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Competition Law Lawyer

Competition Law ยท Antitrust ยท EU ยท UK ยท UAE ยท Iran

Competition Law Lawyer for Cross-Border Businesses

Dr. Ahmadreza Moini, attorney at law and founder of PAD International Group, advises companies on competition and antitrust risk in distribution networks, joint ventures, mergers, digital platforms and pricing โ€” with a practical focus on businesses operating between the UAE, the UK, the EU and Iran.

Why Competition Law Matters

Antitrust Risk Hides in Everyday Commercial Decisions

Competition law (called antitrust law in the United States) applies to ordinary business choices: how you set resale prices, whether you grant exclusive territories, what you discuss with competitors at a trade association meeting, and whether a merger needs approval before closing. Getting these decisions wrong can make contract clauses void, delay transactions and expose a company to significant fines.

For groups that sell across several markets, the challenge is that each regime has its own thresholds and enforcement priorities. A competition law lawyer who understands how the rules interact helps you build one commercial strategy that works in every market you reach โ€” rather than discovering a problem after a complaint or a regulator’s request for information.

Competition law lawyer advising on EU, UK, UAE and Iranian antitrust rules
  • 01

    Void Clauses

    Restrictive provisions in distribution, licensing or supply agreements may be unenforceable, weakening your position in a later dispute.

  • 02

    Substantial Fines

    Under EU rules, fines for infringing Articles 101 or 102 TFEU can reach up to 10% of a group’s worldwide annual turnover.

  • 03

    Merger Delays

    Many regimes require approval before closing. The UAE, for example, now applies notification thresholds of AED 300 million in annual UAE turnover or a 40% combined market share.

  • 04

    Digital Market Rules

    The EU Digital Markets Act and the UK’s Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 add new obligations for large digital platforms and their business users.

Competition Law Services

How Our Competition Law Lawyer Can Help

Clear, commercial advice for manufacturers, distributors, franchisors, technology companies, investors and in-house legal teams.

Agreements & Merger Control

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Distribution & Agency Agreements

Review of exclusivity, territory, non-compete and resale pricing clauses against the EU Vertical Block Exemption Regulation (2022/720), the UK Vertical Agreements Block Exemption Order 2022 and UAE rules. See also our commercial contract lawyer services.

Review your agreements

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Merger Control Analysis

Multi-jurisdictional assessment of whether an acquisition or joint venture triggers notification in the UAE, the UK, the EU or Iran, and planning of filing timetables with local counsel where required.

Check filing obligations

Compliance & Dominance

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Compliance Programmes & Training

Practical competition compliance policies, risk assessments and staff training on contacts with competitors, information exchange, trade association meetings and pricing decisions, tailored to the markets where your teams actually sell and negotiate.

Build a compliance programme

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Abuse of Dominance

Advice on pricing, refusals to supply, tying, rebates and exclusivity by companies with strong market positions โ€” and on complaints by customers or competitors affected by such conduct.

Assess dominance risk

Digital Markets & Iran

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Digital Markets & Platforms

Guidance on the EU Digital Markets Act (Regulation (EU) 2022/1925), the UK strategic market status regime and platform terms โ€” closely linked to our AI lawyer and GDPR lawyer work on data-driven businesses.

Discuss digital compliance

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Iran Competition Council Matters

Advice on the competition chapter of Iranโ€™s Law on the Implementation of the General Policies of Article 44 of the Constitution, including complaints, defence and market conduct before the Competition Council. See also: international arbitration lawyer.

Iranian lawyer services

Transactions & Disputes

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Joint Ventures & M&A Clauses

Competition-safe structuring of joint ventures and acquisitions, including non-compete covenants, clean-team rules for information exchange during due diligence, and avoiding gun-jumping before regulatory clearance has been obtained. See also: company registration in Iran.

Plan your transaction

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Competition Disputes & Arbitration

Support where competition law arises in commercial disputes, including the enforceability of restrictive clauses, damages claims and competition issues in international arbitration, with a clear view of risks and strategy.

International arbitration

Dr. Ahmadreza Moini, competition law lawyer and founder of PAD International Group
2013
Practice Founded

Your Competition Law Advisor

Dr. Ahmadreza Moini

Dr. Moini is a Grade One attorney at law and member of the Iran Bar Association, a member of the Tehran Arbitrators Association and a university lecturer with a PhD in private law. Through PAD International Group, he advises companies and law firms on cross-border commercial matters, with particular interest in competition law in digital markets.

He works in English, Arabic and Persian and focuses on the practical question clients care about: can we do this deal, sign this contract or adopt this pricing policy, and how do we do it safely? Where a filing or proceeding must be handled by counsel qualified in the UK, the EU or the UAE, we coordinate with trusted local lawyers so you receive one joined-up strategy.

Attorney at Law, Iran Bar Association
PhD in Private Law
Tehran Arbitrators Association
University Lecturer
Commercial & Contract Law
English, Arabic & Persian

Speak with Dr. Moini

How We Work

A Clear Four-Step Approach

01

Scoping Call

We identify your markets, market shares, the agreements or transaction involved and the decisions you need to make.

02

Risk Mapping

We map the rules in each relevant jurisdiction โ€” EU, UK, UAE, Iran or elsewhere โ€” and flag filing obligations and high-risk clauses.

03

Practical Advice

You receive a written memo or marked-up contract with clear options, not just a list of risks.

04

Implementation

We help roll out policies, train staff and coordinate with local counsel and regulators where needed.

Questions

Competition Law FAQs

A competition law lawyer (or antitrust lawyer) advises businesses on agreements and conduct that may restrict competition โ€” such as price-fixing, market sharing, resale price maintenance, exclusive dealing and abuse of a dominant position โ€” and on whether mergers and joint ventures must be notified to competition authorities.
Yes, broadly. “Antitrust” is the term used mainly in the United States; “competition law” is used in the EU, the UK, the UAE and most other jurisdictions. The core concepts โ€” anti-competitive agreements, abuse of dominance and merger control โ€” are similar, but thresholds and procedures differ.
Under the UAE competition framework, Cabinet Resolution No. 3 of 2025 introduced notification thresholds based on annual UAE turnover of AED 300 million or a combined market share of 40%. Whether a filing is required depends on the transaction structure and the partiesโ€™ figures, so each deal should be assessed individually.
Yes. Clauses fixing resale prices, imposing absolute territorial protection or long non-compete obligations can infringe competition law, depending on market shares and the applicable rules. We review distribution, agency and franchise agreements so they remain commercially effective and enforceable.
Dr. Moini is qualified in Iran and is not a UK or EU qualified lawyer. For filings and proceedings before the UK Competition and Markets Authority, the European Commission or UAE authorities, we work alongside locally qualified counsel while providing cross-border strategy, contract review and Iranian law advice directly.
Iranโ€™s competition rules are set out mainly in the competition chapter of the Law on the Implementation of the General Policies of Article 44 of the Constitution, which lists prohibited practices and established the Competition Council and the National Competition Center. Foreign companies distributing products in Iran should review their agreements and pricing arrangements under these rules.

Get Started

Talk to a Competition Law Lawyer Before You Sign

Share your agreement, transaction or concern and receive a clear first view of the competition law risks and next steps. Consultations are available online in English, Arabic and Persian.

Book a Consultation