Latham & Watkins is widely recognised for securing both conditional and unconditional merger clearances in support of high-value, cross-border transactions. The team regularly works in close coordination with its US offices to navigate complex, multi-jurisdictional regulatory regimes. Simon Pritchard is a key figure in the team, frequently advising on challenging Phase I and Phase II merger reviews. Practice head Jonathan Parker draws on his senior experience at the CMA to steer clients through high-stakes investigations and merger control processes. David Little brings notable versatility, acting in sophisticated competition matters before both UK and EU competition authorities.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Accolades
Client satisfaction
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- ‘Simon Pritchard is excellent and fun to work with.’
- ‘Expert merger clearance team with an experienced partner group supported by a strong associate team.’
- ‘Greg Bonne—his advice is informed by insights from his time at the CMA.’
- ‘The team is easy to work with, collaborative, and strong in client and process management.’
- ‘Easy to work with, collaborative, and effective in managing multiple stakeholders and gathering input.'
- ‘Latham’s competition practice grows from strength to strength in the UK and EU. They are prominent in all major matters and have been the most successful firm at leveraging top-tier practices across the UK, EU, and US.'
Key clients
- Microsoft
- American Airlines
- Viasat
- Apollo
- KKR
- Bridgepoint
- Meta
- Bunge
- SLB
Work highlights
Advised Microsoft in securing CMA Phase 1 unconditional merger clearance of its high-profile hiring of former employees of Inflection.ai and entry into related agreements.
Advised Thermo Fisher Scientific on obtaining parallel unconditional clearances in the UK (Phase 1) and in Germany (Phase 2) for its US$3.1 billion acquisition of Olink.
Advised SLB on obtaining merger control and FDI clearances in 12 jurisdictions globally.
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.
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
David Little
Jonathan Parker
Practice head
Jonathan Parker
Other key lawyers
Simon Pritchard; David Little; Greg Bonne; Ludmilla Le Grand; Stephanie Adams; Oscar Hayward