Europe - France

Linklaters

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Linklaters fields a sizeable EU and competition law team, with deep expertise across the full spectrum of merger control cases, abuse of dominance and cartel investigations, state aid issues and follow-on damages litigation (where the firm has a growing practice, acting for both claimants and defendants). The group is well equipped to take on both French and EU law mandates, frequently joining up with the Brussels and other offices to handle multi-jurisdictional cases. Anne Wachsmann is well regarded for her broad practice, with significant recent experience in high-profile merger control matters, while Pierre Zelenko and Thomas Elkins have been active in major cases in the food and beverages, banking and automotive sectors, among others. Nicolas Zacharie and Matthieu Blayney provide key support. Charlotte Colin-Dubuisson left the firm in early 2024.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘The team is very business oriented and perfectly understands the client's constraints and objectives in order to establish a personalized and relevant strategy. The team collaborates across multiple geographic regions, providing excellent support on complex and international issues.’

  • ‘One of the best antitrust teams in Paris!’

  • ‘The Linklaters Paris competition team is extremely strong with the capacity to deal with any French and European matters thanks to their size and expertise.’

  • ‘Anne Wachsmann is one of the most respected and experienced antitrust lawyers in France. Her reputation is also excellent in Brussels thanks to her professional achievements. Issues can be discussed very openly and she is a brilliant problem solver. She is very reliable and pleasant to collaborate with.’

  • ‘Very dynamic team which is available to its clients and has also been able to adapt to their expectations post-Covid.’

  • ‘Thomas Elkins and Anne Wachsmann are competent, available, and have very good knowledge of the automotive industry.’

  • 'Thomas Elkins is pragmatic, responsive and on top of any developments in the market. We particularly appreciated his transparency and rigour when determining fixed fees.'

Key clients

  • Nestlé
  • Safran
  • Grand Vision
  • Intermarché
  • Engie
  • BNP Paribas
  • Plastic Omnium
  • Société Générale
  • Tarkett
  • Mc Kesson
  • GIP
  • LG Electronics
  • Stellantis
  • AirFrance
  • Sanofi
  • Parfum Christian Dior
  • Verallia
  • DP World Limited
  • Crédit Agricole
  • Saint Gobain
  • CSTB

Work highlights

  • Advised Intermarché in relation to merger control aspects of its acquisition of nearly 90 Mestdagh points of sale in Belgium (which involved successfully defending the clearance decision against Carrefour before the Brussels Court of Appeal) and the acquisition of nearly 200 Groupe Casino points of sale for €1.6 billion.
  • Advised McKesson Corporation on the merger control aspects of the sale of part of its European businesses to PHOENIX group.
  • Advised Stellantis together with worldwide electronic component supplier Foxconn (Hon Hai Precision Industry group) on the merger control aspects of the creation of their 50/50 joint venture in the development, design and supply of semiconductors for the automotive industry.

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.

Anne Wachsmann

Anne Wachsmann

Hall of fameLinklaters LLP

Anne is a Partner in our Paris office, widely acknowledged for her leading expertise in competition law. She advises on cartels, abuse of dominant position, vertical restraints and merger control, from the administrative investigation stage to the procedure before domestic and EU jurisdictions, as well as antitrust follow-on actions. Anne’s experience spans many sectors, notably the automotive and pharmaceutical sectors. Anne co-leads the firm’s consumer sector. She is a member of the Corporate Responsibility Commitee. Earlier in her career, Anne was based in Brussels, where she gained significant insight into the operation of the European Commission and developed extensive contacts with competition regulators.

Leading individuals

Thomas Elkins

Thomas Elkins

Linklaters LLP

Thomas is a partner in Linklaters’ Antitrust and Foreign Investment Group. He has expertise in all aspects of competition law, including merger control (before the European Commission and the French Competition Authority as well as coordinating multi-jurisdictional clearances), behavioural practices (cartel and abuse of dominance cases) and private damages claims. Thomas is a longstanding advisor to clients in the automotive, healthcare, tech and retail sectors.

Pierre Zelenko

Pierre Zelenko

Linklaters LLP

Pierre advises on complex competition issues, including merger control, cartels, vertical restraints, abuses of dominant position, damage claims and State aid. Pierre’s experience spans many industry and business sectors, in particular the, energy, banking and food & beverage sectors. As a former top civil servant and administrative judge, Pierre has a good understanding of the way regulators (particularly the French Competition Authority) work and enjoys good relationships with them. Holding a PhD in Economics, Pierre also has in-depth understanding of competition economics. Pierre worked in the firm’s Brussels office and continues to have in-depth knowledge of the European Commission (EC) as well as longstanding relationships with key DG Comp members to assist clients in their representations in competition matters.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Anne Wachsmann, Pierre Zelenko, Thomas Elkins

Other key lawyers

Nicolas Zacharie, Matthieu Blayney