European Antitrust and Competition

O’Melveny & Myers LLP offers seamless antitrust and competition representation in the United States, Europe, and Asia. Members of our practice group routinely represent clients before antitrust and competition agencies around the world. Our 70-plus antitrust and competition lawyers include former high-ranking regulators who maintain close contact with the enforcement agencies, providing clients with invaluable insights into governmental decision-making processes and agendas.

Operating at the European Union’s (EU) political and legislative center, the Brussels office focuses on EU and national competition law, as well as trade and sector regulation. Our lawyers are qualified in key Member States, have in-depth experience and knowledge of national laws and procedures, speak local languages, know the national authorities, and are accustomed to coordinating complex cross-border projects in the EU and beyond.

Since its establishment in 2004, the Brussels office has been involved in a series of high-profile cases covering all main areas of EU competition law (Article 82, mergers, and cartel cases), achieving headline-grabbing results for our clients. Most recently, we secured a historic victory for client Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) in its global antitrust battle with Intel. The decision of the European Commission (EC) in May 2009, which came after six years of work by O'Melveny in Brussels, concluded that Intel violated European antitrust laws by abusing its dominant position in the x86 microprocessor market. The Commission ordered Intel to discontinue its illegal practices and imposed a fine of €1.06 billion (US$1.44 billion), which is the largest ever fine set by an antitrust regulator. In the area of merger control our team recently achieved Phase I EC clearances for the Norwegian energy group Norsk Hydro ASA in its US$30 billion (€22.5 billion) merger with Statoil ASA; for TUI AG in its acquisition of First Choice; and for Northwest Airlines in its merger with Delta Air Lines. Due to their complexity and scope, early clearance was not the expected outcome in any of those cases. In the area of cartel investigations, our work includes a full acquittal for client Firma Léon van Parys (LVP), the European importer of "Bonita" bananas, which had faced charges of involvement in an illegal price-fixing and information sharing arrangement among the EU’s five main banana importers.

Combining its US, European and Asian antitrust knowledge, O’Melveny is well situated to advise on the transnational implications of deals. This is a critical aspect of international business as globalization continues and as antitrust authorities around the world conduct parallel merger inquiries, as well as monopoly and cartel investigations. Few firms can match our consistent strength across these three major economic areas.

What Others Say About Us

• ACQ Finance Magazine awarded our Brussels team the title of “Competition Law Firm of the Year” (2008).
• Legal 500 Europe (2009) comments on the “technically complex matters” that we handle; praises Riccardo Celli as impressive, calling his work “excellent;” and cites Christian Riis-Madsen―promoted to partner in February 2009―as “excellent- partner quality.”
• Chambers Europe (2009) commends our Competition/European law practice, stating that our Brussels office “has the strength and resources to advise clients on big-ticket international mergers and other multi-jurisdictional competition proceedings.” Sources are cited as saying, “The service is brilliant – it’s rigorous but practical.”
• Chambers Global (2009) also recommends our global Antitrust and Competition practice, stating that O’Melveny “is the global quarterback – it is prominent around the world, from Beijing to Brussels.” Our work with international cartels is also highlighted.
• International Financial Law Review 1000 (2010) recommends our European Antitrust and Competition Practice, quoting one client who makes reference to the "very bright people" at O'Melveny and commenting, "Their service is excellent and they are very knowledgeable. Nothing but praise for their competition practice." Partner Riccardo Celli is recognized by IFLR as a "leading lawyer" and partner Christian Riis-Madsen is commended by peers as "a rising star in the antitrust community."
• At the European Legal Business Awards (2008), we received “Competition Team of the Year” honors for our representation of TUI AG in its acquisition of First Choice Holidays PLC, forming the leading travel group worldwide.
• Global Competition Review (GCR) lists O’Melveny among Brussels’ "recommended" antitrust firms in its annual, "Brussels Competition Bar Survey" (August/September 2009). In GCR’s 2009 edition of “Global 100”―its guide to the world’s leading competition practices―O’Melveny was listed in the “Global Elite” section―GCR’s list of the top 20 antitrust firms worldwide. In addition, GCR’s “Who’s Who Legal 70” (2008) notes that our competition practice is “among the largest and most respected anywhere.”

Key Facts

Practice Strengths

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