Tibor Szanto heads the competition, EU and regulatory practice of the Budapest office of Allen & Overy LLP. He has significant experience in the application of competition law, both as a regulator and as a private practitioner. He regularly advises multinational and Hungarian companies on the competition law aspects of proposed transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, cooperation and distribution agreements, and represents clients before the competition authorities and the courts in relation to contentious antitrust matters.

Tibor has experience in a wide range of industries including telecommunications, media, banking and financial services, gas and electricity, pharmaceutical, agriculture and chemical, retail trade and real estate. He has developed particular expertise in the telecommunications sector, with a special focus on mobile networks and spectrum regulatory issues. He also has significant experience in cartel cases, ranging from bid rigging to price fixing and other types of cartels.

Recent cases include advising UPC, a leading cable operator, in relation to an abuse of dominance inquiry where the inquiry was closed with a commitment decision; advising FMC Corporation in relation to an Hungarian Competition Authority inquiry into the pesticides sector, where the inquiry was terminated without findings; and advising Magyar Telekom, a fixed and mobile network operator, in relation to its network sharing arrangement with another mobile network operator in Hungary. Tibor has also advised Magyar Telekom in relation to setting up a joint venture in the energy sector. Other matters include advising CIB Bank, a subsidiary of the Italian Intesa Sanpaolo Group, in relation to its appeal against the Hungarian Competition Authority’s decision in a cartel case, where the Hungarian Supreme Court ordered the authority to review the level of the fine imposed on the company, and Hungaropharma, a leading pharmaceutical and medical wholesaler, on an appeal against an authority decision on an alleged cartel. Tibor also recently secured a settlement for real estate sector client Otthon Centrum, obtaining a significant fine reduction.

Before joining Allen & Overy, Tibor served as a member of the competition council of the Hungarian Competition Office for four years. During this time, he was involved in many high-profile antitrust cases before the Hungarian authority, including cartel and merger decisions and cases resulting from the enforcement of the EU directive on Unfair Commercial Practices. Tibor has also worked for the European Commission, specialising in the telecommunications sector.

Tibor regularly delivers lectures on competition and telecommunications law and policy at law and business schools in Hungary. Tibor is also a member of the International Competition League (Hungarian section) and the Budapest Bar.

Allen & Overy's antitrust and competition practice comprises over 120 specialists operating across Asia, Australia, Europe and North America. The practice advises corporate clients and financial institutions on their global antitrust policies, litigation and regulatory strategies and has acted on some of the highest-profile and most complex cases in recent years.