Frances Murphy, a competition partner at law firm Jones Day, said it was significant that the supermarkets had admitted liability quickly.
"It simply increases the length of time and increases the lack of certainty," says Martin Baker, competition partner at Taylor Johnson Garrett.The focus of concern is not just mergers.
Duncan Liddell, competition partner at the law firm Ashurst, said the CMA had decided to make a point by handing out a record fine.
John Milligan, a competition partner at Clyde & Co, said delays could mean a deal would not be closed before the election in May next year.
Guardian Children's Books (yes, that's us!) is a competition partner and so we'll be publishing the winning story here on the site, as well as sharing helpful videos, blog posts and other tips along the way.
NextDrop, a first-place co-winner in UC Berkeley's 2010 Big Ideas competition, partnered with a local non-governmental organization last summer to begin a pilot study of some 200 households in Hubli.
Alastair Gorrie, a competition partner at law firm Coudert Brothers, said the European commission - which is currently examining Santander's application to bid for Abbey - would now have to look at the issue of the Spanish bank's ties to RBS. "HBOS have spotted a good card to play.
Denis Waelbroeck, competition partner at the lawyers Ashurst in Brussels, said: "While such a fine will no doubt do wonders for the commission's image as a tough regulator, some might consider it unfair, not least since the commission refused to tell Microsoft what would be a 'reasonable' amount to charge for patent licences despite being asked several times".".
Dryden's photography was recently selected to appear in a competition partnered by the Tate Modern, Flickr and Blurb, although painting remains her primary passion.
