Overview
On February 28, the High Court in London handed down its judgment in an antitrust damages claim filed by Microsoft (ex-Nokia). The claim stems from antitrust investigations launched by the European Commission and the US Department of Justice in 2011 into alleged conspiracy to fix prices of Li-ion batteries used in portable devices.
The High Court sided with the defendants Sony, Samsung SDI and LG Chem in their claim that England and Wales was not the appropriate jurisdiction to rule on this case. The decision was covered by media outlets including Global Competition Review, Law360 and MLex (subscriptions required).
Steptoe partners Yves Botteman in Brussels and Angus Rodger in London, who led the charge for LG Chem with the assistance of Marie Demetriou QC from Brick Court Chambers, stated: “This is a very important win for LG Chem and our expanding European civil antitrust litigation practice. LG Chem was very effective in persuading the High Court that Microsoft/Nokia failed to provide any evidence that material harm resulting from the cartel was sustained in the UK. The judge was also persuaded that Microsoft/Nokia did not provide convincing arguments to show that England and Wales is the distinctly and proper jurisdiction to hear the claim.”
Steptoe’s European antitrust and litigation teams, based in Brussels and London, are currently involved as defense counsel in several prominent civil antitrust litigations in England and France.
