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Francesca Miotto

Partner

Brussels

Miotto Francesca
Francesca Miotto

Partner

Brussels

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.

Experience highlights

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Blog Post: 23 October 2023

European Commission sanctions first ever pharmaceuticals cartel and scores victory in pay-for-delay appeal

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…

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Antitrust in focus - June 2023

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Office

Brussels

Tervurenlaan 268A avenue de Tervueren
Brussels
1150

View office →

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