LL200: Competition Law and Policy: Contemporary Challenges in a Global Market

Competition law aims to make markets work better in order to deliver greater benefits to consumers. It involves the use of legal tools to control the acquisition and exercise of market power by firms so as to protect the competitive forces within the market.

From the question of how to control the powerful ‘Tech Giants,’ to the global fight against hard-core cartels, and the unresolved issue of how to balance competition and innovation in merger assessment, competition law raises unique and important contemporary legal problems. The competition rules today thus present a powerful set of tools for public enforcers and private litigants to prevent and sanction harmful instances of private power.

This course aims to equip students with an in-depth understanding of what competition law entails, alongside the broader policy issues that it raises. Our focus is the structure and substance of the EU competition rules with a comparative assessment of other competition systems, particularly the laws of the United States. Since most competition systems globally borrow from one or both of these jurisdictions, the intention is to provide students with the necessary understanding and skills to address antitrust problems wherever in the world they arise.

The objectives of the course, ultimately, are to provide students with the knowledge and skills to understand, apply and critique the legal rules found in any system of competition law worldwide.

Prerequisites: An introductory law course

Level: 200 level. Read more information on levels in our FAQs

Fees: Please see Fees and payments

Lectures: 36 hours

Classes: 18 hours

Assessment: One examination and one essay

Typical credit: 3-4 credits (US) 7.5 ECTS points (EU)

Please note: Assessment is optional but may be required for credit by your home institution. Your home institution will be able to advise how you can meet their credit requirements. For more information on exams and credit, read Teaching and assessment

The course is suited to those who wish to gain both a strong technical knowledge of competition law and the ability to engage with and critique issues of competition policy.

The aim of this course is to equip students with the knowledge and skills to understand, apply and analyse the legal rules found in systems of competition law worldwide.

At the end of the course, students should have a good understanding of:

• Key terms and concepts within competition law and policy;
• The coverage of the three substantive competition rules found in EU competition law (Articles 101 and 102 TFEU, and the EUMR), with a comparative understanding of the equivalent rules found within the US system; and
• The different legal frameworks by which competition law is enforced (public, private, criminal enforcement) and the implications that arise.

Throughout the course, in addition, students will be asked to think critically about the optimal scope and limits of competition law more broadly, in respect of the potential application of these rules to a range of contemporary market problems.

The design of this course is guided by LSE faculty, as well as industry experts, who will share their experience and in-depth knowledge with you throughout the course.