By Melissa Lipman

Law360, New York (February 10, 2012, 6:19 PM ET) -- France's competition watchdog laid out final guidelines Friday explaining how the country's antitrust settlement process works, including allowing defendants to combine fine reductions for not contesting antitrust allegations with those offered for leniency filings.

Though France's competition law has allowed for settlements with regulators since 2001, the French Competition Authority's guidelines, issued Tuesday after a two-month public consultation, marks the first time the agency has formalized the process.

Much like similar procedures with the European Commission and other regulators, companies can get their antitrust fines reduced...