On 6 August 2019, the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (the "CMA") imposed an 'Unwinding Order' on a U.S. company, Bottomline Technologies (de), Inc ("Bottomline"), active in the business payment automation technology space, and its UK subsidiary ("Bottomline UK"), in connection with its investigation into Bottomline's completed acquisition of Experian Limited's Experian Payments Gateway business (the "EPG Business"). The acquisition was completed on 6 March 2019.

An 'Initial Enforcement Order' or 'IEO', preventing further integration, had already been imposed on Bottomline and Bottomline UK on 22 May 2019.

The Unwinding Order imposes obligations in relation to the handling of information:

  • Bottomline must not use "EPG Confidential Information" (i.e. commercially sensitive information regarding the EPG business) to "solicit" any existing EPG customers in relation to any product or service that competes with the EPG business;
  • Bottomline and Bottomline UK must "segregate" all EPG Confidential Information (including existing physical and electronic materials) and ensure that such information cannot be accessed by any Bottomline and Bottomline UK representatives or employees other than certain EPG staff, except where necessary to comply with regulatory and/or accounting obligations or with the prior written consent of the CMA;
  • Bottomline and Bottomline UK must procure that EPG staff destroy or delete any "Bottomline Confidential Information" (i.e. any commercially sensitive information regarding the Bottomline business in respect of any products or services that compete with the EPG business) that they hold; and
  • Bottomline and Bottomline UK must procure that no EPG staff have access to Bottomline Confidential Information, except with the prior written consent of the CMA.

The Unwinding Order remains in force until it is varied or revoked.

This matter reminds us of the risks inherent in proceeding to complete a transaction without having obtained CMA clearance, i.e. the risks of the CMA investigating a transaction (that has been legally completed) and imposing disruptive measures pending the outcome of its investigation. At a more general level, the difficulties of reversal are relative to the scale of implementation and would be far more difficult for instance if employee' contracts have been terminated, or supply/customer contracts novated or terminated. A careful assessment of whether to voluntarily notify the CMA of a transaction prior to completion should therefore be conducted in respect of transactions involving overlapping businesses in the UK.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.