News | EU & Competition

OFT Not to Refer Ladbroke’s Acquisition of Jack Brown to The Competition Commission

Tuesday 4th October 2005

The Office of Fair Trading ("OFT") has announced that it will not be referring the completed acquisition of the Welsh betting shop company, Jack Brown (Bookmaker) Limited, by Ladbroke, the betting and gaming division of Hilton Group plc, to the Competition Commission. This decision is subject to Ladbroke undertaking to sell one betting shop in the four localities where the OFT considers local competition would be affected by the acquisition. The deal makes Ladbroke the leading bookmaker in Wales and, following the purchase, Ladbroke has 2,119 shops in the UK, and 2,567 shops worldwide.

Ladbroke instructed SJ Berwin, led by partner Stephen Kon, assisted by Rachel Iley, to advise on the competition aspects of this acquisition, from providing strategic competition advice on the proposed acquisition, to all dealings with the OFT.

Peter Anderson, assisted by Nick Crabtree, led the SJ Berwin team advising Ladbroke on the corporate aspects and structure of the acquisition. Jason Tann advised on the property aspects of the transaction.

Notes:

• On 1 June 2005 SJ Berwin LLP, an English limited liability partnership, took over the business of the SJ Berwin general partnership. SJ Berwin LLP or an affiliated undertaking has an office in Berlin, Frankfurt, London, Madrid, Munich and Paris.
• SJ Berwin LLP is a full-service international legal practice with more than 450 lawyers across its offices in London, Brussels, Frankfurt, Berlin, Munich, Madrid and Paris. The firm offers a comprehensive range of services including Corporate Finance, EU & Competition, Real Estate, Banking, Financial Services, Tax, Reconstruction & Insolvency, Commerce & Technology, Litigation, Intellectual Property and Media & Communications.
• The EU & Competition Department of European law firm, SJ Berwin LLP is one of the leading UK and EU competition practices in Europe with strong working relationships with the European Commission and in the UK with the Office of Fair Trading ("OFT") and the Competition Commission. It has been a core practice area of the firm since its establishment in 1982.
• The EU & Competition department of SJ Berwin LLP advises on mergers and JVs; state aid, cartel and monopoly enquiries; UK/EC complaints and litigation; notifications to competition authorities; regulatory work; IP and competition interface issues; advisory and compliance work; trade and customs; lobbying and Arbitrage.
• Clients include: Associated British Foods, AES, AKZO Nobel, Apax Partners, Blockbuster, British Land, Carlton TV, Channel 4, Coca Cola Enterprises, CSFB, Diageo, Dixons, Gullane, Guardian IT, Hilton Group, JVC, Laura Ashley, Mediaset, Metronet, O2, Morgan Stanley, M&S, NEC, Pearson TV, Procter & Gamble, RBS/Natwest, Swedish Match, UCI/UGC Cinemas, Universal Pictures and William Hill.
• The department consistently features amongst the leaders in this field of expertise in major legal directories - Legal 500 ranks the department in the top tier in the UK. It is also acknowledged as an expert in Germany, Belgium, France and Spain and is only one of two Law firms ever to have been twice named 'Competition Team of the Year' by Legal Business magazine.
• The team comprises 9 partners and over 25 other lawyers in London, Brussels, Munich, Madrid and Paris, with London and Brussels operating symbiotically. This pan-European team is headed up by Stephen Kon, who has over twenty five years experience, specialising in advising on all aspects of EU law (particularly EU and UK Competition law) and appears regularly before the European Commission.
• For further information on the firm, please visit our website at www.sjberwin.com

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