RBB has a pan-European outlook. We have worked extensively on cases before the European Commission as well as on national assignments in virtually all Member States of the European Union, and in several countries outside the EU.

We have offices in London, Brussels, The Hague, Melbourne and Johannesburg.
(See our Locations page for details)

Our team of economists is multi-national and multi-lingual; it includes experts who can work in a range of European languages, including Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Slovene, Spanish and Turkish.
 
   
 

The economists at RBB have assisted Irish clients with domestic
and EC cases, including:

  • Confidential advice on the impact of the new Competition Authority merger guidelines on prospects for consolidation in a sector. Our report analysed a number of consolidation scenarios against the criteria set out in the guidelines, and assessed evidence on pricing and market dynamics to evaluate the risks of regulatory intervention.
  • Expert advice to the Irish Competition Authority on a case under Section 4 of the Competition Act.
  • Production of an expert report on market definition and alleged dominant firm abuse for a client involved in a proceeding in the Irish courts. The report submitted to the Court contained an analysis of market definition and dominance in the context of Section 5 of the Competition Act, and explored a number of arguments relating to abuse and market distortion. The case settled shortly after the Court hearings commenced.
  • Advice to one of the regulatory agencies in Ireland on the economics of predation, which was used as an input to a policy review.

For more information about RBB and our work in Ireland, please contact:

RBB Economics London:
Email London
or +44 20 7421 2410

RBB Economics Brussels:
Email Brussels
or +32 2 792 0000

 
 
   
 

The pan-European competition experience of RBB’s economists includes work on European Commission cases involving Italian clients across sectors ranging from power cables, paper, recorded music and medical equipment.

For more information about RBB’s activities in Italy, or on any other aspect of our work, please contact:

RBB Economics London:
Email London
or +44 20 7421 2410

 

 
   
 

RBB’s extensive UK experience extends across a broad range of competition law settings and industries. We have recently worked on assignments in the supermarket, financial services, commercial broadcasting, electrical goods retailing, cruises, newspaper, horseracing, and toys sectors. Several members of our team have also worked for the OFT and other UK regulatory agencies.

In addition to European cases involving a UK perspective, our experience includes:

  • Expert economic advice on several of the leading cases brought under Chapter I and Chapter II of the Competition Act, including appeals to the Competition Appeals Tribunal.
  • Advice to firms involved in merger investigations before both the OFT and the Competition Commission.
  • Assistance to firms involved in market investigations under the Enterprise Act (and its predecessors), as well as regulatory proceedings involving the utilities.
  • We have also contributed expert reports, economic analysis and testimony in connection with arbitrations and civil proceedings heard before the courts.

For more information about RBB and its UK capabilities, please contact:

RBB Economics London:
Email London
or +44 20 7421 2410

 
 
   
 

The pan-European competition experience of RBB’s economists includes work for Spanish clientsand analysis of Spanish geographic markets for European Commission domestic Spanish cases across sectors ranging from pharmaceuticals, branded consumer goods, distribution, minerals and energy.

Our ability to provide rigorous economic support for clients is complemented by a Spanish-speaking capability.

For more information about RBB and our Spanish capabilities,
please contact:

RBB Economics Brussels:
Email Brussels
or +32 2 792 0000

RBB Economics London:
Email London
or +44 20 7421 2410

 
 
   
 

RBB’s extensive European competition experience includes work on domestic French cases as well as European investigations involving French companies and the analysis of a variety of national French markets.

Our experience on these cases encompasses a diverse range of sectors, including branded consumer goods, power generation equipment, industrial gases, packaging, distribution, grocery retailing and energy.

Our multinational team of economists includes a number of French speakers, and several economists with an ability to work in French.

For more information about RBB and our capability to work in France, please contact:

RBB Economics Brussels:
Email Brussels
or +32 2 792 0000

RBB Economics London:
Email London
or +44 20 7421 2410

 
 
   
 

RBB economists have been retained by Nordic and multinational clients with activities in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. Our experience includes cases before national authorities, as well as the European Commission and the EFTA Surveillance Authority.

Among the Nordic markets which we have analysed are those for financial services, oil products, petrochemicals, telecommunications, construction materials, aviation and marine transportation services, and grocery distribution.

Our team of economists is able to combine analytical rigour and a multi-national perspective with an understanding of Nordic markets and an ability to work in the Scandinavian languages.

For more information about RBB and its Nordic experience, please contact:

RBB Economics Brussels:
Email Brussels
or +32 2 792 0000

RBB Economics London:
Email London
or +44 20 7421 2410
 
   
 

Our experience on EC Commission cases has covered the following issues:

  • Mergers: In the course of our extensive experience of advising major clients before the EC Commission and the CFI, we have covered all the main issues raised by mergers. Our experience includes advice on market definition, unilateral effects, coordinated effects, vertical mergers and conglomerate mergers.
  • Article 82: Economists at RBB have advised on many of the leading recent cases involving allegations of abuse of dominance that have been investigated by the European Commission, the CFI and the ECJ. Our economists' experience in this area covers a range of alleged abuses by firms claimed to be in a dominant position. These have included: access to essential facilities; exclusionary discounting; tying and bundling; predation and price discrimination; and the analysis of market power issues in the presence of intellectual property rights.
  • Article 81: Economists at RBB have advised on many Article 81 cases involving both horizontal (cartels and joint ventures) and vertical issues (eg exclusive purchasing agreements and selective distribution agreements). We have also advised on the competitive effects of restrictions on parallel imports.
  • In addition, RBB has undertaken a number of internal studies for the EC Commission, including an in-house training seminar on the use of economics in EC competition law.

For more information about RBB and our EC Commission operations, please contact:

RBB Economics Brussels:
Email Brussels
or +32 2 792 0000

RBB Economics London:
Email London
or +44 20 7421 2410

 
 
   
 

RBB has supported clients during domestic German cases, in addition to numerous investigations involving German companies and German markets at a European level.

Our team includes economists who are fluent German speakers, and we have represented clients in hearings before the Bundeskartellamt, as well as the European Commission.

Our experience covers a wide spectrum of German industries, including construction materials, branded consumer goods, energy markets, steel tubes, automotive products, metals, distribution, petrochemicals, petrol retailing, mobile telecommunications, computer software, semiconductors and packaging.

For more information about RBB and our German experience please contact:

RBB Economics Brussels:
Email Brussels
or +32 2 792 0000

RBB Economics London:
Email London
or +44 20 7421 2410

 

More information in English | Mehr Informationen auf Deutsch

 
 
   
 

RBB has had extensive involvement with competition issues in the Netherlands. In addition to work supporting clients subject to merger investigations and investigations in relation to alleged restrictive agreements and abuse of dominance, we have also worked for the Netherlands Competition Authority (NMa), telecoms regulator OPTA, energy regulator DTe and the Ministry of Economic Affairs.

We have also assisted Dutch clients with cases before the European Commission.

Among the sectors of Dutch industry we have analysed are mobile and fixed telecommunications, broadband internet access, broadcasting, post, newspapers, magazines, directory services, IT-services, financial services, branded consumer products, grocery retailing, petrol retailing, medical equipment, coatings, construction materials, social housing, health care and energy. 
Through our office in The Hague we can provide local economic support as well as a Dutch speaking capability.

For more information about RBB’s activities in the Netherlands, or on any other aspect of our work, please contact:

RBB Economics The Hague:
Email The Hague
or +31 70 4262 277

» more information in English | » more information in Dutch

 
 
   
 

Our experience on domestic cases in the New Member States includes:

  • Advice on a merger between pay-TV operators. Our report assessed the appropriate definition of the relevant market and whether the market could commercially support two such pay-TV operators
  • Advice on a proposed merger in the tyre industry. Our report assessed the extent to which the relevant geographic market could legitimately be defined as national. Our analysis showed that this was not the case and in consequence the merger did not represent a merger to monopoly
  • An expert report on market definition submitted as part of a client’s evidence to the regulatory authorities in a merger case in the Czech Republic. The report analysed the implications of a consumer survey on substitutability between competing products in the food sector
  • Advice and seminars to the Slovakian competition authority. RBB senior staff members provided a series of workshops, seminars and study visits for the newly established Slovakian anti-monopoly office to assist in aligning Slovak policy and practice with best practice within the EU

For more information about RBB and our capabilities, including our extensive EC experience, please contact:

RBB Economics Brussels:
Email Brussels
or +32 2 792 0000

RBB Economics London:
Email London
or +44 20 7421 2410

 
 
   
 

The economists at RBB bring extensive experience of working on cases at both EC and Member State levels throughout Europe. This experience extends across a wide variety of competition law settings and industries. It includes work on projects involving Austrian companies and markets in sectors including metals, engineering, energy, retail distribution and branded consumer goods.

We bring a multi-national and multi-lingual approach to our work, including a German-speaking capability. Our ability to provide clients with rigorous economic support is complemented by practical expertise in applying these skills to particular industry and national settings.

For more information about RBB and our capabilities, including our extensive EC experience, please contact:

RBB Economics Brussels:
Email Brussels
or +32 2 792 0000

RBB Economics London:
Email London
or +44 20 7421 2410

 
 
   
 

The economists at RBB bring extensive experience of working on cases at both EC and Member State levels throughout Europe. This experience extends across a wide variety of competition law settings and industries. It includes work on projects involving Portuguese markets in sectors including branded consumer goods and petrochemicals.

We bring a multi-national and multi-lingual approach to our work. Our ability to provide clients with rigorous economic support is complemented by practical expertise in applying these skills to particular industry and national settings.

For more information about RBB and our capabilities, including our extensive EC experience, please contact:

RBB Economics Brussels:
Email Brussels
or +32 2 792 0000

RBB Economics London:
Email London
or +44 20 7421 2410

 
 
   
 

The economists at RBB bring extensive experience of working on cases at both EC and Member State levels throughout Europe. This experience extends across a wide variety of competition law settings, including mergers, abuse of dominance cases and investigations of restrictive agreements. It includes work on projects in a diverse range of industries.

We bring a multi-national and multi-lingual approach to our work. Our ability to provide clients with rigorous economic support is complemented by practical expertise in applying these skills to particular industry and national settings.

For more information about RBB and our capabilities, including our extensive EC experience, please contact:

RBB Economics Brussels:
Email Brussels
or +32 2 792 0000

RBB Economics London:
Email London
or +44 20 7421 2410