COMPETITION LITIGATION IN THE UK

The IPKat has been turning the pages of a most pleasurable new book from Sweet & Maxwell, Competition Litigation in the UK, edited by barristers Tim Ward and Kassie Smith (both from Monckton Chambers).

Descibed as a handbook (despite having xlix + 518 pages), this is a practitioner's guide to the current UK competition litigation regime. It is generally reckoned that competition litigation will increase dramatically under this European-law-influenced system and this work advises practitioners on every aspect of using it. In particular, says the publisher's blurb:

"it focuses on the role, the practice and procedure of the Competition Appeal Tribunal, and the growing body of case law emerging from it. As a complete guide to the subject it also steers readers through the substantive law and other key topics such as human rights, judicial review and competition law in arbitration".

Usefully cross-referenced to the bible on the subject, Bellamy & Child's EC Law of Competition, this book has a strong contingent of contributors including Daniel Beard. Michael Bowsher, Julian Gregory, Anneli Howard, Josh Holmes, George Peretz, Meredith Pickford, Ben Rayment, Valentina Sloane and Christopher Vajda QC (all of Monckton Chambers), plus criminal barrister Clair Dobbin (3 Raymond Biuldings) and economist Paul Reynolds (Charles River Associates).

Another type of competition, one that attracts something other than litigation ...

Just in case anyone is wondering what a book on competition law is doing on an IP weblog, the IPKat reminds readers that IP and competition law are complementary legal doctrines. IP law creates monopolies, while competition law bats them down again. You have to know your enemy ...

At £95 it looks pretty good value for money. It's got a lot of how-to-do-it content as well as analytical content and is bound to be popular with its users.