Clifford Chance assists corporate and private equity clients across the spectrum of merger and FDI control procedures, utilising the firm’s pan-European network to secure clearances across multiple jurisdictions and at EU level. On the contentious front, the team appears for claimants and defendants in cartel and subsequent damages claims, also handling investigations by the European Commission. Marc Besen, who heads the firm’s German and global competition practices, specialises in seeing clients through merger control hearings and cartel investigations, while Dimitri Slobodenjuk is the group’s key contact for queries concerning FDI regulations. Caroline Scholke combines expertise in cartel matters with a focus on state aid law and FSR.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Marc Besen and team deliver good quality work.'
- 'Good collaboration with the client as well as among the team, and a good understanding of the business.'
- 'Top-level professionals, very client oriented.'
- 'Marc Besen is a great team leader, very reliable, offers quick solutions and is always very professional.'
- 'Clifford's internationally well-connected competition group has comprehensive expertise in all areas of competition law. The team is particularly effective in transactions and has an unbeatable network. The team has gained a great deal of potential through its excellent and ongoing expansion at the junior associate level, which is very visible to clients. Their hands on and pragmatic approach is highly appreciated. It feels like real value for money.'
- 'Dimitri Slobodenjuk is a highly efficient and commercially astute advisor who is always extremely pleasant to work with. His outstanding contacts in investment control law are very valuable.'
- 'Legal expertise, practical business advice.'
Key clients
- Airbus
- BlackRock
- Cisco
- Condor
- Deutsche Telekom
- GE Healthcare
- Hasbro
- Merck
- Mondi
- Montagu
- Oracle
- Permira
- Pfizer
- SABIC
- SMS group
- Spotify
- STADA
- Volkswagen
Work highlights
Advised Condor as an interested third party in relation to the European Commission's antitrust probe into the transatlantic A++ joint venture.
Advising BlackRock on its acquisition of HPS Investment Partners for approximately $12bn, to be paid entirely in BlackRock equity.
Advised UPS on the merger control and FDI aspects of its intended acquisition of Frigo-Trans and its sister company, BPL.
Lawyers
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Practice head
Marc Besen
Other key lawyers
Dimitri Slobodenjuk; Caroline Scholke