In May 2024, Allen & Overy and Shearman & Sterling completed a transatlantic merger, forming A&O Shearman. The firm retains a prominent position in the London competition market, advising a prolific roster of blue-chip multinationals and financial services clients on the full scope of competition and antitrust matters. The team is renowned for its ability to handle high-value, multijurisdictional mergers, cartels, behavioural investigations, contentious matters and FDI issues. Antitrust co-chair Dominic Long, who splits his time between the London and Brussels offices, specialises in complex cross-border merger clearances and cartel investigations, while Matthew Readings regularly advises clients across a myriad of industries on merger control and FDI clearances. Praised as ‘very reassuring and calm in a crisis’, Philip Mansfield stands out for his expertise in the tech sector, while Thomas Masterman advises on the full spectrum of competition matters and, alongside co-head Long, has developed the firm’s UK national security and FDI practice.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘Philip Mansfield is very reassuring and calm in a crisis, instils confidence in clients, provides clear advice and can manage difficult conversations well.'

  • 'Imogen Carr - recently newly promoted to partner, which is very well deserved. She is very capable, knowledgeable and hardworking, and also very user-friendly. She is able to provide practical advice rather than simply giving a technically correct legal opinion.'
  • ‘Very smart lawyers, providing practical advice for in-house teams to navigate an incredibly complex regulatory landscape.'
  • ‘Very business minded practical advice.'

  • ‘Philip Mansfield is the best counsel that I have ever worked with. He invests his time to understand the business and he thoroughly understands the market and the law. He is consistently a pleasure to work with and navigates the law to help find business solutions that can be well understood by all.'

  • ‘Dominic Long is highly commercial, technically astute and puts the client first.’

  • ‘The team is easy to work with and gives good strategic advice.’

  • ‘Dominic Long is very collegiate and thoughtful in his views.’

Key clients

  • American Tower Corp
  • AP Moller Maersk
  • ASSA ABLOY
  • Broadway Technology
  • BT Group
  • Cisco
  • Corio Generation
  • DLG
  • Elastic
  • Eurometaux

Work highlights

Advised Broadway Technology on the sale of all its equity interests to Bloomberg L.P. for a purchase price of USD450m in cash.
Representing GE, in relation to multijurisdictional merger control and FDI reviews of the proposed sale of its nuclear steam turbine business to EDF.
Advised Recticel on the merger control aspects of the disposal of its engineered foams business to Carpenter Group.

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.

Philip Mansfield

Leading partners

The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.

Matthew Readings

Next generation partners

Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.

Dominic Long
Thomas Masterman

Practice head

Dominic Long

Other key lawyers

Matthew Readings' Dominic Long; Kristina Nordlander; Thomas Masterman; Jonathan Hitchin; Andrew Fincham; Christopher Best; Imogen Carr; David Weaver; Jessica Bowring