Our European and International Competition Law practice is based in Brussels and London. Led by a senior team of six partners and three counsel, we provide clients the benefit of an in-depth understanding of the workings of the European legal institutions. We draw on decades of combined experience handling cases before the Commission (DG COMP), the EU General Court, and the Court of Justice, as well as national agencies and courts. Several of our attorneys have spent time working in DG COMP, including in senior positions. We also have insight gained from representing the Commission in cartel litigation before the EU courts. Our team has been recognized for its excellent judgment and skill in handling more complex cases and ability to work on a global scale and provide practical advice. Clients also frequently praise our ability to work efficiently together with other counsel on large international matters.
We advise a global client base on the full array of competition law issues, including merger control, cartels, other restrictive practices, abuse of dominance, and state aid. Our clients often are at the forefront of their industry and come from all sectors of the economy, including life sciences, financial services, high-tech, FMCG, chemicals, and transport.
We help clients avoid and manage antitrust risk through compliance training and internal audits. We have significant experience handling the merger control aspects of large transactions, including Phase II investigations, negotiating complex structural and behavioral remedies, and coordinating multijurisdictional filings. We regularly represent clients in cartel investigations, assisting in dawn raids, seeking immunity or leniency, and coordinating those efforts with counsel in other jurisdictions. We frequently advise clients on information exchange between competitors, complex distribution and licensing issues, life-cycle management, and issues in the interface between competition law and IP.
Using our close relationships with leading national law firms worldwide, the practice offers a “one-stop shop” service to clients involved in multijurisdictional matters. Chosen for their in-depth experience, excellent client-service and local connection, we work through an informal and nonexclusive network of leading antitrust specialists from over 40 key antitrust jurisdictions in the Americas, Africa, Asia, Australia, and Europe.
Recent practice highlights include representing:
- Intel in the purchase of McAfee for US$7.68 billion.
- Several Asian and other international companies in pending cartel investigations before the EC.
- AREVA in EC cartel litigation before the European General Court and the European Court of Justice.
Click here to see a representative list of our European competition experience. For more information about our European competition practice, click here.