Competition Law
UK Guide 2025 : London (Firms)
Band 4
Contact number
+44 207 071 4000Chambers Review
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher assists clients with obtaining merger clearance following phase I and II CMA investigations for several high-value transactions. The law firm also has experience with foreign direct investment notifications. In addition the team has experience in behavioural matters, including assisting clients with CMA market investigations and defending them against allegations of breaching competition law. The team also has a growing reputation for its representation in high-profile competition disputes, including collective proceedings and damages claims. It is a popular choice with private equity houses as well as with clients from the technology and sporting sectors.
Work Highlights
- Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher advised Xylem on merger control proceedings for its USD7.5 billion acquisition of Evoqua.
Strengths
Provided by Chambers
"The team is highly responsive and flexible. It adapts quickly to sharp changes in circumstances and anticipates client concerns and questions well."
"Gibson Dunn is very sharp and insightful."
"Gibson Dunn has an impressive ability to handle and coordinate complex matters all over the world."
"The team is very responsive, accessible and provides great service."
"Gibson Dunn's lawyers are very strong at all levels, from partners down to junior associates."
"The team is highly responsive and flexible. It adapts quickly to sharp changes in circumstances and anticipates client concerns and questions well."
"Gibson Dunn is very sharp and insightful."
"Gibson Dunn has an impressive ability to handle and coordinate complex matters all over the world."
"The team is very responsive, accessible and provides great service."
"Gibson Dunn's lawyers are very strong at all levels, from partners down to junior associates."
Notable Practitioners
Ali Nikpay stands out for his ability to assist clients with obtaining competition law clearance for high-value mergers, often acting for private equity houses. He also advises clients on CMA market investigations as well as matters involving allegations of abuses of dominant positions or restrictive agreements and competition law disputes.
"Ali Nikpay's experience, foresight and strategy have proven very effective at advancing our overall legal strategy and helping to achieve our commercial objectives."
"Ali Nikpay is one of the top competition lawyers in the UK. He thinks outside of the box, always applies a commercial lens and has a deep understanding of how the CMA operates and thinks."
"I wholeheartedly recommend and vouch for the quality of Ali Nikpay's legal service."
"The reason Ali Nikpay is the best antitrust adviser in the UK is because he understands the interplay between the law, what the regulator actually thinks and the external context to merger clearance."
"I know him to be a smart and savvy lawyer."
Deirdre Taylor has a broad competition practice, advising clients on CMA investigations as well as assisting with merger control filings and FDI notifications. She also acts for clients on market inquiries.
"Deirdre Taylor takes the very complex and makes it beautifully simple."
"Deirdre Taylor has a truly impressive command of everything, from the big picture and substantive law to the tiniest little details. She is really a full-service partner and extremely dependable."
"Deirdre Taylor is a super lawyer who is clever, hard-working and responsive."
"Deirdre Taylor is a joy to work with. She is pragmatic, practical and considered in all she delivers."
"Deirdre Taylor has been a great partner for our business."