Essential Antitrust podcast: Antitrust in 2021: is your business prepared for a tougher enforcement environment?

2020 was a year like no other. With the fallout from the pandemic still lingering, there will continue to be difficult times in 2021 but there is the promise of a more stable global political environment and, driven by vaccine successes, the beginning of a global economic recovery.

Antitrust policy and enforcement is now mainstream news. In 2020, it has been front and centre in discussions about large tech players and digital markets; it features as a core issue in the debate on sustainability; it arose in the initial response to the pandemic with authorities releasing guidance to allow a degree of co-operation for essential goods and services like groceries and medical equipment; it remains a key consideration in global trade negotiations and EU/UK relations; and antitrust policy even emerged as a central theme in the US presidential election. This central role for antitrust is expected to continue into 2021 as governments assess the role of competition policy in advancing societal goals relating to environmental sustainability, data and technology, and reciprocity in international trading relationships.

In this episode, podcast host Jenn Mellott is joined by Thomas Janssens, global head of our antitrust group, and Sarah Jensen, counsel in our London office, to discuss our recently published 11th annual review of the antitrust landscape, entitled 10 Key Themes, which describes the major trends and developments we expect to see in 2021. Sarah and Thomas flag some of these trends, and explain why a sophisticated understanding of the global antitrust environment remains as essential as ever.

To listen to the podcast, click here.

For additional reading on the antitrust landscape, visit our Antitrust 10 key themes website.