observing that she is “technically excellent, very commercial and very experienced”.

The Team is praised by Chambers & Partners (2011) for the “impressive professional and academic experience”, due to the expertise combining knowledge obtained at some of the most prestigious European Universities with extensive experience in dealing with the competition authorities, including by benefiting of the in-depth expertise of two former Romanian Competition Council competition inspectors.

The Team is also a regular contributor to leading specialized publications (Institute of Competition Law - e-Competitions Bulletin; Chambers Magazine; Global Competition Review - Getting the Deal Through; International Financial Law Review; Global Legal Group - International Comparative Legal Guide) and organizes various events, discussing together with their guests the most recent competition law and practice developments.

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