Following significant reforms over the last 20 years, merger control regimes in Latin America now constitute around 20% of merger regimes worldwide. In regard to global transactions that may trigger the notification thresholds in many of these jurisdictions, it became necessary that an up-to-date book analyzing current legislation and case law be available for practitioners. This book compiles for the first time the applicable law governing merger control in Latin America. More than 30 distinguished authors, from both private and enforcement backgrounds, cover 17 jurisdictions and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). For each jurisdiction, the reader will find a presentation of the merger control system, a description of the applicable procedures, and an analysis of the most relevant case law on the subject. In addition, the editors, Paulo Burnier da Silveira and Pamela Sittenfeld, provide an overview of the merger regimes in Latin America, as well as a synthesis of the particularities of the regimes addressed in the book.
A comprehensive analysis of merger outcomes based on all empirical studies, with an assessment of the effectiveness of antitrust policy toward mergers. In recent decades, antitrust investigations and cases targeting mergers—including those involving Google, Ticketmaster, and much of the domestic airline industry—have reshaped industries and changed business practices profoundly. And yet there has been a relative dearth of detailed evaluations of the effects of mergers and the effectiveness of merger policy. In this book, John Kwoka, a noted authority on industrial organization, examines all reliable empirical studies of the effect of specific mergers and develops entirely new information about the policies and remedies of antitrust agencies regarding these mergers. Combined with data on outcomes, this policy information enables analysis of, and creates new insights into, mergers, merger policies, and the effectiveness of remedies in preventing anticompetitive outcomes. After an overview of mergers, merger policy, and a common approach to merger analysis, Kwoka offers a detailed analysis of the studied mergers, relevant policies, and chosen remedies. Kwoka finds, first and foremost, that most of the studied mergers resulted in competitive harm, usually in the form of higher product prices but also with respect to various non-price outcomes. Other important findings include the fact that joint ventures and code sharing arrangements do not result in such harm and that policies intended to remedy mergers—especially conduct remedies—are not generally effective in restraining price increases. The book's uniquely comprehensive analysis advances our understanding of merger decisions and policies, suggests policy improvements for competition agencies and remedies, and points the way to future research.
The second edition of this book provides a definitive statement of the law relating to UK merger control following the wide-ranging changes to the merger control system being introduced by the Enterprise Act, during the second half of 2003
In the past few years, Latin American countries have taken giant steps to reposition their competition authorities in the global antitrust arena, granting them much greater autonomy both domestically and internationally. This is an updated edition of the first book that offered an in-depth analysis of this complex scenario. The first part of the book includes more general chapters written by leading experts on a variety of relevant topics analyzed at a regional level such as the issues emerging with the digital economy and on the special field of the information and communications technology industry, as well as chapters on broad regional trends, on the working of competition law in countries with regulated markets and in the cluster of Central American countries, among others. At the heart of the presentation are nine chapters detailing the competition regimes of the most active national jurisdictions in the region—Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay. Written by practicing experts with considerable hands-on experience in their respective countries, each of these chapters provides a comprehensive description and explanation of the evolution, current state, and prospects for antitrust in the country. Topics addressed in the country analysis encompass the following and more: relevant institutions and legislation; cartel investigations; unilateral conduct policies; merger review; international coordination; enforcement; and remedies. Each chapter includes an analysis of relevant case law, allowing the reader to gauge the positions, views, and tendencies of each competition law regime. The contributors also pay attention to the specificities and idiosyncrasies that are so important for a correct understanding of the practical realities of competition policy and enforcement. With its wide-ranging and in-depth approach, this book provides an incomparable analysis of a challenging region poised to become increasingly important in the international recognition and enforcement of antitrust law. It is in this sense an essential guide for lawyers, economists, corporations, academics, and government officials interested in understanding where competition law is, and where it is going to, in Latin America.
When emerging economies draft competition law and begin to enforce it, they usually draw on the EU and US competition law systems. However, significant country-specific legal and practical variations tend to arise quickly, making it imperative for international business lawyers to acquire more than a passing knowledge of competition legislation and relevant case law in these countries. Now for the first time a thoroughly researched book provides an in-depth empirical analysis of the legal problems raised for competition, and especially for merger control and its enforcement, in emerging economies, using a case study approach in the Brazilian and Argentinean contexts to reveal paradigmatic trends. Brazil and Argentina are chosen not only because they are among the major trading jurisdictions in the developing world, but also because they have each established a track record of over a decade in formulating and enforcing a system of merger control. The author describes and analyses all Brazilian and Argentinean legislation in the field of competition law, as well as the main merger decisions adopted by the competition authorities and the judgements held by the courts of these countries. The book thoroughly covers the system of competition law currently enforced in each country, as well as the main innovations of proposed new competition law currently pending in Brazil. In addition, the author draws on field interviews with competition lawyers and officers of competition authorities conducted between April and July 2008 in Buenos Aires, Brasilia, and São Paulo. The analysis considers such issues as the following: y impact of M & As on the level of competition in the markets of developing countries; y enforcement of competition law and the judiciary; y criteria for notification of economic concentrations; y application of econometric tests to define the relevant market and the degree of market concentration.
This is an important and timely contribution from a prominent antitrust economist and policy advisor. It has been many decades since questions about antitrust enforcement have been so prominent in political, economic, and scholarly debate. Mergers in countless industries, rising concentration throughout the economy, and the dominance of tech giants have brought renewed attention to the role and the responsibility of antitrust policy.
This book offers an unparalleled analysis of the emerging law and economics of competition policy in Latin America. Nearly all Latin American countries now have competition laws and agencies to enforce them. Yet, these laws and agencies are relatively young. The relative youth of Latin American competition agencies and the institutional and political environment in which they operate limit the ability of agencies to effectively address anti-competitive conduct. Competition policy is a tool to overcome anti-market traditions in Latin America. Effective competition policy is critical to assisting in the growth of Latin American economies, their global competitiveness, and improving the welfare of domestic consumers. This book provides new region specific insights on how to better achieve these aims. This authoritative volume will be of particular interest to competition agencies, academics in law, economics and Latin American Studies, practitioners around the world in the areas of antitrust and competition policy, policymakers, and journalists.
A new book on merger control, edited by Van Bael & Bellis partners Jean-Francois Bellis and Porter Elliott, was published on 14 September 2011. The 820-page book, which is part of the European Lawyer Reference Series, provides an overview of the jurisdictional, procedural and substantive merger control rules in over 40 major jurisdictions worldwide. Leading firms from across the globe contributed to this book, which is among the most comprehensive of its kind on the market.
This book explores the relationship between market entry analysis in competition law and the study of the determinants of aggregate investment. Macroeconomic and social characteristics, such as widespread corruption, political instability, and low levels of education are associated with lower investment rates. Progress on these indicators on the other hand is also strongly associated with sustained growth and higher investment rates. This book analyzes the interaction between these macro variables and the market-specific analysis typical in antitrust cases. Against this background, representative decisions of four Latin American competition authorities – México, El Salvador, Colombia, and Chile – on unilateral conduct are analyzed, focusing on market power assessment. The analysis shows that there is little to no explicit or implicit consideration of the impact of the macroeconomic environment on market dynamism and therefore on market power. This book also explores the influence that EU and US competition law have in the standards to prove ease of market entry developed by the Latin American authorities. Although most of the Latin American authorities share a lack of reliance on market forces, which is characteristic of EU competition law, this book argues that market entry analysis still needs to be adjusted to fit the socio-economic context that affects investment within the country and the degree to which each particular market is affected. Finally, the book proposes a framework on how the macro characteristics covered can be incorporated into competition law enforcement.
