Francesca Miotto
Partner
Brussels
Francesca Miotto
Partner
Brussels
Contact details
Francesca has a highly diverse practice, with over 15 years of experience advising on the full range of competition issues across numerous industries, including automotive, tech, pharmaceuticals and oil and gas.
She has particular expertise in the full lifecycle of EU antitrust investigations: from representing clients in over a dozen EU cartel and abuse of dominance investigations to advising on private enforcement issues and litigating before the European courts in Luxembourg on antitrust and EU law issues. She honed her expertise in the most prominent private enforcement case to date in the EU, spanning 14 jurisdictions, which is ongoing.
She is also noted for her experience in advising on complex multi-jurisdictional merger reviews, including two Phase II clearances before the EU Commission (one of which was based on a 'failing firm' defence). In addition, she has an active advisory practice, and regularly conducts compliance audits and provides training and counselling on antitrust compliance. She has dealt extensively with the European Commission, as well as other regulators around the world.
Who’s Who Legal ranks Francesca as a Competition Future Leader and says ‘she has impressive analytical skills and the ability to quickly get to the core of any antitrust problem’, ‘Francesca is responsive, very knowledgeable and bold (when necessary) as well as a pleasure to work with’, ‘Francesca is a superb lawyer worthy of recognition, ‘She is experienced in follow-on damages claims’, ‘She is a fantastic lawyer with in-depth expertise of the full lifecycle of cartel matters’ and ‘She's very capable, business oriented and has a hands-on approach to complex issues’.
Francesca is qualified in the UK and Belgium and has worked in both the London and Brussels antitrust teams, as well as in our Paris office. She is bilingual English/Italian and fluent in French.
Qualifications
Professional
Admitted as solicitor, England and Wales, 2007
Admitted as “avocate” (Brussels, Belgium), 2019
Academic
GDL, Economics for Competition Law, King's College London
GDL, Competition Law, King's College London
PLC (Distinction), BPP Law School, London
LLB (Hons), Law, City University London (First Class)
MA (Hons), Modern Languages, Christ Church, Oxford University (First Class)
Experience highlights
Advising Scania on the European Commission heavy trucks investigation and on Scania’s defence strategy in follow-on private damages claims across the EEA and beyond, as well as on the on-going appeal of the European Commission’s decision in the trucks case to the General Court of the EU and the subsequent appeal to the ECJ.
Advising Major global banks in confidential and parallel antitrust investigations by various competition authorities, including the EC.
Advising Huntsman on the EU merger control aspect of its acquisition of the titanium dioxide assets of Rockwood. The European Commission cleared the acquisition, subject to remedies, following an in-depth Phase 2 merger control review.
Advising Nynas AB on the conclusion of a long term lease agreement for the base oil manufacturing plant and certain refining assets in Hamburg-Harburg from Shell Deutschland Oil GmbH. This was a complex EU merger control case subject to a Phase 2 investigation by the European Commission.
Related articles
Blog Post: 23 October 2023
The European Commission (EC) has fined five pharmaceutical companies a total of EUR13.4 million for participating in a cartel concerning N-Butylbromide Scopolamine/Hyoscine (SNBB) – an active…
Publications: 13 July 2023
EU Foreign Subsidies Regulation takes effect with procedural rules clarified
Publications: 13 June 2023
Qualifications
Professional
Admitted as solicitor, England and Wales, 2007
Admitted as “avocate” (Brussels, Belgium), 2019
Academic
GDL, Economics for Competition Law, King's College London
GDL, Competition Law, King's College London
PLC (Distinction), BPP Law School, London
LLB (Hons), Law, City University London (First Class)
MA (Hons), Modern Languages, Christ Church, Oxford University (First Class)
Other noteworthy experience
Advising:
- Nexi on its acquisition of SIA, which was cleared, subject to remedies, by the Italian Antitrust Authority after a Phase 2 review.
- A car manufacturer in relation to a cartel investigation by the European Commission, including conducting the internal investigation and developing a defence strategy.
- ABX in connection with the European Commission freight forwarding cartel investigation and related settlement.
- Procter & Gamble in connection with the European Commission detergents investigation and related settlement.
- A multinational technology company on antitrust risk in a number of jurisdictions across the globe.
- A multinational in the paper and cardboard sector in the context of an internal audit and subsequent immunity application to the Italian competition authority.
- IMI in its appeal to the General Court against the European Commission’s decision in the Copper fittings case (case T-378/06).
- YKK in a successful appeal to the Court of Justice of the EU against a GC judgment dismissing YKK’s action for annulment of the European Commission’s decision in relation to the fasteners cartel. The appeal resulted in a very significant reduction in the fine imposed on YKK (case C-408/12).
- A US multinational on annual compliance audits.
- An investment bank on an internal investigation into possible market misconduct/market manipulation in a commodities market.
Recognition
Francesca is mentioned as a Future Leader and clients comment that "Francesca has impressive analytical skills and the ability to quickly get to the core of any antitrust problem", "Francesca is responsive, very knowledgeable and bold (when necessary) as well as a pleasure to work with", "She is a fantastic lawyer with in-depth expertise of the full lifecycle of cartel matters".
Who’s who Legal 2022
A&O’s Brussels team around Dirk Arts and Francesca Miotto did an extraordinary job before the General Court in the Scania case and their tactic and arguments truly were the game-changer in the case. Amazing achievement!
Legal 500 2021, Competition: EU and global
An “impressive follow-on damages expert” who provides “strong insights into the Commission’s thinking and likely reactions”
Who's Who Legal Competition - Future Leader, 2019
