Monitoring trustee services

Dealing with competition authorities and complying with the conditions they may impose aren’t everyday events and require expert, pragmatic and independent advice.

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This text has references to our former brand name Smith & Williamson.

Competition authorities such as the European Commission and the Competition and Markets Authority sometimes rule that a monitoring trustee be appointed to ensure that a business complies with its obligations. Whether this is as part of a merger clearance or a market investigation, the process can be costly and time consuming.

Reducing the burden this can impose on a business requires a monitoring trustee with the experience to understand the market and how the regulator works, the breadth of knowledge to keep costs down and the commercial know-how to get the job done with minimal disruption.

Meeting your needs

  • Balanced

    Striking a balance between minimising the cost and potential disruption to your business during the process and ensuring you satisfy the compliance needs of the competition authority.

  • Tailored

    An approach that is commercially pragmatic, risk-based and takes into account the unique circumstances and issues of each case.

  • Independent

    Fewer potential conflicts of interest affecting our ability to act as a monitoring trustee compared to some of our larger competitors.

  • One-stop shop

    Direct access to specialist advice from senior staff across our diverse business, including corporate finance, commercial disputes and restructuring and recovery experts.

How we can help

  • Monitoring trustee: overseeing compliance with commitments and reporting accordingly to the relevant competition authority
  • Regulatory compliance: advising on how to deal with the competition authorities and the best approach to operational, organisational and financial matters
  • Divestments: engaging our corporate finance team to dispose of any business interests if the competition authority requests a trustee firm that can also act as divestiture trustee
  • Forensic technology: designing measures to monitor the exchange of commercially sensitive information in cases where the regulator requires firewalls to be set up

Our credentials

Related content

Recent Monitoring Trustee cases

Case COMP/M.3280 Air France-KLM

Case SA.57153 COVID-19 - Aid to Lufthansa

Frequently asked questions

When is a Monitoring Trustee required?

Competition authorities such as the European Commission and the Competition and Markets Authority sometimes rule that a monitoring trustee be appointed to ensure that a business complies with its obligations, whether this is as part of a merger clearance or a market investigation.

What are the skills required from a Monitoring Trustee?

Reducing the burden this can impose on a business requires a monitoring trustee with the experience to understand the market and how the regulator works, the breadth of knowledge to keep costs down and the commercial know-how to get the job done with minimal disruption.

What are other complimentary skills from our practice?

Direct access to specialist advice from senior staff across our diverse business, including corporate finance, commercial disputes and restructuring and recovery experts.