The Civil Court of Rome dismisses a damages claim concerning the market for cleaning services

On 17 March 2023, the Civil Court of Rome rejected in its entirety a claim brought by Romeo Gestioni, seeking compensation for the damages allegedly caused by an agreement in the market for cleaning services. The matter stems from an investigation by the Italian Competition Authority which had found that four companies active in this market had coordinated their bidding behaviour in tenders organized by the government to secure cleaning services for schools across Italy.

Romeo Gestioni was also active in this market, and claimed that the agreement had prevented it from winning one of these tenders. The Court found no credible causal link between the agreement and the damages claimed by Romeo Gestioni, arguing that the agreement had actually improved Romeo Gestioni’s chances of securing that tender, as in the counterfactual Romeo Gestioni would have faced more intense competition than it actually did. Lear assisted one of the defendants throughout the proceedings.