Doug Gurr's first 100 days: reform and refocussing

Event Details

Panel 1
In the 100 days since the new Chairman of the CMA took over, the world has changed. The new Chairman - Doug Gurr - has outlined the three driving priorities - efficiency, expertise and engagement - which build on Sarah Cardell's established 4Ps framework (pace, predictability, proportionality, process). With the DMCC Act's competition powers operational since January, a number of SMS cases already launched (into Search and Search Advertising, and Mobile Ecosystems), two meetings of the CMA's new investment council, numerous public statements by its Chair and CEO, two fines issued under the EU's sister regime (the DMA) and efforts in the US to litigate similar interventions (e.g. in relation to Amazon, Google and Meta), this is a seminal moment to discuss the road ahead for Doug Gurr, the UK and the CMA in the digital market regulation space.

Panel 2
In the decade since the CMA was created from the merger of the Competition Commission and Office of Fair Trading, the CMA's remit has changed significantly. In addition to the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, the CMA has also been subject to additional duties in the UK Internal Market Act 2020 and the Subsidy Control Act 2022. Under these provisions, the CMA is now responsible for reviewing regulatory divergence between UK nations, the subsidy control regulator, and now has broader responsibilities and associated powers to regulate digital markets and enforce consumer protection. Three acts that delivered major changes which were not envisioned when the CMA was set up, which begs the question should the merger that led to the establishment of the CMA be revisited? Against this backdrop, the CMA is also going through organisational reform while the UK Government is reviewing the remits of all regulators to ensure that they deliver on the Government's main mission: to deliver economic growth.

This roundtable discussion brings together academics, lawyers and interested parliamentarians to discuss the impact of major legislative changes to the CMA over the last five years.

This Roundtable discussion is hosted under the Chatham House Rule.

This event is convened by Dr Liza Lovdahl Gormsen, Senior Research Fellow in Competition Law and Director, Competition Law Forum

Keynote speaker:

Lord Tyrie, former Chairman of the CMA and chair of the Treasury Select Committee

Speakers

• Vinous Ali, Deputy Executive Director at the Startup Coalition
  
• Samiah Anderson, Head of Digital Regulation, techUK
• Claudia Berg, Partner at Covington & Burling, former CMA and ICO,
• Andrea Coscelli,  Partner at Keystone, former CEO of the CMA
• Phil Evans, Co-Director of the Competition Law Forum, BIICL, former enquiry chair at the CMA
• Stuart Hudson, Partner at Brunswick Group, former Senior Director of the CMA
• Gregor Poynton MP, MP for Livingston
• Simon Pritchard,  Partner at Latham & Watkins, former Director of mergers at CMA

Additional Speakers to be confirmed 

Pricing and Registration

This event is open to members of the Competition Law Forum at BIICL and invited guests. Please contact the Events Team to request a place at this event.

Find out more about the Competition Law Forum