Antitrust Advisory wins the case for Yandex against Google’s abuse at the market of pre-installed app stores for Android devices

11.11.2017

Antitrust Advisory has assisted Yandex with a complaint filed with the FAS of Russia concerning alleged anticompetitive actions by Google involving the Android platform and on litigation subsequently initiated by Google in an attempt to overturn the decision and remedy order by the FAS of Russia whereby Google was found to have breached Russian antitrust law, as well as several other FAS decisions.

Antitrust Advisory acted as advisors to/counsel for Yandex (together with Egorov Puginsky Afanasiev & Partners) at all stages of the review of the case by the FAS of Russia and in the court proceedings in connection with Google’s appeal, including involvement in formulating the legal position and legal strategy, collecting evidence (including expert economic and legal opinions), and representing Yandex in court.

The case is one of Russia’s largest antitrust cases to date. It is hard to overstate its complexity and importance for Russian antitrust regulation: numerous controversial issues that previously had not been clearly resolved were addressed and ultimately resolved. The attention of the media (both Russian and foreign) was also unprecedented.

It was a case that resonated internationally. Similar cases against Google are now being heard in other jurisdictions (by the European Commission, the Korea Fair Trade Commission and the Turkish antitrust authority).