Merger Control
We advise many of the world's most sophisticated businesses on their merger control strategies.
Our purpose is to create value for our clients by supporting them on winning regulatory approval of private mergers and acquisitions, public takeovers, joint ventures, cooperation or distribution agreements and disposals.
Our merger control team is an integral part of Allen & Overy’s Corporate practice which, in the last five years, has advised on more than 1,360 M&A deals worth over GBP730 billion, according to Mergermarket. Our clients can be confident that we will provide the highest quality of strategic merger control advice.
Having acted on some of the most pioneering transactions in recent years, we are expert in advising on complex, multi-jurisdictional mergers involving in-depth regulatory scrutiny and remedy negotiation. The practice is renowned for its experience in guiding multinational companies through complex and sensitive phase I and phase II merger control cases, before the European Commission, Department of Justice, Federal Trade Commission and other (inter)national regulators. We have extensive experience working on multi-jurisdictional merger control strategies and filings, with a cross-border network of specialists further supplemented by a wide network of local referral firms.
Through our work on ground-breaking cases we are able to draw on our knowledge of novel strategies and complex issues at the forefront of antitrust policy to deliver value to our clients and minimise the risk in any merger control execution process.
- Winner 2015, Merger Control Matter of the Year (Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa) Global Competition Review awards
- Winner 2012, Merger Control Matter of the Year (Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa) Global Competition Review awards
- Winner 2012, Matter of the Year, Global Competition Review awards
- Winner 2011, Matter of the Year, Global Competition Review awards
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News and insights
Publications: 13 March 2024
Immunity and leniency pipeline continues general decline
Overall, the number of immunity/leniency cases decided in 2023 (19) was broadly in line with 2022 (18), although lower than both 2021 (32) and 2020 (31). The costs and uncertainty associated with…
News: 28 February 2024
Antitrust authorities continue intense scrutiny in M&A markets
Antitrust authorities continued to have a big impact on M&A in 2023, frustrating more deals and intensifying scrutiny of digital and private equity transactions, reveals A&O’s latest Global Trends in…
Publications: 28 February 2024
Tougher merger control enforcement frustrates more M&A
Antitrust authorities frustrated more deals in 2023, adopting an increasingly tough approach to merger control enforcement. They used novel arguments to challenge transactions, continued to reject…
Publications: 28 February 2024
Antitrust authorities remain unwilling to accept merger remedies
The trend of favouring prohibition over remedies continued in 2023, at least in certain jurisdictions, eg the U.S., where agencies remained sceptical of whether behavioural or even structural remedies…
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Recognition
Depth of expertise and skill, particularly for international companies operating in multiple jurisdictions.
Chambers Global 2018 (Competition/Antitrust)
Has a solid network, so their approach to cross-border matters is very strong.
Chambers Global 2018 (Competition/Antitrust)
The lawyers work with colleagues across Europe to keep us compliant with competition regulations.
Chambers Europe 2018 (Competition/Antitrust)
The team handles cross-border matters well, knowing that they need to manage different approaches in different jurisdictions.
Chambers Europe 2018 (Competition/Antitrust)
The network is something we appreciate; they work well as one team across borders.
Chambers Europe 2018 (Competition/Antitrust)
If a company had a billion-dollar plus deal somewhere in the world, our data indicates it was more likely to get antitrust help at Allen & Overy than from any other firm.
Global Competition Review 2016
More than most of its rivals, the kind of tie-ups A&O handled incurred in-depth investigations and roused at least initial opposition from competition authorities, in jurisdictions ranging from the Netherlands to China.
Global Competition Review 2016