Co-Chair
Kyriakos
Fountoukakos
Co-Chair
Julian Peña
Antitrust Section
The Antitrust Section provides an international forum for thought leadership with respect to antitrust law developments and the profession through submissions to competition agencies, training programs/missions, developing the law through our conferences, publications, and interaction with antitrust enforcement authorities and the profession.
In addition, there is a strong commitment to bring together international practitioners to facilitate closer working relationships. The Section is increasingly relied upon by government officials and members of the private sector for its expertise and practical input into antitrust developments, including through its Working Group submissions.
In memoriam – Michael Reynolds, IBA President 2013-2014
When Michael Reynolds passed away in January 2025, the International Bar Association lost one of its most distinguished and beloved figures. A towering presence in the legal profession, Michael was an expert in antitrust law and a passionate advocate for justice and the rule of law. Over four decades of dedication to the IBA, he held numerous senior positions, including President, Vice-President, Secretary-General, and Chair of the Legal Practice Division. Michael was also the driving force behind the success of the IBA’s Antitrust Section, not only as one of its former chairs, but also beyond the end of his term and until the very end of his life.
Universally admired for his intellect, warmth, wit, and exceptional linguistic talents, Michael captivated colleagues and members alike. His legacy will continue to inspire those who had the privilege of knowing and working with him.
Forthcoming conferences and webinars View All Conferences
34th Annual IBA Communications and Competition Law Conference
28 Apr - 29 Apr 2025
Paris , France
2nd IBA African Competition Law Conference
29 May - 30 May 2025
Lagos , Nigeria
19th Annual IBA Competition Mid-Year Conference
12 Jun - 13 Jun 2025
Tokyo , Japan
IBA Annual Conference Toronto 2025
02 Nov - 07 Nov 2025
Toronto , Canada
IBA Annual Conference Copenhagen 2026
04 Oct - 09 Oct 2026
Copenhagen , Denmark
Working Groups and Policy Submissions
The Antitrust Section has formed a number of working groups to study major international competition policy issues and to submit comments to regulators on proposed new and reformed legislation.
The IBA Unilateral Conduct and Behavioural Issues Working Group has 15 members representing a large number of jurisdictions covering Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa and the Americas. The Group is responsible for monitoring and commenting on a range of competition issues that arise, inter alia, from unilateral conduct and abuse of dominance or misuse of market power as well as cooperative/horizontal (non-cartel) and vertical agreements.
It aims to encourage best practice in the ongoing development of international laws in these areas by commenting on consultations on proposed new and reformed legislation. This includes reviewing and commenting on proposed new legislation and legislative changes; engaging in discussions about the nature of conduct that should be proscribed by competition law; reviewing and commenting on regulatory responses to anti-competitive conduct including investigations and prosecutions; and commenting on guidelines associated with compliance initiatives designed to raise awareness of competition issues in relation to unilateral conduct, cooperative agreements and vertical agreements.
The IBA Cartels Working Group has 15 members representing a large number of jurisdictions covering Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa and the Americas. The Group includes several former senior antitrust officials and a former competition commissioner, private practitioners in leading law firms, and in-house competition counsel.
The Group follows cartel developments around the world and provides input and comments on various consultations on proposed new and reformed legislation to which the IBA’s international perspective and the members' collective expertise and experience can bring significant added value. The Group is also active in other aspects of the IBA’s work including in cartel policy issues more generally, as well as in monitoring developments and assisting with organising conferences.
The IBA Antitrust Litigation Working Group has 15 members representing a large number of jurisdictions covering Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa and the Americas. The Group includes private practitioners in leading law firms who represent both claimants and defendants in antitrust litigation. The Group follows antitrust litigation developments in different jurisdictions across the world and provides input and comments on various consultations on proposed new and reformed legislation to which the IBA’s international perspective and the members' collective expertise and experience can bring significant added value. The Group is also active in monitoring developments and considering cross-border issues in antitrust litigation.
The IBA Mergers Working Group has 15 members representing a large number of jurisdictions covering Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa and the Americas. The Group includes private practitioners in leading law firms and in-house counsel. The Group follows merger control developments in different jurisdictions across the world covering procedural, jurisdictional and substantive issues. With the proliferation of merger control regimes around the world there is a large number of new jurisdictions establishing guidelines for merger control and established authorities continually try to improve their legislative framework and guidelines and issue calls for input to consultations. The Group provides input and comments on various consultations on proposed new and reformed legislation to which the IBA’s international perspective and the members' collective expertise and experience can bring significant added value.
Working Group members
Co-Chairs: Andrea Hamilton, McDermott Will & Emery, Belgium; Chris Charter, Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr, South Africa; Hans Bousie, Bureau Brandeis, Netherlands
The Ad Hoc Sustainability Working Group has members in both private-practice and in-house roles in a range of jurisdictions. The Group draws on different disciplines of competition law and reflects on how competition laws and sustainability policies work together across the globe. Changing consumer attitudes and geo-political trends continue to push companies to adopt sustainability goals and build sustainability considerations into commercial decisions. The Group follows these developments around the world and provides input and comments on consultations and proposals relating to competition and sustainability laws, considering how existing competition frameworks might apply in the context of sustainability initiatives.
Working Group members
Co-Chairs: Joanna Goyder, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Brussels; Grant Murray, Baker McKenzie, London.
Daniel Oliveria Andreoil, Demarest, Sao Paulo; Logan Breed, Hogan Lovells, Washington DC; Susanne Bullock, Gibson Dunn, London; Neil Campbell, McMillan, Toronto; Johannes Hertfelder, Gleiss Lutz, Stuttgart; Gwyneth Hodson, Unilever, London; Nick Peristerakis, Linklaters, Brussels; Anna Wolf-Posch, Cerha Hempel, Austria
Publications
Exploring the evolving frontiers of competition law: reflections from the 28th Annual IBA Competition Conference
A conference report from the 28th Annual IBA Competition Conference, held on 6–7 September 2024 in Florence, Italy.
Released on Jan 28, 2025
Report on the 25th Annual Competition Conference
Report on the 25th Annual Competition Conference
Released on Apr 13, 2022
IBA-ICC Annual Pre-ICN Forum 2023: The Antitrust Trifecta – enforcers, the courts and the private sector
A conference report of the IBA-ICC Annual Pre-ICN Forum 2023, held on 17 October 2023 in Torre Glories, Barcelona.
Co-Chairs' note - February 2020
Daniel G Swanson and Thomas Janssens provide a Co-Chairs' Note for the Antitrust Committee, February 2020.
Florence Competition Conference
Section journal and other publications
Competition Law International
Competition Law International is the journal of the Antitrust Section of the IBA. It provides an insight into international competition law issues with articles that are of practical interest. Published twice a year, the journal reaches over 1,400 competition law practitioners worldwide.
The latest issue of Competition Law International is now available for members of the Antitrust Section to access online.
Information Exchange and Related Risks: A Jurisdictional Guide
Published in September 2022 by Concurrences
ISBN: 9781954750029
The prohibition on exchanging commercially sensitive information among competitors is one of the most fundamental antitrust rules. Companies and individuals may face potential exposure for anticompetitive information exchange, not only in their day-to-day business due to the applicable conduct and behavioral rules, but also in the context of M&A deals due to applicable gun jumping regulations. The Cartels Working Group of the Antitrust Section of the International Bar Association has formulated a comparative guide across 28 jurisdictions, encompassing all global regions, to provide a compendium of best practices and key insights about leading cases, laws and regulations, as well as enforcement trends. Contributed by distinguished practitioners, each chapter provides an overview of the national competition rules and principles that guide information sharing in that jurisdiction, followed by the types of information sharing that may be caught, the enforcement policies and practices of the competition authority and applicable sanctions for parties that are found guilty of an illegal exchange of information. The book also provides a high level overview by the editors outlining trends observed across jurisdictions, to provide insight to the international business community, their advisors as well as to competition authorities.
The jurisdictions covered include Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, European Union, Finland, France, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and the United States.
Subcommittees and other groups
The Antitrust Section also coordinates the activities of the following subcommittees/working groups.
- Antitrust Section Advisory Board
Scholarships
This year the sections and committees of the IBA's Legal Practice Division are once again offering scholarships to young lawyers who wish to participate in the IBA Annual Conference.