Biography: Competition

Anthony Norton has considerable experience in all aspects of competition law including merger control, joint ventures, cartel investigations, prohibited practices, advice in respect of horizontal and vertical restrictive practices, abuse of a dominant position and general competition litigation before South African courts and competition authorities. Anthony has been involved in numerous high-profile merger decisions and is the first South African attorney to appear before the Competition Appeal Court in South Africa.

Anthony has a BA LLB, cum laude, from the University of the Witwatersrand, MLit (Oxford) and a Diploma in Competition Law (World Bank).

Two of Mr Norton's major transactions include advising Netcare Healthcare Holdings Ltd in its acquisition of the Community Hospital Group and acting for Internet Solutions Providers Association of South Africa (ISPA) in successfully opposing the highly controversial and much-publicised merger between Telkom, South Africa's dominant fixed-line telecommunications provider, and Business Connection (BCX), South Africa's largest IT company, which would have resulted in an almost unassailable position for Telkom in the IT Services market.

Recent transactional work includes advising Aspen Pharmacare and GlaxoSmithKline on the transaction between the parties in Southern Africa, the acquisition of the Bond Exchange of South Africa by the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, Tsogo Sun's acquisition of Century Casinos and Aspen Pharmacare's acquisition of Fine Chemicals. Prohibited practice cases include advising the Premier Milling Group in the recent bread price-fixing case and advising Scaw Metals (a member of the Anglo American Group) on a recent steel price fixing matter. Mr Norton also successfully advised BP in successfully opposing Transnet's application to increase pipeline tariffs.

Mr Norton has successfully represented Absa in the first comprehensive investigation by the South African competition authorities into banking fees and general banking practices. He advised resources giant Anglo American in the sale of its remaining 29.2 per cent stake in Highveld Steel and Vanadium to the Evraz Group SA. He also represented Pearson Plc and its local subsidiary Maskew Miller Longman in the local merger of Heinemann and Maskew Miller Longman publishers, resulting from the merger of their international holding companies, Pearson PLC and Harcourt Education International. Mr Norton has published numerous competition law articles for various publications including the Leniency Chapter on South Africa – Leniency Regimes 2005/2006. Additionally, he sits on the competition law committee of the Northern Provinces and was the first attorney to appear before the Competition Appeal Court in South Africa.

In addition to being a Rhodes scholar, Mr Norton can boast several accolades from well-known publications such as his nomination for inclusion in the inaugural edition of Best Lawyers: South Africa in the area of antitrust. Practical Law Company's Competition Handbook 2008 lists Anthony as a leader in the competition field. Anthony has been recognised as a leader in the field of competition and antitrust by Chambers Global 2007–08. Practical Law Company's Competition Handbook 2006 lists Anthony as a leading competition lawyer in South Africa and Global Counsel's Handbook for both 2003 and 2004 voted Anthony as South Africa's leading competition lawyer and nominated him as one of the 'Top 40 Under 40' competition lawyers worldwide.