The Spanish Competition Authority, CNMC, has initiated a sanctioning procedure against the Barcelona Bar Association (ICAB) for allegedly recommending prices, contravening not only the Competition Defense Act but also two CNMC resolutions from 2018 and 2020.

In 2018, the CNMC fined the ICAB and eight other Bar Associations for recommending prices through fee schedules, which was deemed anti-competitive.

In 2020, as part of the monitoring process of the 2018 case, the CNMC declared the cost assessment criteria presented by the ICAB as compliant with the 2018 resolution.

In May 2024, following surveillance activities, the CNMC Council instructed the Competition Directorate to start a sanctioning procedure against the ICAB for suspected breaches, particularly related to disseminating specific cost assessment criteria among thousands of lawyers.