• Listed Hungarian telecommunications and IT company: Advising on the acquisition of a leading telecommunications infrastructure and solutions provider in Hungary.
• The largest Hungarian online consumer electronics retailer and its shareholders: Advising on the competition aspects of the merger with the number two online retailer in Hungary, which belongs to a South African internet and entertainment group. The GVH conducted an in-depth investigation but we convinced the GVH that the transaction be approved without conditions as we successfully argued that the online and offline retail markets should be defined as one single market. The deal won the 2019 “CEE Deal of the Year” award for Hungary by CEE Legal Matters.
• Hungarian subsidiary of a leading Swedish consumer goods company: Successfully representing in a cartel investigation initiated by the GVH against paper producers together with retailers, based on allegations of price fixing via hub and spoke arrangements. The GVH terminated the case against the client and, thanks to our defense strategy, all of the charges were successfully rebutted.
• Leading multinational food giant:
  • Conducting annual internal competition law audits. The work includes forensic auditing, interviews and the assessment of potential competition law risks, as well as recommending appropriate measures, with a focus on vertical market relationships. Also assisting the client in adjusting its compliance policy—including its dawn raid guidelines—to local requirements.
  • Providing advice related to unfair competition, consumer protection and advertising law.
  • Providing legal advice in relation to an investigation by the National Institute of Pharmacy and Nutrition, which started with a dawn raid and included forensic auditing.
• German chemical company: Advising in relation to various competition law issues in respect of its operations in Hungary.
• Hungarian subsidiary of a world leading automotive company:
  • Providing competition law advice to the client on a continuous basis including vertical and horizontal aspects of competition law.
  • Conducting a complex data protection audit and implementing GDPR related data protection policies and processes.
• Leading Turkish ground handling company: Providing legal assistance in relation to a preliminary investigation conducted by the GVH based on a complaint. The legal work involved the review of electronic and hard copy documents, assessment of risks and of the possibility of a leniency application, and the representation of the company before the competition authority during the preliminary investigation procedure. The GVH closed the preliminary investigation without the initiation of a formal cartel investigation.
• American chemical conglomerate: Representing before the GVH concerning an alleged price fixing and market sharing cartel comprised of several European agricultural companies. Áron’s work involved the implementation of a complex defense strategy which led to the re-consideration and the termination of the case by the Competition Council of the GVH.
• Austria-based traffic technology company: Representing its Hungarian subsidiary in a competition control procedure investigating alleged public procurement cartels in the road marking and road sign industry. The investigation, which started with dawn raids, essentially covered the entire industry in Hungary and it encompasses alleged cartel behavior reaching back several years.
• An innovative Hungarian company active in the medical devices sector: Successful representation in a cartel case before the GVH concerning the distribution of deep brain stimulation devices in Hungary. While the GVH’s statement of objections suggested that all four companies concerned by the investigation infringed competition law and were engaged in public procurement cartels, the proceedings have been terminated against our client.
• Leading Hungarian medical devices company: Advising in relation to its comprehensive compliance program, including compliance training, preparation of compliance handbooks, internal audit and related legal services.
• An investment firm focused on building the internet economy in emerging markets: Advising on its acquisition of a price comparison website operating in Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria.
• Major South African furniture and home goods retailer: Representing in the merger clearance procedure before the GVH in relation to its acquisition of a controlling interest in a Hungarian online consumer electronics retailer.
• A private equity, venture capital, and distressed/vulture firm: Representing in the merger clearance procedure before the GVH in relation to its acquisition of the operator of one of Hungary’s largest DIY store chains.

In the area of TMT, intellectual property (IP) and data protection, Áron has advised:

• World-leading telecommunication service provider: Representing in a litigation against the GVH concerning its decision by which it imposed a significant fine on the client for infringing the provisions of the Act on the Prohibition of Unfair Commercial Practices against Consumers.
• One of the leading telecommunications companies in Hungary: Representing before the Metropolitan Court in an administrative court procedure initiated for the judicial review of a decision of the GVH. The GVH fined the client because it allegedly provided misleading information in a merger clearance procedure.
• One of the key players in the Hungarian telecommunications and infocommunications market: Advising in connection with:
  • its bolt-on acquisition of the fourth largest cable operator in Hungary, along with a simultaneous asset sale to the leading provider of cable television, broadband internet and voice services in Europe;
  • the auction sale of its leading international wholesale business with operations in 15 countries, for €221 million;
  • the legal due diligence of Hungary's eighth largest cable television service provider.
• One of the world’s major mobile operators: Advising on the development of a comprehensive listing regarding the requirements of applicable laws and regulations in areas such as telecommunications, consumer protection and data protection impacting the company’s daily operations.
• A NASDAQ listed provider of global digital media: Advising on operating a satellite uplink station in Hungary and in connection with its participation in a series of public procurement tenders issued by the MTVA (the Hungarian Media Support Fund) for overseas satellite broadcasting of Hungarian national TV channels.
• Global network of foundations that grant funds and fellowships around the globe: Advising on data protection and privacy issues related to its proposed new integrated IT system and the development and implementation of a global compliance program.
• One of the largest private equity and venture capital management firms: Advising in Central and Eastern Europe, on the intellectual property aspects of its acquisition of a global manufacturer of sports nutrition products based in Hungary, including with respect to trademarks and brand names.
• The inventor and manager of child care methods designed for children with special social needs: Advising on consolidating its intellectual property in their Hungarian entity.

Representative experience from Áron's previous firm includes:

• Hungarian subsidiary of a Russian banking and financial services company and a German-based home financier: Advising in relation to two investigations by the GVH. One of the investigations alleges several years of illegal information exchange between the banks.
• A leading global bank and a German-based home financier: Representing in an investigation into possible cartel activity in the household mortgage market that was launched by the GVH against several banks. Banks were said to have raised interest rates significantly on household mortgage loans.
• The Hungarian subsidiary of a premier anti-aging company committed to providing quality skin care and nutrition products: Advising on an unfair trading practice case investigated by the GVH which could have resulted in serious fines.
• The Hungarian subsidiary of a Dutch chemical giant: Representing before the GVH with respect to alleged cartel activity in the car painting industry.
• Hungary’s biggest car importer: Conducting an internal competition compliance audit. The work included forensic auditing, interviews and the assessment of potential competition law risks, as well as recommending appropriate measures, including the creation of a competition compliance program and dawn raid guidelines combined with trainings.
• A leading global bank: Advising during an investigation carried out by the GVH into an alleged anticompetitive agreement among Hungarian payment card issuers concerning interchange fees.
• A major Belgian food retailer: Advising in connection with the competition aspects of the sale of its seven Hungarian hypermarkets to a French-based supermarket giant, as well as the auction sales of over 200 supermarkets and warehouse facilities to various domestic and international food retailers present in Hungary.
• One of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies: Advising in relation to the implications of its acquisition of the Hungarian subsidiary of a leading US pharmaceutical company, including regulatory, corporate, labor and merger clearance issues. The largest Hungarian electricity company: Advising in connection with its acquisition of a 10% interest in each of the four operative subsidiaries of the Hungarian subsidiary of an international private energy company.