Competition Law in an International Context

LAWS30451 Competition Law in an International Context 20 Semester 1 Undergraduate Level 3 Amber Darr Unit coordinator 1 FHEQ level (Framework for Higher Education Qualifications) ' Last part of a Bachelors ' European Credit Transfer & Accumulation System Rating : 10.0 Competition law in an International Context is an exciting area of law, working at the confluence of law and economics. It has become increasingly important in a world of shrinking borders and is of major practical importance to businesses and consumers throughout the world.  Competition law operates to protect the free market economy by  sanctioning business activities that restrict or distort competition. Competition is  considered beneficial, because when firms compete for customers, they are encouraged to innovate to produce the best quality products or services which they make available to consumers at the minimum price. This course explores the key competition law concepts in particular business phenomena such as mergers and acquisitions, distribution agreements, cartels and abuses of dominant position such as predatory pricing, tying and bundling and refusals to supply. The course will primarily reflect upon the EU competition law as a model for competition regimes in many other areas of the world. It will also draw upon examples from the United States and the United Kingdom. Throughout, the course will evaluate substantive competition principles as well as the economic analysis that underpins their application.     Competition law in an International Context is an exciting area of law, working at the confluence of law and economics. It has become increasingly important in a world of shrinking borders and is of major practical importance to businesses and consumers throughout the world.Competition law operates to protect the free market economy by sanctioning business activities that restrict or distort competition. Competition is considered beneficial, because when firms compete for customers, they are encouraged to produce the best quality products or services through innovation at the minimum price, which is good for consumers. The course explores the key concepts that animate competition law in particular business phenomena such as mergers and acquisitions, distribution agreements, cartels and abuses of dominant position such as predatory pricing, tying and bundling and refusals to supply.The course will primarily reflect upon the EU competition law as a model for competition regimes in many other areas of the world. It will also draw upon examples from the United States and the United Kingdom. Throughout, the course will evaluate substantive competition principles as well as the economic analysis that underpins these principles.This optional course unit is available to LLB Law, Law with Criminology and Law with Politics students in Year 3 of their studies.  The unit aims to familiarise students with the rationale for and aims of competition regimes and their relationship with other social and economic goals; develop an understanding of the relationship between legal and economic concepts underpinning competition law and the legal tests for maintaining competitive markets; encourage an understanding of the different approaches taken by competition law across a number of jurisdictions; develop the students' ability to reflect on competition decisions from a range of competition enforcement authorities and jurisdictions; and develop the students' ability to apply competition principles to fact-based scenarios.      <ul><li style="margin-left:10px;margin-right:12px;text-indent:-0.5pt;">Knowledge of the relationship between law and economics in the context of competition law;</li><li style="margin-left:10px;margin-right:12px;text-indent:-0.5pt;">Knowledge of the important economic and social considerations underpinning competition policy.</li><li style="margin-left:10px;margin-right:12px;text-indent:-0.5pt;">Knowledge of commercial practices and how these may be affected by competition law.</li></ul> <ul><li style="list-style-type:square;">Ability to use analytical skills to evaluate competition issues;</li><li style="list-style-type:square;">Ability to recognise issues in complex competition judgments;</li><li style="list-style-type:square;">Ability to express complex legal and economic concepts in writing;</li><li style="list-style-type:square;">Ability to recognise anti-competitive behaviour in its various forms; </li><li style="list-style-type:square;">Ability to identify clauses restricting competition. </li></ul> <ul><li>Identifying competition issues in fact-based scenarios;</li><li>Knowing how to recognise cartel and hardcore restrictions;</li><li>Knowing who to contact in case of abuse of dominance in a particular market;</li><li>Knowing when and how to notify a merger in the EU context;</li><li>Knowing how to recognise anti-competitive practices in the digital economy   </li></ul> <ul><li style="margin-bottom:18px;margin-left:-1px;margin-right:12px;text-indent:-0.5pt;">Students will acquire problem solving skills as they are asked to tackle problem questions in workshops and exams;</li><li style="margin-bottom:18px;margin-left:-1px;margin-right:12px;text-indent:-0.5pt;">Students will acquire opinion writing skills as they will prepare and write essay questions for workshops and coursework.</li></ul>  The indicative syllabus for the unit is:  <ul><li>Introduction to Competition and antitrust Economics and Competition</li><li>The consumer welfare standard</li><li>Spread of global competition</li><li>Goals of competition law</li><li>Enforcing Competition Law: public and private enforcement</li><li>Anti-competitive agreements (horizontal and vertical)</li><li>Abuse of dominance (including margin squeeze, refusal to deal, predatory pricing, rebates, tying and bundling etc.)</li><li>Mergers</li><li>Digital antitrust and digital mergers</li><li>Competition Law and Public interest (range of different topics)</li></ul> The teaching will be delivered through 10 weekly lectures of two hours each and 5 workshops of two hours each.  Students will be provided the pre-reading and lecture slides a week in advance and will be expected to come prepared to the lectures and workshops.  Interactive quizzes will also be used to clarify and embed core competition law concepts and students will also be provided an opportunity to develop their essay writing and problem-solving skills.  Students will be encouraged to engage in peer review in order to learn from each other and to provide feedback to each other.  Individual personalised videos will be shared for feedback purposes at the formative stage.  Classroom learning will be supported by Guest Lectures and Events especially in conjunction with the Competition and Markets Authority and local law firms.  The students will also be motivated by a prize awarded on the basis of a prespecified criteria in conjunction with Addleshaw Goddard, Manchester comprising of a week-long internship at their Manchester office 0 Other 10% 1 Written exam 45% 2 Written assignment (inc essay) 45% This course unit will be made up of 3 assessments:Other (to be completed during the semester)                       10% Coursework (to be completed before the exam period)          45% Written exam (to be completed in the exam period)               45%   N CORE TEXT: Jones, Sufrin and Dunne, EU Competition Law: Texts, Cases & Materials, (8th edition, OUP 2023)Whish & Bailey, Competition Law (11th ed OUP, 2024)RECOMMENDED TEXTS: Lianos, Korah, and Siciliani Competition Law: Analysis, Cases, and Materials (OUP, 2019)    Lectures 20 Seminars 10 0 170 Assessment include Open Book examination. Information restricted to: FINAL YEAR STUDENTS ONLY on the BA (Law wit Politics); LLB (Law with Politics); LLB (Law); LLB (Law with Criminology) degrees, Chemistry with Patent Law.Pre-requisites: noneTimetable: See Law School UG Timetable.