Maclay Murray & Spens shortlisted for award

MMS acted for global travel search site Skyscanner in a landmark appeal that successfully overturned an earlier decision by the Office of Fair Trading.

The Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) backed the company’s opposition to earlier commitments given by online hotel companies to remove discounting restrictions for online travel agents.

Without the ruling, price comparison websites would have been prevented from publishing available prices as full discount information would not be available.

Catriona Munro, a partner who led the firm’s work for Skyscanner, said: “Our work with Skyscanner is an excellent example of the growing range of competition cases we are pursuing with our clients.

“This was the first appeal of its nature and a tough case with very high legal hurdles to overcome. Being shortlisted as the Competition Team of the Year is a validation of our approach and the implications of this case. It is particularly significant that Skyscanner’s in house legal team, with whom we worked very closely on the appeal, has also been shortlisted for The Lawyer Awards 2015, which is well deserved.

“Our practice is emerging as a leading contentious competition practice, building on the existing strong foundation of its non-contentious competition, procurement and regulatory capabilities. Our regulatory practice also goes from strength to strength, having recently won a number of significant new instructions.”

The awards ceremony will take place in London on 23 June.