Aaron is a partner in our Brussels antitrust, competition and trade team. He specialises in advising clients on the antitrust and regulatory aspects of their global transactions.
He is accomplished at managing multi-jurisdictional regulatory clearance strategies, drawing on extensive experience of cross-border transactions. He has advised clients on several complex Phase I and Phase II merger control filings requiring remedies to the European Commission and international competition authorities.
Aaron is a leading practitioner in digital markets regulation, with extensive experience advising major tech companies on the impact of and ongoing compliance with emerging digital regulatory regimes, including in particular the EU’s Digital Markets Act. He is adept at helping clients to navigate the intersection between digital markets regulation, antitrust, and other regulatory regimes.
Aaron’s experience includes advising:
- A global tech company on all aspects related to the EU Digital Markets Act, including gatekeeper designation, the specification of core platform services and ongoing compliance with gatekeeper obligations.
- A number of Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds on multi-jurisdictional merger control reviews for investments and disposals across a range of different sectors.
- A major private equity fund on its multi-jurisdictional regulatory clearance processes for a number of its major investments.
- Compagnie de Saint-Gobain on the antitrust, merger control and FDI aspects of its $2.3bn acquisition of GCP Applied Technologies. The transaction was subject to parallel merger control reviews by competition authorities in the US, UK and a number of EU Member States.
- Hyundai Heavy Industries Holdings on the in-depth Phase II EU merger control review of its $1.7bn acquisition of Daewoo Shipbuilding Marine and Engineering.
- AstraZeneca on the EU and UK merger control aspects of its $39bn acquisition of Alexion Pharmaceuticals.
- Maersk Line on the merger control clearances of its acquisition of Hamburg Süd in over 20 jurisdictions including the EU, China and South Korea; and Maersk Line on the unconditional EU and global merger control clearances of its acquisition of Senator International.
- Stanley Black & Decker on the $3.2bn sale of its global electronic security solutions and healthcare solutions businesses to Securitas AB, including merger approvals in the EU, UK and US.
- CK Hutchison on the €21.8bn combination of its Italian mobile business with Wind Italy to create the largest mobile operator in Italy, including the negotiation of a complex “fix-it-first” remedy package with the EU during its in-depth Phase II review.
- Holcim on its $43bn merger of equals with Lafarge, and the subsequent divestment of businesses in 15 countries.
- A major Hollywood studio regarding the European Commission’s antitrust investigation into cross-border access to pay-TV.
- The administrators of Monarch Airlines on the EU and UK aviation regulation aspects of the successful sale of Monarch’s airport slots, including in relation to the landmark judgment of the Court of Appeal.
- The administrator of Flybe on the antitrust and airline regulation aspects of the administration, including before the Civil Aviation Authority.
Bastion Tower
Place du Champ de Mars/Marsveldplein 5