‘Continuously exceptional’ and a ’go to firm for advising on the most difficult competition law problems’, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton fields a specialised antitrust and competition practice made up of experts in the market, with experience across EU Commission investigations, global merger control, and State aid regulations. Its litigious work includes non-cartel conduct investigations and multi-jurisdictional follow-on damages cases, while State aid matters include the full range of advice to governments, potential beneficiaries, and third-party complainants. Robbert Snelders heads the team, which also includes Francisco Enrique González-Díaz, a go-to for merger control matters, and cartel expert Antoine Winckler. Christopher Cook and François-Charles Laprévote regularly handle transactional matters.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Accolades
Client satisfaction
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘The Cleary team in Brussels is continuously exceptional and our go to firm for advising on the most difficult competition law problems. Top notch negotiation skills and generally excellent drafting.'
‘They tick all the boxes: intelligence, knowledge, experience, network, etc.’
‘Conor Opdebeeck-Wilson is an absolute star. What makes him unique is that he is both business savvy as well as technology savvy and can dive deep into our complex technology in order to provide advice that is very relevant and practical.'
‘The team knows a lot about the current thinking of the regulators and is not afraid to challenge the more conservative views.’
‘François-Charles Laprévote knows everything there is to know about State aid law. In addition, he perfectly manages the file and takes into account all stakeholders. He is outstanding and I do not hesitate to recommend his services.’
‘Isabel Rooms is an exceptional partner. She is always available, has keen insight into antitrust practices and hurdles in jurisdictions across and outside Europe, and consistently delivers actionable legal advice.’
Key clients
- Adevinta
- Alstom
- Booking Holdings
- Broadcom
- Coca Cola
- ExxonMobil
- GlobalFoundries
- IQVIA
- Illumina
- LVMH
- Naturgy
Work highlights
Acted as global antitrust counsel to Broadcom Inc., a global technology leader, in its $69bn acquisition of software company VMware Inc.
Representing Synopsys, Inc. in its acquisition of ANSYS, Inc.
Assisting Google with counselling in connection with the Digital Markets Act and other technology regulations, including engagement with the EU Commission and other regulators and stakeholders, compliance design and implementation, designation proceedings ,and coordination with overlapping on-going antitrust investigations.
Lawyers
Hall of Fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Christopher Cook
François-Charles Laprévote
Practice head
Robbert Snelders; Jackie Holland
Other key lawyers
Christopher Cook; Antoine Winckler; Patrick Bock; Wolfgang Deselaers; Francisco Enrique González-Díaz; Isabel Rooms; François-Charles Laprévote; Thomas Graf; Conor Opdebeeck-Wilson