News | EU & Competition

Friday 25th May 2007

SJ Berwin LLP is pleased that the European Commission has announced clearance of the acquisition by Universal Music Group of BMG Music Publishing for €1.63 billion.  Leading European firm SJ Berwin advised Universal on the deal, which will see it become the largest music publishing company in the world.

Following clearance on Tuesday 22 May 2007, Universal will receive the publishing rights to artists such as Coldplay, Robbie Williams and Keane.  In order to achieve clearance, Universal negotiated commitments with the Commission, which included divestment of a number of publishing catalogues designed to meet the potential competition concerns that the Commission had raised.

SJ Berwin's EU & Competition Head Stephen Kon spearheaded the regulatory process, assisted by a number of members of the department including Matt Evans, Ruth Jefferson and Christophe Humpe.

Commenting on the deal, head of SJ Berwin's EU & Competition team Stephen Kon said: “During the time of commercial and regulatory uncertainty in the music industry, we are pleased to assist Universal in obtaining regulatory clearance in Europe.”

For further information please contact

Stephen Kon, Competition Partner on +44 (0)20 7111 2237 or by emailing stephen.kon@sjberwin.com

Dorota Wozniak, Marketing Executive on +44 (0)20 7111 5066 or by emailing dorota.wozniak@sjberwin.com

To view other press releases click here.

• SJ Berwin LLP is a full-service international legal practice with more than 550 lawyers across its offices in Berlin, Brussels, Frankfurt, London, Madrid, Milan, Munich, Paris and Turin.
  
  
• 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 was named UK Firm of the Year at the 2005 Legal Week Awards .  The award recognised SJ Berwin’s five years of international expansion and its involvement in a series of high quality deals.
  
  
• SJ Berwin's EU & Competition team won Competition Team of the Year at the 2006 Legal Business Awards. This is the third time the team has been named Team of the Year, more than any other UK law firm.  
  
  
•  Head of EU & Competition, Stephen Kon was awarded Best Achievement in Copyright Practice at the World Leaders European IP Awards 2005.
  
  
• The EU & Competition department of SJ Berwin advises on mergers and JVs; state aid, cartel and monopoly enquiries; national and  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.  
  
  
• 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. 
  
  
• Clients include: ABS (American Bureau of Shipping); AES; Apple; Associated British Foods plc; Akzo Nobel; Biogen Idec; British Broadcasting Corporation; DeBeers; Diageo; easyJet; Expedia; Fonterra Co-operative Group Limited; Fyffes plc; JVC; Ladbrokes plc; Marks & Spencer; Merck Generics; Morgan Stanley; Organon; O2/Telephonica; NEC; Nutreco Holding NV; Proctor and Gamble; Qantas; United Biscuits; Universal and Virgin Media and most of Europe’s leading private equity houses.
  
  
• SJ Berwin was created and thrives as a leading-edge legal services business, focusing on the European and international market place. Our clients are sophisticated buyers of legal services, principally multi-national and entrepreneurial companies and financial institutions, whom we advise on a comprehensive range of services including Corporate Finance, Commercial, Real Estate, Banking, Reconstruction and Insolvency, Financial Services, Litigation, Employment & Pensions, EU & Competition & Tax.
  
  
• More information on SJ Berwin's services can be found at www.sjberwin.com.