Arthur Cox

Competition and Regulated Markets

Richard is a partner in the Competition and Regulated Markets Group.

He advises on all aspects of EU and Irish competition / antitrust law, including merger control, investigations and dawn raids, competition litigation, competition aspects of commercial agreements and behaviour, EU State aid law, competition compliance programmes, leniency applications, complaints and sectoral studies. He also advises on foreign direct investment screening, trade law, consumer protection law and regulated markets.

He has been practising for over 22 years and has been involved in a many of the leading antitrust, merger control and State aid cases in Ireland over that time.

Relevant Experience 

Advising Ryanair on a High Court challenge of an unannounced inspection by the CCPC in connection with an investigation by the Italian Competition Authority in relation to online travel agents. Advising CRH plc on merger control aspects of its acquisition of Gibson Bros. Advising Ryanair on various High Court proceedings against online travel agents for alleged issues arising out of ‘screen scraping’ of Ryanair’s website. Advising Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company on Irish merger control aspects of its acquisition of BDS Vending. Advising Flutter Entertainment plc, the world’s leading online sports betting and iGaming operator, on merger control aspects of its €2.3 billion acquisition of Italian betting group Snaitech, its $350 million acquisition of Brazilian sports betting group NSX Group, its €1.9 billion acquisition of Italian betting group Sisal S.P.A. and its €12 billion merger with The Stars Group, Inc Advising Apax Partners LLP on Irish merger control and foreign direct investment screening aspects of its acquisition of professional services firm, Evelyn Partners, for c. £700 million. Advising Kerry Group plc on merger control aspects of the €500 million sale of an interest in its dairy consumer products and dairy ingredients business to Kerry Cooperative Creameries. Advising Compass Group plc on Irish merger control aspects of its acquisitions of CH&Co Catering Group and Glanmore Foods. Advising Permanent TSB on Irish merger control aspects of its €7.6 billion acquisition of certain assets and liabilities of Ulster Bank from NatWest. Advising KBC Group N.V. on Irish merger control aspects of the €5 billion sale of certain assets and liabilities to Bank of Ireland Advising Insurance Ireland on a European Commission investigation relating to the database, InsuranceLink. Advising CRH plc on a CCPC investigation into bagged cement and on a successful challenge before the High Court and the Supreme Court to the scope of documents seized by the CCPC during a dawn raid, which resulted in a landmark Supreme Court decision on the scope of dawn raid powers Advising the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government on the establishment and operation of the Land Development Agency. Advising the Department of Finance on the establishment and operation of Home Building Finance Ireland. Advising Volvo Trucks and Renault Trucks on defending follow-on actions for damages in Ireland arising from the European Commission’ s decision to fine truck manufacturers €2.93 billion for participating in a cartel.

Member of Law Society of Ireland Member of Irish Society for European Law Member of Irish Centre for European Law Member of Association of European Lawyers Member of American Bar Association Member of International Bar Association

LLB (Trinity College Dublin) 1998; Diploma in Finance Law (Law Society of Ireland) 2003; Diploma in Economics for Competition Law (King’s College London) 2008.