Overview
The nascent area of competition law creates new and complex legal issues to be resolved. Business agreements, commercial practices and corporate transactions are increasingly subject to intense scrutiny for anti-competitive practices. Led by experienced Senior Counsel Tan Tee Jim, Lee & Lee’s Competition Practice is able to respond to such legal developments as clients face new challenges in a rapidly changing environment.
Our Work
Lee & Lee’s Competition Practice advises and represents clients on the complete range of competition law issues. The issues principally relate to anti-competitive agreements, abuse of dominant position and mergers which have resulted, or may result, in a substantial lessening of competition in any market in Singapore. Our practice can appear before the Competition Commission of Singapore regarding such issues.
Case Highlights
In 2008, Lee & Lee represented a major multi-national in an investigation by the Competition Commission of Singapore concerning tenders for contracts in the pest control industry. The investigation resulted in the first written, and landmark, decision by the Commission.
Lee & Lee recently represented 7 modelling agencies in an investigation by the Competition Commission of Singapore (CCS) concerning an agreement by the Association of Modelling Industry Professionals (AMIP) to fix prices for services in the modelling industry. Whilst the facts of the matter resulted in the CCS finding that the members of the AMIP had breached the prohibition against price fixing under section34 of the Competition Act (Cap 30B), successful representations were made on behalf of the 7 agencies and the penalties imposed by the CCS on them were substantially reduced.
Lee & Lee also represented 4 of the 7 modelling agencies in a successful appeal to the Competition Appeals Board (CAB) wherein the penalties imposed on the 4 modelling agencies were further reduced by a significant percentage. The CAB accepted submissions made on behalf of the said modelling agencies that the high turnover and low margin characteristic of the modelling industry was a mitigating factor and accordingly, the penalties imposed by the CCS ought to be further reduced.
For more information please contact:
Tan Tee Jim S.C.
Mervyn Foo