Cleary Gottlieb’s UK Competition Team has rapidly established itself as one of the leading practices in London, advising on a wide array of significant transactions, behavioral cases, and litigation matters.
Since 2017, we have grown to seven senior lawyers and over 25 associates. We have been involved in around 25% of all CMA Phase 2 merger investigations since 2019, including some of the most significant cases of recent years:
Merger Investigations
We are advising, or have also advised, on many other significant merger investigations, including:
- Broadcom’s proposed acquisition of VMware
- Sika AG’s proposed acquisition of MBCC Group;
- Microsoft’s proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard
- Allied Universal’s public takeover of G4S
- Adevinta’s acquisition of eBay’s classified advertising business
- Tronox’s then-proposed acquisition of TTI
- Ecolab’s acquisition of Holchem
- Google’s acquisition of Looker.
Market Study and Market Investigations
We are advising, or have advised, on many of the most significant recent Market Studies and Market Investigations led by the CMA, the FCA, and other governmental bodies, including:
- Online platforms and digital advertising
- Mobile ecosystems
- Music streaming
- Road fuel
- Rail signalling
Overview
Cleary Gottlieb has been, or is currently, involved in some of the most significant recent UK Competition Act investigations, including ongoing CMA’s investigations into big tech players, as well as Ofwat’s investigation into Thames Water.
We have also acted in numerous standalone and follow-on competition litigation claims, with notable cases including our involvement in only the fourth collective action proceedings to be certified in the English courts and our successful defence of LG Display in a Court of Appeal case against Samsung.
Our London practice continues to play an important role in cases and investigations in the EU and other jurisdictions worldwide. Among others, we have been involved in the Google Shopping and Google Android appeals before the General Court and European Court of Justice.
The group regularly publishes books and articles, speaks at conferences, and participates in on-going debates about antitrust policy, enforcement, and practice. Among other publications, we authored the authoritative text on UK competition law and practice, UK Competition Regime: A Practitioner’s Guide, published in 2021.
Digital Regulation Round-Up
As a number of jurisdictions implement major legislation to create new rules and enforcement mechanisms for digital markets, companies active in these sectors need to stay abreast of the latest developments. Cleary Gottlieb’s Digital Regulation Round-Up is designed to keep you updated with actionable insights on the companies and practices that will be affected, regulators’ current thinking, and developing guidance on the implementation of new rules around the world.
Antitrust Review Podcast
Hosted by Cleary Gottlieb partner Nick Levy, this podcast series aims to bring insight and clarity to antitrust enforcement, policy, and practice through conversations with leading individuals who are shaping the antitrust agenda. Recent guests have included the outgoing chief executive of the CMA, Andrea Coscelli, and John Fingleton, a former chief executive of the CMA’s predecessor agency, the Office of Fair Trading.
In-House Lawyer
Alongside reports and articles on the Content Hub, Cleary Gottlieb’s UK competition practice provides insight and commentary to leading publications in the legal sector.
Our antitrust group recently spoke to The In-House Lawyer, to discuss the implications of Brexit and the CMA’s evolution into one of the most interventionist competition agencies in the world. You can read the interview with our antitrust experts below.