Christophe Humpe

Partner, Macfarlanes

Christophe specialises in EU, competition and regulatory law and regularly represents clients before competition authorities and courts.

He has extensive experience across all areas of EU and UK competition law, both contentious and non-contentious, including mergers, competition and cartel investigations, state aid and antitrust damages litigation.

Experience

· Advising on merger control proceedings relating to the acquisition of Visa Europe by Visa Inc.

· Advising Fyffes in merger control proceedings in relation to its proposed merger with Chiquita.

· Advising Universal Music in merger control proceedings in its successful acquisition of EMI Music.

· Advising Universal Music in relation to an investigation by the European Commission concerning the licensing of music streaming platforms.

· Advising a number of pharmaceutical companies in investigations before the European Commission and the Competition Markets Authority in relation to alleged “pay for delay” patent settlement agreements.

· Advising Freightliner in connection with a competition enforcement investigation by the Office of Rail Regulation.

· Advising a consortium of tyre manufacturers in a damages action before the English Courts following the European Commission decision in the synthetic rubber cartel.

Contributed to

1

EU Competition law and intellectual property: key themes

Practice Notes

Controversial issues can arise where competition law is applied to business activities relating to intellectual property rights (IPRs). This Practice Note charts some of the emerging themes in relation to the interaction between competition law and IPRs. This Practice Note also outlines potential competition issues relating to business practices such as standard setting and patent pools, ‘pay for delay’ deals and licensing of IPRs.

Competition