White & Case Strengthens London Antitrust Team with New Partner Hire from Kirkland

White & Case Strengthens London Antitrust Team with New Partner Hire from Kirkland

As big law firms increasingly focus on hiring antitrust lawyers, White & Case has expanded its antitrust team in London with the appointment of Dr. Michael Engel as a partner.

Previously with US competitor Kirkland & Ellis for just over two years, Engel brings over a decade of experience in Sullivan & Cromwell's competition team. His move to White & Case bolsters the firm's expertise and bolsters its ability to provide high-quality antitrust counsel to clients.

Having been qualified in both England and Wales, as well as Germany, Engel's practice is focused on representing clients in front of the German Federal Cartel Office, the European Commission, and the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).

Mark Gidley, the head of White & Case's global antitrust practice, has noted that the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has taken a more stringent stance towards both merger control and cases involving anti-competitive behaviour. This trend, he said, is likely to persist with the introduction of new regulations and the CMA's growing intervention, which has resulted in a heightened demand from clients seeking legal assistance in navigating these complex antitrust matters.

“Last year we acted in two of the three Phase 2 mergers to be unconditionally cleared by the CMA, and Michael’s arrival strengthens our ability to support our clients in London and globally as they respond to these challenges,” Gidley added.

Engel's practice involves advising clients on intricate, multi-jurisdictional mergers that require approval from merger control authorities and foreign direct investment approvals. Additionally, he provides counsel on contentious antitrust matters such as state aid investigations, cartel cases, and abuse of dominance investigations.

Furthermore, he has extensive experience in follow-on damages actions before the Competition Appeal Tribunal in the UK, as well as national courts in EU member states, and appeals of European Commission decisions to the Court of Justice of the European Union.

During his tenure at Kirkland, Engel was involved in several high-profile acquisition deals for clients such as Noble Corporation and American Securities. He also advised on major deals earlier in his career, including Bayer's $63 billion acquisition of Monsanto and Praxair's acquisition of Linde AG. Engel also provided counsel to Iveco and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles on truck cartel investigations and associated multi-jurisdictional follow-on damages litigation in the UK and throughout the EU.

Oliver Brettle, a partner and member of White & Case's global executive committee, stated that they have observed a significant rise in demand for antitrust advice in London and the wider EMEA region over the past few years.

“In the UK, as its standalone competition regime develops, our need for UK-specific antitrust advice has grown markedly on that basis and due to the expansion of our transactional practices and high transaction volumes, as evidenced by our ranking for UK M&A in 2022 by Mergermarket and Bloomberg. Michael’s experience makes him a great addition to support our clients,” Brettle said.

Engel has joined White & Case's robust antitrust team, which comprises over 315 lawyers worldwide and is recognized by Chambers for its expertise in cartel investigations, merger approvals, and competition law affecting regulation in the life sciences industry. Engel will collaborate with London-based antitrust partners Charles Balmain and Marc Israel, as well as three additional partners, including EMEA competition head James Killick, who divide their time between London and the firm's Brussels office.