We are very pleased that our work contributed to a Positive Outcome!

Aleksandra Boutin and Xavier Boutin and their team successfully assisted Smithfield Foods in obtaining clearance for its acquisition of Pini Polonia. They were involved in the proceedings before the European Commission and then before the Office for Competition and Consumer Protection in Poland, where the case was referred.

The economic analysis carried out by Aleksandra and Xavier in this case, included:

• The analysis of the local overlap of the merging parties, taking into account the specificities of their sourcing strategies.
• Demonstrating that the merger would not reduce farmers’ choices regarding slaughterhouses and therefore would not affect the purchase prices of livestock.
• Exemplifying that price transparency and the strong link between prices in neighbouring countries and Poland further limit the parties’ ability to harm farmers post-merger.
• Establishing that the transaction would not restrict access of small and medium market participants to large meat recipients (e.g. retail chains).

For more information, please see the press release of UOKIK:

www.uokik.gov.pl

We enjoyed working on this case together with Greenberg Traurig, in particular Robert Gago and Radosław Pawluk. Congratulations to them and their team for their excellent legal advice!

Special thanks and congratulations to everyone involved at Smithfield Foods for their hard work in making this transaction possible!