Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has a leading EU competition practice in Brussels and key dispute resolution practices for the firm include antitrust litigation, international arbitration and white-collar crime. 

Key figures in the competition team include the likes of David Broomhall, Onno Brouwer, John Davies, Frank Montag and Alan Ryan. 

The firm are advising US cable operator Comcast on its bid for rival Sky, in a $31 billion case involving EU merger review aspects. The firm also advised on merger control filings in a case advising pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson on its $30 billion acquisition of Acetelion Pharmaceuticals, a Swiss biotechnology company.  

Another notable case saw the firm represent German bank, HSH Nordbank, on EU State aid and competition law aspects of the bank’s restructuring.  

Notable clients for the firm include Apple, AstraZeneca, CK Hutchinson, Liberty Global and UPS. 

UK ‘magic circle’ firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer is strongest in Commercial and transactions and International arbitration. 

Stéphane Bénouville and Dimitri Lecat are the firm’s key figures for commercial disputes. Peter Turner and Noah Rubins are key contacts for international arbitration. Jérôme Philippe is the firm’s Parisian contact for national and EU competition work 

Case highlights for the commercial team during the research period include work for Volkswagen on a matter related to emission controls and work for EDF in a case related to Hinckley Point C. 

In the competition space case highlights include work for EDF on the merger control matters related to EDF’s acquisition of a stake in Areva’s reactor business Areva NP and work for Metro Group on acquisition of Pro a pro from the Colruyt Group. 

In the international arbitration area case highlights include work for Rusoro Mining on a case against the Government of Venezuela and work for the East Mediterranean Gas Company on an arbitration case against the Republic of Egypt. 

Although seen as a firm with UK origins, Germany is an important part of the firm’s global practice and long after the UK UK/German merger that made it is one of the leading corporate practices in the country. 

As you’d expect from a firm with such strong corporate credentials, work related to M&A, whether that be disputes or competition, is a strength. The firm also picks up its fair share of work in the finance sector. 

Boris Kasolowsky and Rolf Trittmann are key figures within the commercial team. Christian Duve is a notable name for arbitration work. 

Case highlights for the commercial disputes team include work for Volkswagen on various cases related to emissions controls.  

In the competition space case highlights include work for Infineon Technologies in an appeal against a fine levied in relation to an alleged microchips cartel. 

In the arbitration area the firm advised an Oman state investment fund on an arbitration case involving Bulgaria. 

Other key clients of the firm include the likes of Deutsche Bank and Siemens. 

Freshfields is recognised for its financial disputes and competition litigation practice. The firm works on high-profile antitrust investigations. 

Enrico Castellani heads the dispute resolution practice in the firm and is recognised by his peers in the market for his banking and finance work. Tommaso Salonico and Gian Luca Zampa are contacts for competition. 

Case highlights for the firm include work for Volkswagen on a case related to car emissions tests. 

On the competition side the firm acted on an abuse of dominance case for Borsa Italiana in matter related to the distribution of financial information. The team also advised LafargeHolcim on a merger control case relating to the formation of a joint venture.

One of the UK's "Magic Circle" firms, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has established a noteworthy presence in the US market through with offices in New York and Washington. A domestic-based competitor notes, "Of all of the UK firms that set up shop in New York, Freshfields is one of the only ones to get it right, particularly in the disputes area." Peers voice particular enthusiasm for Aaron Marcu, about whom one says, "You cannot go wrong with him in the white-collar world. He is just a superior advocate." Indeed, Marcu lays claim to a major victory supporting this claim in the November 2014 acquittal in a federal jury trial of Raoul Weil, former CEO of UBS's Wealth Management Division, the most senior Swiss banker charged in the US DoJ's crackdown on Swiss banks and bankers for allegedly assisting US taxpayers in evading billions of dollars of US taxes on assets secretly held in Switzerland. "Aaron had that huge win in Florida, and he remains very busy," confirms a peer.

While the firm's resilience in the New York in the New York market is impressive, it is even more pronounced in DC, where the firm stands alone as the only one to have received recognition from local peers. This recognition is primarily attributed to the firm's international arbitration capacity, where the firm has excelled in both DC and New York. Nigel Blackaby was recently named co-head of Freshfields' international arbitration group. He continues to be one of the world's best known arbitration specialists with a phenomenal following in the energy sector and in Latin America. Blackaby led the Freshfields team in representing Repsol in the major dispute between Repsol and the Argentine government following Argentina's expropriation of Repsol's shares in YPF SA, Argentina's largest oil company, and YPF Gas SA. This was the highest-profile direct expropriation in a decade, with major front-page news coverage throughout the world. The case was successfully settled in 2014 for an amount in excess of US$5 billion. Blackaby also represented BG Group in the first-ever investment treaty arbitration case to be addressed by the US Supreme Court, which in March reinstated a $185 million award in favor of the UK-based oil and gas company in its long-running dispute with the Republic of Argentina. In a 7-2 decision, the Court vacated a DC Circuit Court ruling that overturned the award, which was originally issued by a panel of international arbitrators in 2007 and confirmed by a US District Court in 2010. This ended a 12-year arbitration proceeding in which BG Group alleged that Argentina was in violation of the bilateral investment treaty between the UK and Argentina after it implemented certain regulatory measures during its 2002 economic crisis, which negatively affected BG Group's investment in gas distribution company MetroGas.

UK ‘magic circle’ firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has a clear strength in competition matters in the Netherlands. Given its reputation as an M&A powerhouse this is hardly surprising and coupled with its leading EU competition practice the offering is formidable. In the Netherlands itself the firm also picks up its fair share of commercial litigation and arbitration matters. 

Hub Harmeling is a key contact in the general disputes team. Winfred Knibbeler is recommended for competition matters. 

Case highlights for the commercial disputes team include work for Boskalis on a shareholders dispute involving Fugro. The firm also worked alongside its other European offices in acting for Volkswagen on a case related to the recall of its diesel cars. 

In the competition space highlights include work for ABB in a case against TenneT related to an alleged gas insulated switchgear cartel. The firm also acted for NVM and Funda in relation to abuse of dominance case brought by VBO and advised First Reserve on the merger control aspects of its acquisition of Morrison Utility Services.

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer is part of the London’s ‘magic circle’ and is one of the largest and most respected corporate and M&A firms in the world. The firm has a strong base of casework in the commercial and transactions areas linked to its wider strengths and the firm also has a compelling competition offering. 

Some of the key names in the firm’s commercial, finance and corporate disputes team include Andrew Hart, Kames Kennedy, Paul Lomas, Simon Orton, David Scott and Ian Taylor. Lomas also advises on competition and white-collar crime matters. 

In the competition area the firm has a large team and the standout figures include the likes of James Aitken, David Aitman, Rod Carlton, John Davies and Deirdre Trapp. 

Sylvia Noury and William Thomas are recommended for their arbitration experience, with Thomas also picked out for his experience in the construction sector. 

Case highlights in the finance area includes work for MasterCard on a class action claim relating to interchange fees. The firm also acted for Deutsche Bank on a case related to the liquidation of Hellas Telecommunications and advised CarVal Investors in relation to the Waterfall I case related to the Lehman Brothers litigation. 

Elsewhere the firm acted for UCP Industrial Holdings on a case in the Cayman Islands relating to the value of shares in the context of a buyback. 

In the competition space the firm advised on the merger control elements of a number of substantial M&A deals including Liberty Media’s acquisition of Formula One Group and Coty’s acquisition of Procter & Gamble’s hair, perfume and colour cosmetics business.  

The firm has a notable presence in the international arbitration space and during the research period acted on matters including work for Anglo American on a case against the Venezuelan government relating to allegedly seized assets and the issue of tax credits. The firm also advised Anglo American on a case against the Republic of Yemen.