Business Law Library & Tracker

Competition, Cartels & Market Conduct

Competitor dealings, pricing, market power, distribution and collusion risk.

Sources last reviewed 28 July 2026

Main law guides

122

Acts, regulations and codes worth reading first

Topics

60

Plain-English clusters

Published case explainers

143

Selected cases with a business lesson

Tracked updates

11

New, amended & reviewed

Plain-English explainers, not legal advice. Use the linked official source for section-level detail, and get advice for your situation.

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Main laws

Cases

High Court of Justice[2026] EWHC 471 (KB)11 Feb 2026

Euro Car Parks Limited v Competition & Markets Authority

The durable lesson is about process discipline and publication risk. If your business gets an information notice from the CMA or another regulator, verify it...

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Dismissal, Redundancy & GrievancesDirectors' Duties & GovernanceCompetition, Cartels & Market ConductDisputes, Enforcement & RemediesTelecommunications, Media & ContentEquality, Discrimination & Accessibility
High Court of Justice[2025] EWHC 206 (Ch)7 Feb 2025

Abbott Diabetes Care Inc v Sinocare Inc & Ors

Do not assume a product’s shape will do the same legal work as a brand name or logo. If customers, clinicians, buyers or distributors mainly identify products by...

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Dismissal, Redundancy & GrievancesTrade Marks, Passing Off & BrandingCompetition, Cartels & Market ConductLicences, Permits & RegistrationsDisputes, Enforcement & RemediesFranchising, Distribution & DealershipsHealthcare & Regulated Professions
Court of Appeal of England and Wales[2025] EWCA Civ 45916 Apr 2025

Justin Gutmann v Apple Inc & Ors

If your business runs a platform, marketplace or other model that could attract a competition class action, this case is a reminder that funding challenges may not...

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Dismissal, Redundancy & GrievancesCompetition, Cartels & Market ConductLicences, Permits & RegistrationsDisputes, Enforcement & RemediesImport, Export, Sanctions & CustomsStandards, Accreditation & Certification
Court of Appeal of England and Wales[2025] EWCA Civ 86911 July 2025

Phones 4U Limited (in administration) v EE Limited & Ors

The durable lesson is straightforward. A business can lawfully make a tough commercial decision, even one that rivals may also be considering, but it must make that...

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Dismissal, Redundancy & GrievancesLiquidation & RestructuringBusiness Sales & AcquisitionsCompetition, Cartels & Market ConductRecords, Reporting & NotificationsDisputes, Enforcement & Remedies
Court of Appeal of England and Wales[2025] EWCA Civ 111822 Aug 2025

Sky UK Limited v The Office of Communications

The durable lesson is about service classification, not a blanket label for every Sky product. The ruling supports Ofcom’s interpretation for the issue in dispute...

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Regulatory ComplianceDismissal, Redundancy & GrievancesOnline Sales, Subscriptions & PlatformsCopyright, Software & Digital ContentCompetition, Cartels & Market ConductRecords, Reporting & NotificationsDisputes, Enforcement & Remedies
Court of Appeal of England and Wales[2025] EWCA Civ 84124 July 2025

Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe Limited & Anor v Alex Neill Class Representative Limited

If your business faces a funded competition claim, assume the claimant may still have workable third-party funding even after PACCAR. You can still review the...

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Dismissal, Redundancy & GrievancesCompetition, Cartels & Market ConductLicences, Permits & RegistrationsDisputes, Enforcement & RemediesImport, Export, Sanctions & CustomsStandards, Accreditation & Certification
High Court of Justice[2025] EWHC 338 (Ch)18 Feb 2025

Thames Water Utilities Holdings Ltd, Re

If your business is heading towards a cash shortfall, the key lesson is to start restructuring work early and build evidence around the real fallback scenario if no...

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Insolvency & RestructuringDirectors' Duties & GovernanceLiquidation & RestructuringCompetition, Cartels & Market ConductImport, Export, Sanctions & CustomsTelecommunications, Media & Content
Court of Appeal of England and Wales[2025] EWCA Civ 520 Jan 2025

Thatchers Cider Company Limited v Aldi Stores Limited

The lesson is not that you can never use common flavour cues, category colours or fruit imagery. The problem is pushing the design so far that it deliberately calls...

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Dismissal, Redundancy & GrievancesDirectors' Duties & GovernanceTrade Marks, Passing Off & BrandingCompetition, Cartels & Market ConductLicences, Permits & RegistrationsHospitality, Alcohol & Gambling
Court of Appeal of England and Wales[2025] EWCA Civ 67723 May 2025

The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care & Ors v Lundbeck Limited & Ors

For business owners, the lasting lesson is not limited to pharmaceuticals. If your business makes a deal with a competitor that delays entry, restricts selling, or...

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Dismissal, Redundancy & GrievancesAdvertising, Marketing & PromotionsCompetition, Cartels & Market ConductDisputes, Enforcement & Remedies
UK Supreme Court[2024] UKSC 2916 Sept 2024

Commissioners for HM Revenue and Customs v Professional Game Match Officials Ltd

Flexibility before an assignment does not prevent employment obligations arising during an accepted assignment. Businesses using casual or assignment-by-assignment...

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Employment & WorkplaceContracts & CommercialDismissal, Redundancy & GrievancesCopyright, Software & Digital ContentCompetition, Cartels & Market ConductDisputes, Enforcement & RemediesImport, Export, Sanctions & CustomsWorkplace Investigations & MisconductStandards, Accreditation & Certification
Court of Appeal of England and Wales[2024] EWCA Civ 13221 Nov 2024

Meta Platforms Inc & Ors v Dr Liza Lovdahl Gormsen

If your business runs a digital service, this case is a warning not to treat user data as a free add-on just because your service has no cash price. The court...

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Advertising, Marketing & PromotionsOnline Sales, Subscriptions & PlatformsCompetition, Cartels & Market ConductDisputes, Enforcement & RemediesImport, Export, Sanctions & CustomsStandards, Accreditation & Certification
Court of Appeal of England and Wales[2024] EWCA Civ 11433 Oct 2024

Panasonic Holdings Corporation v Xiaomi Technology UK Limited & Ors

If your business uses standardised technology and is prepared to take a court-determined FRAND licence, say so early, document it clearly and keep that position...

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Dismissal, Redundancy & GrievancesCompetition, Cartels & Market ConductLicences, Permits & RegistrationsDisputes, Enforcement & RemediesTelecommunications, Media & ContentEquality, Discrimination & AccessibilityStandards, Accreditation & Certification
Court of Appeal of England and Wales[2024] EWCA Civ 7595 July 2024

Walter Hugh Merricks CBE v Mastercard Incorporated & Ors

For ordinary businesses, the main lesson is not about running a card scheme. It is about litigation risk travelling through a supply chain. The claim alleged that...

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Dismissal, Redundancy & GrievancesAdvertising, Marketing & PromotionsCompetition, Cartels & Market ConductDisputes, Enforcement & RemediesImport, Export, Sanctions & Customs
Court of Appeal of England and Wales[2022] EWCA Civ 107728 July 2022

London & South Eastern Railway Limited & Ors v Justin Gutmann

Read this case as a warning about pricing operations and channel design, not as a final statement that the defendants acted unlawfully. The Court of Appeal did not...

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Dismissal, Redundancy & GrievancesCompetition, Cartels & Market ConductDisputes, Enforcement & RemediesFranchising, Distribution & DealershipsTransport, Shipping & LogisticsImport, Export, Sanctions & CustomsUnions, Collective Bargaining & Industrial ActionStandards, Accreditation & Certification
Court of Appeal of England and Wales[2019] EWCA Civ 225918 Dec 2019

The Secretary of State for Transport v Arriva Rail East Midlands Ltd ("Arriva")

If your business is excluded from a tender, do not assume every claim runs on the same clock. This case shows that a private law damages claim may not automatically...

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Dismissal, Redundancy & GrievancesCompetition, Cartels & Market ConductDisputes, Enforcement & RemediesFranchising, Distribution & DealershipsTransport, Shipping & LogisticsUnions, Collective Bargaining & Industrial Action