João Gata speaks at the ICC Portugal V Congresso da Concorrência 2026

Lear is pleased to support the 5th Competition Congress in Portugal, taking place on 17 November, where our Partner João E. Gata will join as a speaker.

João will contribute to the second session, “Merger Control, Subsidies and Foreign Investment: What Path Towards the International Competitiveness of Portuguese Companies?”, alongside Ana Sofia Rodrigues (Portuguese Competition Authority), Vasco de Mello (CCP / ICC Portugal), Valeria Ferraz (Central de Cervejas), Luís Romão (CMS Portugal), and Dzhamil Oda (KPMG Law), with Miguel Gorjão-Henriques (Sérvulo) moderating the discussion. Read more

Green light for Conad Nord Ovest’s acquisition of Piùme

The Italian Competition Authority (ICA) has unconditionally cleared Conad Nord Ovest’s acquisition of Piùme, a retail drugstore chain.
Lear assisted Conad Nord Ovest from the early stage of the pre-notification phase, working closely with law firms PwC TLS and Reale to demonstrate that the relevant market for drugstore retailing is distinct from grocery retailing. Read more

Competition Law Beyond the Courts: The Rise of Arbitration

What role can arbitration play in resolving competition law disputes?

At the Lear Competition Festival 2026, a session organised by Lear explored this question, focusing on damages claims, distribution disputes, FRAND disputes and merger-related contractual conflicts.

Chaired by João Eduardo Gata, Partner at Lear, the panel brought together Daria Pastore, Partner at Legance, Lluís Paradell Trius, Counsel at Paradell International Law, and Emilio Paolo Villano, Partner at ELEXI. Read more

Impact assessment of AGCM competition advocacy interventions in public services sectors

We are pleased to share a new study conducted by Lear for the Italian Competition Authority (AGCM), assessing the potential economic impact of its advocacy interventions in local public services.
The study develops an ex ante methodology to quantify the potential benefits of advocacy in terms of lower costs and improved service quality, focusing on urban waste management and local public transport.
For urban waste management, the econometric analysis suggests potentially significant benefits associated with the Authority’s interventions. The estimates point to an increase of 7.3–8.8 percentage points in separate waste collection rates and potential savings of around 20% in collection and transport costs for the authorities concerned. These estimates are the ex ante expected benefits and do not account for the administration compliance rates after the Authority’s interventions. Read more

MARKET-BASED ALLOCATION OF AIRPORT SLOTS

Can market mechanisms improve the allocation of scarce airport capacity?
Airport slots remain one of the scarcest resources in air transport, yet their allocation continues to rely predominantly on administrative rules. As demand for air travel continues to grow and infrastructure expansion becomes increasingly challenging, the need for more efficient allocation mechanisms is becoming ever more pressing.

In a new Lear Competition Note, Eduardo Cardadeiro and João E. Gata examine whether a gradual, market-based approach could improve the allocation of airport slots while preserving coordination and public-interest objectives. The paper proposes a progressive, quality-sensitive combinatorial auction designed to introduce market signals alongside the current allocation framework, encouraging a more efficient use of scarce airport capacity while facilitating access for new entrants and taking into account both economic value and service quality.  

📄 Read the full Competition Note here Read more

The Lear Lisbon Talk on Competition & Regulation – Photos and video

The Lear Lisbon Talk on Competition & Regulation has recently concluded, bringing together leading representatives from institutions, academia, regulatory authorities, and the legal and economic professions to discuss key developments in competition law and economic regulation.

The event marked an important opportunity to strengthen Lear’s engagement with the Portuguese competition community and foster dialogue on some of the key challenges facing competition policy and economic regulation. Through insightful contributions from distinguished speakers, participants exchanged perspectives on the application of Article 102 TFEU, damages quantification, and the future of economic regulation in liberalised sectors.

 Event recording

Keynote Speech – Nuno Cunha Rodrigues
Panel: Article 102 TFEU: Assessment and Damages Quantification
Panel: Economic Regulation and Liberalization
Closing remarks – HE Professor Doutor Joaquim Miranda Sarmento

📰 Read the media coverage

Miranda Sarmento aponta “barreiras à entrada e encargos regulatórios e administrativos excessivos” 

Governo quer reforçar apoio especializado aos juízes do Tribunal da Concorrência

Abordagem excessivamente permissiva nas concentrações comporta risco de não criar verdadeiros campe…

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Lear is looking for an Economist

Lear is looking for a talented Economist to join our team and contribute to the delivery of applied economic consulting projects in the fields of competition and regulation.

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Lear is looking for a Data Analyst

Lear is looking for a talented Data Analyst to join our team and contribute to the delivery of economic consulting projects through data collection, analysis, and interpretation.

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Lear Lisbon Talk on Competition & Regulation

We are excited to announce our upcoming event, the Lear Lisbon Talk on Competition Regulation, to be held on Monday, June 29, 2026, in Lisbon, an event dedicated to recent developments in competition law, private enforcement, and economic regulation, with a particular focus on the Portuguese and European.

The event will open with a welcome address by Lear Partners Eduardo Cardadeiro, Montezuma Dumangane and João E. Gata, followed by a keynote speech by Prof. Nuno Cunha Rodrigues, President of the Portuguese Competition Authority, and will conclude with closing remarks by HE Professor Doutor Joaquim Miranda Sarmento, Minister of State and Finance of Portugal. Read more

Save the date | The Lear Lisbon Talk on Competition & Regulation

Competition enforcement and regulation in Portugal and across Europe are evolving rapidly under the goal of ensuring fair and competitive markets while supporting growth and innovation. The importance of recognising and assessing the multidimensional effects of Article 102 infringements on affected parties and market dynamics and the challenges affecting the continued liberalisation of regulated sectors, have highlighted the need for a discussion between authorities, courts, operators and practitioners. Read more