Antitrust / Competition Laws
Antitrust laws (also known as competition laws) laws restrict a company from entering into agreements that would restrain competition in the marketplace. Examples of several forms of anti-competitive behavior are provided below. All Lawson employees, temporary workers, consultants, independent contractors, business partners and other representatives are expected to comply with all applicable antitrust / competition laws. When any doubt exists about the legality of any action or arrangement, the matter should be discussed with Lawson’s Legal Department.
Agreements with Competitors
Formal or informal agreements with competitors that seek to limit or restrict competition in any way are often illegal. Unlawful agreements include those which seek to fix or control prices; allocate products, markets or territories; or boycott certain customers or suppliers. To ensure compliance with antitrust / competition laws, discussions with competitors regarding any of these potential agreements is a violation of Lawson policy and will subject the person to disciplinary action as well as the potential for civil liability and criminal prosecution.
Agreements with Customers and Business Partners
Formal or informal agreements between Lawson and a customer or business partner may also be considered anti-competitive and illegal. For example, Lawson may not fix the price at which an authorized reseller sells Lawson’s products. All contracts with customers or business partners must be prepared and signed following the procedures described below in the Section entitled “Signing Contracts and Expenditure Commitments.”
Trade Association Activity
Contact with competitors at trade shows or trade association meetings is often unavoidable. However, these contacts are not immune from antitrust / competition laws. Consequently, contact with competitors necessitated by these meetings should be as limited as possible and kept strictly to the subjects on the agenda for the lawful meeting. In addition, Lawson employee participants in trade associations should consult with Lawson’s Legal Department regarding any proposed association activity that would have a potential effect on competition, such as the development of product standards or industry code of practice.
You should ask yourself:
- Are my discussions with the competitor directly or indirectly touching on pricing considerations or other terms and conditions of sale?
- Could my actions be used as evidence that I unlawfully agreed upon prices or price changes with a competitor, even though no formal agreement or understanding was made?
- Does the pricing or promotional program I am formulating discriminate unfairly against others?
- Are the contacts I am having with employees of a competitor at a trade association meeting necessary? Are they within the scope of the lawful agenda for the meeting?
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