Dr. Assimakis Komninos

Google – Android – EU
Representing Google before the EU Courts in its appeal against the European Commission's Android decision (abuse of dominance – exclusivity rebates).

Google – Heureka – EU
Representing Google before the ECJ in the Heureka preliminary reference from the Czech Republic, which relates to the applicability of the Damages Directive to a follow-on claim for damages further to the Commission's Google Shopping decision.

CCIA – Google Shopping – EU
Representing before the EU Courts the Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA), the sole intervener in support of Google in its appeal against the European Commission's Shopping decision (abuse of dominance – self-preferencing).

Amazon – BuyBox – EU
Represented Amazon in its challenge of the European Commission's carve-out of Italy in the decision opening proceedings in the BuyBox case (Article 11(6) Reg. 1/2003).

Microsoft – Interoperability information – EU
Part of the team that represented Microsoft before the General Court in its appeal against the European Commission's 2004 decision (abuse of dominance - compulsory licensing of interoperability information).

Bulgarian Energy Holding – refusal to supply – EU
Representing BEH in its appeal before the General Court against the European Commission's BEH decision (abuse of dominance – capacity hoarding – refusal to supply).

Autotechnica – operational leasing – EU
Representing Autotechnica (franchisee of Hertz for Croatia) before the ECJ in a Croatian preliminary reference case raising questions of compatibility of national legislation with the internal market.

GlaxoSmithKline – parallel trade cases – EU
Represented GSK before the EU Courts in the following landmark cases: Syfait v. GlaxoSmithKline and Lélos v. GlaxoSmithKline (parallel trade of pharmaceuticals - abuse of dominance), GlaxoSmithKline Services v. Commission (parallel trade of pharmaceuticals - Article 101) and EAEPC v. Commission (rejection of a complaint - parallel trade of pharmaceuticals - Article 101).

Hellenic Republic – Greek lignites – EU
Represented before the General Court the Hellenic Republic intervening in support of Public Power Corporation (PPC) against the Commission's Greek lignites decision.

Chalkor – copper plumbing tubes – EU
Advised Chalkor in its challenge of a cartel fine. The Court of First Instance (General Court) partially annulled the Commission's decision and reduced the fine. The case later led to the landmark Chalkor/KME rulings, which are the leading cases for competition law and due process.

Merger clearance in Aegean/Olympic II – EU
In a first for EU merger control, Assimakis achieved a significant success for Aegean Airlines before the European Commission, which cleared the Greek carrier's proposed acquisition of its rival Olympic Air. This was the second time the two companies had tried to merge, following Olympic/Aegean I, when the Commission prohibited the transaction.

Mobile telephony – EU Phase II merger
Assimakis represented an international company active in mobile telephony in an EU merger Phase II filing.

Gas – EU Phase II merger
Assimakis advised a major energy company on questions of EU unbundling legislation and on EU merger rules in a Phase II case.

Successful appeal against an EU State aid decision
Assimakis successfully represented a number of Greek casinos before the EU General Court, in an appeal against a European Commission State aid decision.

Investigations in the soft drinks and milk markets – Greece, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Romania, Slovenia
Represented a major company active in the soft drinks and milk markets before the Bulgarian, Croatian, Cypriot, Greek, Romanian and Slovenian competition authorities and courts.

EU competition law and arbitration
Assimakis has worked in a number of major ICC arbitration cases involving EU competition law, notably in paramedical products, liquefied natural gas and digital TV services.

Excessive and unfair pricing practices by airports – UK, Cyprus
Assimakis has advised companies active in car rental services in cases involving airports' excessive pricing practices. He successfully represented a major car rental operator in a complaint against an airport before the Cypriot Competition Commission.