PLUS+ is a service from O'Connors which enables lawyers, accountants, and other professional advisers to add O’Connors’ regulatory expertise to their advisory team when helping clients to manage risks in projects and transactions. Some examples of our regulatory advice on corporate & commercial projects include:

Regulatory issues arising from M&A activity, property transactions, environmental projects & insolvency proceedings

  • We worked alongside the corporate team of a Manchester law firm in relation to the acquisition by a Euro 544m turnover European insurance broker of a UK group comprising a law firm, consumer credit lender, managing general agent and appointed representative business.
  • We carried out a compliance review of a legal expenses membership benefits program operated through a master policy insurance arrangement for an AIM listed group as part of its acquisition of an HR business.

Advice on transactional insurance solutions such as warranties & indemnities, title defects, environmental risks, tax liability risks, contingent liabilities & IP cover

  • We acted for an international law firm buying into the UK market providing warranty and indemnity insurance policy wording advice on the salient terms, conditions and warranties, and recommending suitable drafting changes to the policy wording and the transaction documents to maximise coverage.

Advice on all aspects of competition law, including merger control and anti=competitive agreements and practices

  • Advising on cross-border distribution arrangements in a wide range of sectors, including grants of exclusivity and restrictions on exports.
  • Advising on pricing issues, including resale price maintenance.
  • Advising on relationships between major supermarkets and their suppliers, including issues relating to the Groceries Supply Code of Practice (GSCOP).
  • Advising a consortium of sports stadium owners on competition law issues relating to the joint sale of their media rights.
  • Representing a commercial vehicles dealer in the competition law regulator’s investigation into anti-competitive cartel behaviour in the supply of trucks and vans.
  • Advising on alleged abuse of dominance on the part of a standards body operating in the energy sector.
  • Representing a leading biscuits manufacturer on a “dawn raid” carried out by the competition law regulator in relation to its inquiry into alleged retail price fixing by retailers.
  • Obtaining clearances from the Competition and Markets Authority in relation to mergers and joint ventures in numerous industries and sectors, including food and drink, retail, manufacturing, construction and airline services.

Advice on the National Security and Investment Act 2021 ('NSIA')

  • Successfully making a number of applications for clearance under the mandatory notification regime in a wide range of industry sectors, including defence, military and dual-use goods, energy, suppliers to the emergency services, advanced materials.
  • Successfully making an application for clearance under the voluntary regime on behalf of a leading university in respect of the proposed grant of rights in the university’s intellectual property to a foreign-owned body.
  • Seeking retrospective clearances in respect of non-notified transactions.

For further information, please contact Sally Lazar, David Malone or Laurence Pritchard.