EU, competition and distribution

Linklaters

Client Satisfaction

Acting for a host of leading French and international clients, Linklaters‘ large and versatile team in Paris is able to cover the full range of EU and competition matters. The group, which can also draw upon the experience of the firm’s offices in Brussels and other locations, is skilled in large-scale merger control cases at EU and national level, with growing strength in FSR filings. Its expertise in complex cartel, vertical restraints and abuse of dominance investigations by the French and European regulators, and state aid cases is also well established, while antitrust damages actions are another fast-growing area of activity. Highly regarded practice heads Anne Wachsmann, Pierre Zelenko and Thomas Elkins are mainstays on landmark EU and competition cases in the French market. Nicolas Zacharie and Matthieu Blayney are further names to note.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

"The Linklaters France Competition Law Team, headed by Pierre Zelenko, offers excellent legal advice in a very complicated area. Over the past 10+ years, Pierre and the team have been providing me with support in the area of case management before the French Competition Authority, merger control approval with the European Commission, and updates on new legislation in this area."
"Pierre Zelenko and team provide crystal clear legal advice in a very complicated area. He takes into account the legal and business risk and provides his clients with carefully considered guidance. This often provides the much-needed clarity for difficult decisions in litigation and/or transactions."
"The Linklaters Paris Team, led by Anne Wachsmann, is extremely strong with the capacity to deal with any French and European matters thanks to their size and expertise."
"Anne Wachsmann has become one of, if not the most respected and experienced antitrust lawyers in France. Her reputation is also excellent in Brussels circles, including the European Commission, thanks to her professional achievements. This includes the seminar on EU merger control she has been teaching in Bruges at the College of Europe since 2017."
"Pierre Zelenko: very experienced partner with an excellent knowledge of the subject in all its different areas. Very available and attentive to his clients."
"Creative yet pragmatic solutions, including partnering with us to develop innovative tech-based solutions."
"The Linklaters team is extremely competent and professional, with a strong focus on the client’s needs and fast response time."

Key clients

Nestlé
Intermarché
Atos
Crédit Agricole
Apple
I-Squared Capital
Sony Interactive Entertainment Euro
Tarkett SA
BNP Paribas SA
ENGIE
LG Electronics
Mitsui & Co
Société Générale
Air France KLM
Sanofi
TotalEnergies
Association Value of Beauty
Multiple Tech companies
Herta
Energizer
Brenntag
Adecco
White Label Alliance (ex Idemia GD NXP)
Biogroup
Ardian
Alcon

Work highlights

Advised Nestlé on an investigation launched in 2019 by the French Competition Authority on an Article 101 TFUE case on Bisphenol A.
Advising Intermarché, the third largest retail group in France, on the antitrust aspects of its acquisition of nearly 200 retail outlets from Casino Group in France representing a combined turnover of 3.6 billion euros.
Advising Atos following a statement of objection issued by the French Competition Authority, accusing the company of entering into agreements with a competitor to avoid competing for staff recruitment in two specific markets: (i) engineering and technology consulting, and (ii) IT services within the aeronautics, aerospace, and defence sectors.

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.