United Kingdom: Antitrust/Competition Law

The UK government is consulting on a package of reforms to make the opt-out collective proceedings (CPO) regime, regulatory appeals and competition enforcement swifter and simpler. This follows a call for evidence last year on the CPO regime. The key proposals include:

The European Commission has imposed a historic €550 million fine on AliExpress for violations of the Digital Services Act, marking a significant enforcement action in the regulation of digital platforms. This unprecedented penalty raises critical questions about compliance obligations for major e-commerce platforms operating in the European Union and the Commission's approach to enforcing digital marketplace standards.

The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched its first investigations under the enhanced consumer protection regime introduced by the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act. These investigations target online pricing practices, pressure selling tactics, and fake or misleading consumer reviews, with three completed cases resulting in infringement decisions, penalties, and consumer redress measures. The CMA has also issued advisory letters to over a hundred businesses regarding compli

The strict criteria laid down in the EU Court of Justice's (CJEU) landmark Bronner judgment have often been deployed by dominant firms as a "shield" when facing accusations of acting abusively by blocking competitors from using or accessing their assets.

Freight transport M&A showed signs of recovery in Q1 2026, with deal volume rising approximately 5% and capital concentrating in larger strategic transactions. North American activity surged back to pre-Liberation Day levels, while geopolitical risks and structural oversupply continued to reshape buyer strategies and underwriting models across the sector.

Over the past two decades, the value of sports franchises and related assets has skyrocketed, with rapid revenue growth across various commercial streams including the more traditional broadcasting and sponsorship (both now of course more global than ever), to new commercial tie ups and off field year round monetisation of stadia. While the skyrocketing valuations have prompted some commentators to argue that we could be witnessing the formation of a "sports bubble", this does not seem correct to us.

The Competition and Markets Authority has dramatically increased its enforcement activity, imposing over £5.7M in fines in early 2026 and accelerating investigation timelines under new statutory duties. Businesses face heightened scrutiny across consumer protection practices, from advertising to commercial operations, requiring immediate attention to compliance frameworks and rapid-response capabilities.

The UK Competition and Markets Authority has imposed its first conduct requirements on Google under the new Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, targeting how the tech giant handles publisher content in AI-generated responses, ranks businesses in search results, and enables data portability. These legally enforceable obligations go beyond European Union requirements and open the door for affected companies to take direct legal action against Google for non-compliance.

The UK Competition and Markets Authority has exercised its new enforcement powers under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 for the first time, imposing a £4.2 million penalty on The AA for drip pricing practices.