Cade investigates whether exchanging human resources related information breaches the antitrust legislation

On March 17th 2021, Cade’s General Superintendence opened an Administrative Proceeding to investigate anticompetitive conduct in the labor market of the health care industry, specifically related to health care equipment and products. The lawsuit started after the signing of a Leniency Agreement, in which the exchange of information and collusive conduct between human resources’ employees from dozens of companies were reported do Cade.

This is the first time CADE decides to investigate conducts regarding the labor market, a topic which has been a growing trend in the United States (given the publication of the Antitrust Guide for Human Resources Professionals in 2016), as well as in the OECD’s 2020 round table (Competition Issues in Labor Markets).