Competition, investment screening and subsidy control

We can help you navigate the increasing complexities of competition/antitrust law, merger control, investment screening regulation, subsidy control regimes and consumer protection laws.

As one of the largest dedicated competition teams outside of London, we offer City-quality advice in a cost-effective way.

We’re a specialist team advising on all aspects of competition law, including:

  • Transactional support, including merger control and investment screening.
  • Advice on how to ensure your day to day-to-day commercial strategies and trading practices are competition law-compliant.
  • Dealing with competition investigations, including internal evidence gathering and leniency applications.
  • Competition law compliance programmes.
  • Subsidy control.
  • Compliance with consumer protection laws.

Our experience

Merger control – We advise on the most complex merger control cases, including cases requiring an in-depth Phase 2 review by the competition authority. We have extensive experience advising companies operating in concentrated markets or with high market shares, and can provide strategic advice on deal structure, risk assessment and options for navigating the regulatory process. Where a transaction raises no material issues, our role is to achieve any necessary clearances in as streamlined a manner as possible.

Commercial and trading practices – We work closely with clients to ensure their trading practices remain competition law compliant, while meeting their strategic needs. We've advised on managing pan-European distribution networks, territorial exclusivity, online sales restrictions, and structuring pricing and rebate systems.

International – Much of our advice has an international element, and we regularly support clients considering the application of EU competition law on their commercial strategy or in dealing with multiple national merger control processes. We work closely with competition specialists in our network of relationship firms across the globe.

Subsidy control – Our subsidy control (formerly State aid) advice has assisted clients to produce successful, subsidy control compliant, ERDF / Local Growth Fund / Research Partnership Investment Fund grant and loan applications.

Consumer protection – Our team includes an expert on all aspects of consumer protection legislation, including the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) expanded enforcement powers under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCCA).

Investment screening – We have extensive experience advising on investment screening, in particular the application of the UK’s far-reaching investment screening regime, the National Security and Investment Act 2001.

Did you know?

We provide a full-service competition law offering throughout the UK, meaning you can access competition expertise in locations close to you.

We offer fully trained dawn raids rapid response teams, ready to provide urgent support in the event of a dawn raid by the CMA. 

Team members have experience of working in-house and at the competition authorities, which provides us with unique and invaluable insights to be able to give you practical, effective advice.

Our clients

We work with a wide range of clients, from public companies operating on a global basis, to instantly recognisable brands, to smaller UK firms considering competition law for the first time.

Our clients are active across a variety of sectors including, for example: 

  • Food and agribusiness sector – where we act for clients active from farm to fork, including agricultural commodities businesses to well-known branded food manufacturers.
  • Retail/consumer – in which we have advised on strategic collaborations, distribution network structures, pricing strategies, resale restrictions and online selling for a number of well-loved brands.
  • Health and life sciences sector – where we act for a range of innovative medtech and biotech firms, and private health providers.
  • Education sector – including further and higher education providers.
  • Emerging businesses – in the technology and digital space.
  • Sport sector – in which we have advised clients including governing and representative bodies on all aspects of their competition law compliance.

What our clients say about us

“We were extremely pleased with their service, knowledge and expertise. We would happily recommend them.”

Chambers & Partners

“The team has handled the complexity excellently. It is an area where legal input can be very technical and they're very strong at this, but also good at being open-minded about new ways forward.”

Chambers & Partners

“Strong understanding of competition sphere in the UK, Europe and beyond. Ability to determine appropriate filings and make recommendations on how to increase probability of success.”

Legal 500

“The small but superb band of competition lawyers at Mills & Reeve provide top notch advice.”

Legal 500

“Clear and commercial advice. They get straight to the point and answer the question upfront whilst also setting out the technical legal analysis.”

Legal 500

Meet the competition, investment screening and subsidy control team

Dawn raids

A dawn raid is a hugely disruptive event and places significant pressure on an organisation as the CMA has extensive investigative powers and can impose substantial fines for obstruction/non-cooperation with an investigation.

It's crucial to have an effective response strategy in place. Any company could be affected by a dawn raid, regardless of size or sector, if the CMA has reason to suspect that it may have breached competition law.

We've developed and launched the "M&R Dawn Raid" app, which is intended to provide some “first aid” support for dealing with a dawn raid by the CMA at the touch of a button. The app provides some user-friendly checklists to assist with the initial response to a dawn raid, as well as contact details for trained Mills & Reeve individuals based across the UK.

M&R Dawn Raid on iPhone

Click below to download or go to the App Store on your phone and search for the "M&R Dawn Raid". 

Download on iPhone

M&R Dawn Raid on Android

Click below to download or go to the Google Play Store on your phone and search for the "M&R Dawn Raid". 

Download on Android

Frequently asked questions

Our competition team has extensive experience of the application of competition law to aspects of commercial strategy and transactional activity, gained from time in private practice, in-house and working at the competition regulators.

These are some of the frequently asked questions from our clients:

A: Yes! All businesses must comply with competition law, whatever sector they operate in, and the competition authorities are interested in tackling anti-competitive behaviour wherever they uncover it. They have carried out investigations and enforcement activities in sectors as diverse as pharmaceuticals, building and construction, transport and fashion. We get to know you, your objectives, and the issues you’re facing to offer advice that is tailored to you and your sector.

A: The potential consequences for breaking competition law can be significant and severe for both the organisation(s) and individual(s) involved, including fines of up to 10% of annual group worldwide turnover, and individuals can also face personal sanctions. We can advise on highly sensitive internal investigations if you suspect there has been a breach of competition law within your business, including advice on making a leniency application to the authorities. We also have experience in advising on and attending unannounced inspections by the competition authorities (dawn raids) and on responding to competition investigations.

A: Good competition law policies, procedures, and compliance training programmes can help minimise the risk of non-compliance. We have extensive experience designing and delivering bespoke competition compliance policies and training programmes for all levels within an organisation. 

A: Prior to completion, a transaction can require regulatory clearance under the merger control and / or investment screening regimes of one or multiple jurisdictions. In some cases, clearance can be subject to conditions. The timelines for review under such regimes, some of which are mandatory, need to be factored into the deal timetable as early as possible to avoid surprises. We can help you navigate the most complex of UK and multi-jurisdictional merger reviews and investment screening notifications.

A: Subsidy control rules apply to “public authorities”. A public authority is a body or entity that exercises functions of a public nature, which is essentially any body or entity that is subject to judicial review. However, the recipient of a subsidy has a vested interest in ensuring that the rules are complied with because one of the sanctions for non-compliance is that the subsidy is clawed back from the recipient. We have experience of advising both public authorities and recipients of subsidies on compliance with subsidy control rules.

Environmental, social and governance (ESG)

We help you keep pace with the changes, challenges and opportunities in this rapidly evolving landscape.

Read more about ESG

Related sectors & services

Commercial Corporate law Mergers, acquisitions and disposals Private equity Supply chain management and contract