In today's competitive landscape, businesses face increasing scrutiny from regulators and need to negotiate complex competition laws

Companies must ensure compliance while seizing opportunities for growth and innovation. The stakes are high, with potential fines, reputational damage, and operational disruptions looming for those who fall short. Our clients need clear, practical guidance to stay ahead of regulatory changes and maintain a competitive edge.

At Shoosmiths, we provide comprehensive competition law services tailored to your business needs. Our experienced team, which is based in our UK and Brussels offices, offers day-to-day compliance advice, designs effective compliance policies, and delivers engaging training sessions. We also support clients through investigations by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and other regulators and guide them through merger control and regulatory clearances (both in the UK and internationally). Our expertise is recognised in leading legal directories, and we are proud to be the go-to advisors for numerous household name businesses. Our holistic approach ensures you receive pragmatic, commercially astute advice that helps you navigate the complexities of competition law with confidence.

Our team additionally possess considerable experience supporting clients in securing national security clearances for corporate transaction, under the UK’s NSI Act and internationally.

• deep experience advising clients in the automotive sector, including advising automotive manufacturers on managing competition law considerations within their businesses and representing a major international OEM in the CMA’s 2025 cartel investigation into the sector

• acting for Aramark Limited in the CMA’s Phase 1 and Phase 2 merger control review of its completed acquisition of Entier Limited

• guiding clients through the merger control aspects of corporate transactions, including Five Arrows through a series of strategic acquisitions (including securing EU Merger Regulation clearance for its joint acquisition of Agilio Software) and Fosroc through its USD1 billion sale to Saint-Gobain

• successfully defending a party in a cartel investigation by the FCA in the financial services sector, and a party in a cartel investigation by the EU Commission in relation to no-poach agreements

• delivering tailored competition law training and compliance programmes for international corporations and domestic businesses, including rolling out eLearning to several thousand staff of an international automotive manufacturer and delivering in-person training to several hundred employees of a major supplier of construction materials annually, as well as ad hoc advice and training to clients across sectors including consumer & retail, mobility, financial services and energy & infrastructure

• advising on the National Security and Investment Act (and other FDI) implications of over 200 corporate transactions annually

Expertise that connects across sectors & services