Global Competition Policy

Overview

The UK’s exit from the European Union and a Trump presidency in the US will have major implications for the global competition and antitrust policy arena. The UK’s potential withdrawal from the Single Market post-Brexit and the stated intent of President Trump to pursue an ‘America first’ principle in trade matters, risks fragmenting the global consensus on competition regulation as a public interest objective, and politicizing competition policy frameworks through the pursuit of protectionist measures that prioritize national interests. In addition, national public sentiments are increasingly at odds with the principles underpinning globalization and global business, with potential repercussions for the future direction of competition policy and regulation.
    
The annual Chatham House Competition Policy conference will address what these major political and populist developments mean for competition policy-making frameworks, and how they may reshape existing approaches to regulation, as well as the rules governing merger controls, state aid and antitrust enforcement.

Continuing Professional Development 
6 CPD hours are available for delegates attending this event, as per the Bar Standards Board’s CPD Provider Accreditation Scheme.

For professionals regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, 6 CPD hours are available for delegates that remain opted into the 16 hours annual CPD requirement.

The Chatham House Rule 
To enable as open a debate as possible, this conference will be held under the Chatham House Rule.

Twitter 
#CHCompetition

Pricing and booking information  

General Counsel of major companies may register at the standard government department rate.

Ways to book:

1. Online: Click here to complete the online registration form
2. Phone: Call Dora Rencoret on +44 (0)20 7314 2785
3. Email / Post: Download a PDF registration form, complete and return to Charlotte Laycock via email or post: Chatham House, 10 St. James’s Square, London, SW1Y 4LE

Your delegate pass includes:

• Conference attendance
• Documentation
• Lunch and refreshments

Travel and accommodation are not included. View a list of recommended hotels here.

Friday 16 June
0930

Session One | Political Developments and Global Approaches to Competition Policy
9:30 - 11:15

This session will explore how major political shifts, competing national political priorities, waning efforts on trade liberalization, and rising anti-globalization sentiments are affecting competition policy and antitrust regulation.

• How will Brexit affect the ability of European competition authorities to play a role in the wider global policy-making framework?
• To what extent will the US adopt a more traditional approach to competition issues? What will an ‘America first’ principle mean in practice for US trade relations and US organizations responsible for antitrust policy and enforcement?
• How can a global consensus on competition policy as an important public interest objective be preserved? What do recent political developments mean for collaboration between national authorities?

Chair’s opening remarks
John Davies, Senior Vice President, Compass Lexecon

Speakers
Abbott ‘Tad’ Lipsky, Acting Director, Bureau of Competition, US Federal Trade Commission
Zhi Shengmin, Deputy Director General, Bureau of Price Supervision and Anti-Monopoly, National Development & Reform Commission, China
Paulo Burnier da Silveira, Commissioner, Administrative Council for Economic Defense, Brazil
Sir Philip Lowe, Senior Advisor, FTI Consulting

Questions and discussion

11:15 – 11:45 Refreshments

Session Two | Global Antitrust Enforcement
11:45 – 13:15

This session will explore how a post-Brexit legal order and a Trump administration will affect co-operation on antitrust enforcement and investigations into potential abuses of market dominance.

• Will the UK follow a traditional free-enterprise approach to antitrust? If so what would this mean for competition tribunal judgements in the UK? Post-Brexit, what is the likelihood of parallel antitrust investigations in the UK and the EU?
• Could Brexit lead to a more prosecutorial model of antitrust enforcement, with a greater emphasis on individual liability?
• How can international co-operation on antitrust enforcement be fostered and maintained? Will information sharing between national regulators be affected by political developments?

Chair    
Thomas Vinje, Partner, Chairman, Global Antitrust Practice Group, Clifford Chance 

Speakers
Vincent Pickering, Associate General Counsel, Spotify
Professor Dr Vincent Martenet, President, Swiss Competition Commission (COMCO) 
Alejandro Faya Rodríguez, Commissioner, Federal Economic Competition Commission Mexico
Emily Smith, Global Head of Competition Law, HSBC

Questions and discussion

13:15 – 14:15 Lunch

Session Three | Implications for State Aid
14:15 - 15:30

This session will focus on state aid policy, an area where Brexit creates considerable potential for divergence, and what the tension between national and international policies will mean for existing frameworks governing state aid.

• How will Brexit affect the institutional limits of the state aid framework? Will the UK’s industrial strategy lead to a more interventionist approach from government as it adopts a more active role?
• Will compliance with state aid rules be a condition of any trading arrangement between the UK and EU and under what circumstances can it be achieved, given the uncertainty and complexity surrounding the post-Brexit transition?
• What would a change in the approach to state aid in the UK mean for other competition regulators, in the EU and internationally?

Chair
Jenine Hulsmann, Partner, Clifford Chance

Speakers
Kelyn Bacon QC, Brick Court Chambers
Sam Brand, Deputy Director, Market Access: Analysis and Cross-cutting Regulations, Department for Exiting the European Union
Tembinkosi Bonakele, Commissioner, Competition Commission South Africa 
Andrea Biondi, Professor of European Union Law, Director of the Centre for European Law, King’s College London

Questions and discussion

15:30 – 16:00 Afternoon refreshments

Session Four | Politics, Mergers and the Public Interest
16:00 - 17:15

This session will assess the political climate for merger activity and how industrial policies may affect merger reviews and the use of public interest tests.

• Will the UK take advantage of potential new freedoms to utilize public interest tests? What is the risk that conflicting approaches and decisions may damage competitive markets or result in an anti-competitive environment?
• How will major European economies approach the issue of maintaining competitive markets versus protecting politically important industries?
• What is the prevailing political and public appetite for global mergers in Europe and the US? Does the contemporary political mood signal a swing towards greater enforcement and anti-merger policies, and will merger decisions become increasingly politicized?
• How will the relationship between industrial and competition policies shape merger reviews post-Brexit? Will the use of public interest tests become more widespread? What would this mean for the EU Merger Regulation?

Chair
Professor Eyad Maher Dabbah, Director ICC, School of Law, Queen Mary University of London

Speakers
Dr Andrea Coscelli, Acting Chief Executive, Competition and Markets Authority UK
Stanislas Martin, Rapporteur général, Autorité de la concurrence
Lorenzo Coppi, Executive Vice-President and Head of the Brussels Office, Compass Lexecon
Gabriel McGann, Senior Counsel, Competition, The Coca-Cola Company
Marceline Tournier, Senior Antitrust Counsel, Nestle

Questions and discussion

1730 Close of conference and drinks reception

© The Royal Institute of International Affairs 2017

Speakers

Kelyn Bacon QC

Brick Court Chambers

Andrea Biondi

Professor of European Union Law, Director of the Centre for European Law, King’s College London

Tembinkosi Bonakele

Commissioner, Competition Commission South Africa

Sam Brand

Deputy Director, Market Access: Analysis and Cross-cutting Regulations, Department for Exiting the European Union

Lorenzo Coppi

Executive Vice - President and Head of the Brussels Office, Compass Lexecon

Dr Andrea Coscelli

Acting Chief Executive, Competition and Markets Authority UK

Paulo Burnier da Silveira

Commissioner, Administrative Council for Economic Defense, Brazil

John Davies

Senior Vice President, Compass Lexecon

Alejandro Faya Rodríguez

Commissioner, Federal Economic Competition Commission Mexico

Jenine Hulsmann

Partner, Clifford Chance

Abbott ‘Tad’ Lipsky

Acting Director, Bureau of Competition, US Federal Trade Commission

Sir Philip Lowe

Senior Advisor, FTI Consulting

Professor Eyad Maher Dabbah

Director ICC, School of Law, Queen Mary University of London

Professor Dr Vincent Martenet

President, Swiss Competition Commission (COMCO)

Stanislas Martin

Rapporteur général, Autorité de la concurrence

Gabriel McGann

Senior Counsel, Competition, The Coca-Cola Company

Vincent Pickering

Associate General Counsel, Spotify

Zhi Shengmin

Deputy Director General, Bureau of Price Supervision and Anti-Monopoly, National Development & Reform Commission, China

Emily Smith

Global Head of Competition Law, HSBC

Marceline Tournier

Senior Antitrust Counsel, Nestle

Thomas Vinje

Chair, Antitrust Practice, Clifford Chance

Sponsors 
 

If you are interested in becoming a sponsor for this event, please contact
Kamil Hussain on +44 (0) 20 7957 5732

Media partners

If you are interested in becoming a media partner for this event, please contact 
Amy Smith on +44 (0)20 7957 5755

Venue

Chatham House
10 St James's Square
London
SW1Y 4LE
UK
[email protected]

Telephone: +44 (0)20 7314 2785
Fax: +44 (0)20 7957 5710

If you wish to book the venue for your own event please phone +44 (0)20 7314 2764

Directions
The nearest tube station is Piccadilly Circus which is on the Piccadilly and the Bakerloo Underground lines. From Piccadilly follow Regent Street southwards towards Pall Mall and take the first road on the right called Jermyn Street. Duke of York Street is the second road on the left and leads to St James's Square. Chatham House is immediately on your right.

Map

Accommodation
Although we cannot book accommodation for delegates, we have arranged a reduced rate at some nearby hotels, where you can book your own accommodation. Please inform the hotel that you will be attending a conference at Chatham House (The Royal Institute of International Affairs) to qualify for the Institute's reduced rate.

Please note all rates are subject to availability.

Flemings Mayfair
13 Half Moon Street
Mayfair
London - W1J 7BH

Tel: + 44 (0)20 7499 2964
Fax: + 44 (0)20 7499 1817
[email protected]

Classic Double without breakfast: £195 +VAT

The Cavendish London
81 Jermyn Street
London - SW1U 6JF

Tel: + 44 (0)20 7930 2111
Fax: + 44 (0)20 7839 2125
[email protected]

Classic Room without breakfast: £205 +VAT

Book The Cavendish online

The Stafford London 
St James's Place
London - SW1A 1NJ

Tel: 020 7493 0111
Fax: 020 7493 7121
[email protected]

Classic Queen without breakfast: £247 +VAT
Quote Chatham House

Press registration

This conference will be held under the Chatham House Rule. Information for journalists.

Press can request a press pass.

Contact us 

For enquiries relating to the conference agenda or sponsorship please call Kamil Hussain on 
+44 (0)20 7314 2783

For registration enquiries please call Dora Rencoret on +44 (0)20 7314 2785

For general enquiries please email [email protected]