Successful representation of UAB GRIFS AG: the investigation by the Competition Council into the actions of security service providers was terminated

COBALT successfully represented the licensed international capital security service provider UAB GRIFS AG. The Competition Council terminated the investigation into compliance of the actions of companies providing security services with the requirements of the Competition Law.

The one-and-a-half-year-long investigation began after the Competition Council received information about a possible market-sharing agreement between several security companies, which included GRIFS AG, Argus, Norgauda and Apsaugos Komanda.

The suspicions of the Competition Council were caused by the fines stipulated in the contracts concluded by the security service provider Apsaugos Komanda for taking over customers served on the basis of subcontracting. Apsaugos Komanda had concluded such a contract with COBALT’s client UAB GRIFS AG, too. However, taking into account the explanations provided by COBALT about the specifics of the security services business, the circumstances of the cooperation between the companies and the low impact of the cooperation agreement on competition in the market, the Competition Council decided that it was not proportionate to continue the investigation and terminated it.

This is already the second investigation terminated by the Competition Council against the same company, COBALT’s client UAB GRIFS AG. A year ago, the Competition Council terminated the investigation in which UAB GRIFS AG was suspected of colluding service prices together with members of the association Apsaugos Verslo Grupė. With the help of the COBALT team, the investigation was terminated without any negative consequences for UAB GRIFS AG, the association and other members.

The COBALT team consisted of Partner Rasa Zaščiurinskaitė and Senior Associate Justinas Šileika.