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The event was opened by Evgeny Khokhlov, Partner at Antitrust Advisory, and Anna Zabolotnykh, Senior Associate, with an overview session titled “Recent Trends in Competition Investigations”. The speakers highlighted how the practice of competition authorities has evolved in recent years: greater attention is being paid to pricing issues, the use of preventive measures such as cautions and warnings has expanded, and investigations themselves are increasingly following a clearly structured framework. Anna provided a detailed description of the stages of an investigation — from the initial request to the final decision — and emphasised that well-founded economic analysis at an early stage can significantly influence the regulator’s position.
Anastasia Shastitko, Head of the Economic Practice, led two thematic sessions: “The Role of Economic Analysis in Investigations” and “Economic Tools for Mitigating Competition Risks.” She presented practical approaches enabling companies to develop well-reasoned and sustainable positions in competition cases. The sessions examined in detail methods for analysing companies’ market positions, approaches to designing commercial policies, and strategies for coordinating them with regulators. Special emphasis was placed on why economic expertise has become an integral part of effective business defence.
Valeria Gvozdeva, Junior Economist, complemented Anastasia’s presentation with insights into how the Antitrust Advisory team works with data in the context of competition cases. She demonstrated how to structure information properly for submission to competition authorities, explained the importance of adhering to standardised formats, and described how the firm leverages automation tools to analyse client data. Particular attention was given to the fact that well-structured client data enables more efficient analysis.
Alexander Egorushkin, Partner at Antitrust Advisory, shared his experience in assisting clients during inspections and monitoring activities conducted by competition authorities in relation to pricing matters. He noted that the key to successful defence lies in the ability to present data on price dynamics and cost structures quickly and coherently, as well as to justify profitability growth in light of both external market conditions and internal company decisions. Alexander stressed that only the combination of legal precision and sound economic reasoning allows for a persuasive position before regulators.
The event concluded with an active Q&A session, wh ere participants raised practical questions about implementing the discussed recommendations, coordinating with competition authorities, designing discount systems, and integrating economic analysis — including the use of artificial intelligence — into day-to-day operations. Some participants also shared their experience of working with Antitrust Advisory, noting the advantages of the firm’s integrated approach that combines legal and economic expertise.
Antitrust Advisory thanks all participants for their interest and engagement and looks forward to continued collaboration. We believe that open discussions, exchange of experience, and the synergy between legal and economic tools are key to mitigating competition risks and strengthening business resilience.