Killing Me Softly: Pharma Acquisitions and Competitive Harm

🎉 We are pleased to share our latest Lear Competition Note, “Killing Me Softly: Pharma Acquisitions and Competitive Harm,” based on the report we prepared for the European Commission on the phenomenon of killer acquisitions in the pharmaceutical sector.

📊 In this analysis, Rossella Mossucca, Senior Consultant, and Clarissa Lotti, Consultant at Lear, delve into the key findings of the study, offering a comprehensive overview of:

• The occurrence of killer acquisitions in the pharmaceutical industry, where competitive innovation is stifled.
• Recommendations for enhancing competition authorities’ tools to address these challenges effectively.

The LCN is available here 
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The ICA clears Iren of excessive pricing allegations

Lear – together with law firms Cleary Gottlieb and Grimaldi Alliance – has successfully assisted the Iren group in the context of an investigation by the Italian Competition Authority (“ICA”) into an alleged abuse of dominance in the district heating sector.
The investigation sought to ascertain whether price rises for the district heating service in the cities of Parma and Piacenza over the period 2021-2023 represented an instance of excessive pricing. The final decision issued by the ICA acknowledges that the prices charged by Iren were not excessive and no infringement occurred. Read more

Workshop – Relazioni Pericolose: Acquisizioni e innovazione nel settore farmaceutico

📢 Siamo entusiasti di annunciare il nostro prossimo evento: il workshop “Relazioni Pericolose: Acquisizioni e innovazione nel settore farmaceutico”, che si terrà a Milano il 29 gennaio 2025.

Il fenomeno delle killer acquisition – ovvero, le transazioni che hanno come obiettivo o effetto l’eliminazione di innovazioni potenzialmente concorrenti – è un tema che suscita crescente attenzione, soprattutto nel settore farmaceutico. Ma quanto è realmente diffuso questo fenomeno, e come possiamo identificarlo? Quali sono gli strumenti che le autorità della concorrenza possono utilizzare per esaminarle? Read more

Study on Killer Acquisitions in the Pharma Sector

We are thrilled to announce that our report on ‘killer acquisitions’ in the pharmaceutical sector has been published by the European Commission.

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Lear takes part in the Business Networking Day organised by TSE

On November 29^th, Lear will be taking part in the Business Networking Day organized by the Toulouse School of Economics. A day that aims to foster connections between the labor market and the younger generation, offering several opportunities to expand networks. Read more

ICA’s decision against Bancomat’s project of direct fees for not-on-us withdrawals is final

At the end of October 2024, Bancomat S.p.A. (Bancomat) withdrew its appeal against an infringement decision adopted by the Italian Competition Authority (ICA). The decision concerned a project to switch from interchange fees to direct-fees for the remuneration of withdrawals at ATMs outside the cardholder’s bank’s network. According to the ICA this project violated Article 101 TFEU. During the proceedings and in the appeal, Lear assisted some of the Bancomat circuit’s banks that opposed the project. Read more

SALVATORE SPEAKS AT THE 2024 ACE CONFERENCE

The Association of Competition Economics (ACE) is hosting its Annual Conference bringing together antitrust experts from around the world.

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Paolo and Salvatore speak at DG Comp for the workshop: “Protecting Competition in a Changing World”

We are pleased to announce that ️ on 15 October 2024 our Director, Paolo Buccirossi, together with our Partner, Salvatore Nava, will be speaking in the workshop on the European Commission’s report ‘Protecting Competition in a Changing World’ at DG Comp in Brussels on 15 October.
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Lear takes part in the Career Days organised by the Barcelona School of Economics

On October 15^th, Lear will be taking part in the Career Day organized by the Barcelona School of Economics. A day that aims to foster connections between the labor market and the younger generation, offering several opportunities to expand networks. This event is a valuable opportunity to introduce our company to students, present our job opportunities and recruitment process, and conduct interviews.

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LCF24 – VIDEOS AND SLIDES ARE NOW AVAILABLE!

The fourth edition of the Lear Competition Festival has successfully concluded, marking four days of enriching discussions with esteemed experts from the antitrust community. We are thrilled with this year’s outcomes, which truly highlight the efforts of our partners, participants, and dedicated staff. Read more