Kirkland Recruits Antitrust Partner Quartet From Cleary Across Brussels and London

Why It Matters

The hires instantly elevate Kirkland’s ability to advise multinational clients navigating stricter EU merger rules and digital‑sector scrutiny, giving the firm a competitive edge in the European antitrust market.

Key Takeaways

• Kirkland adds four Cleary antitrust partners in Brussels and London.
• Team brings expertise in EU merger control, cartel, and digital regulation.
• Boosts Kirkland’s Brussels office, now six antitrust partners.
• Reflects broader U.S. law‑firm push into European competition practice.

Pulse Analysis

The European antitrust landscape has entered a new era of heightened enforcement, with the EU Commission tightening merger thresholds and expanding digital‑market oversight. Law firms that can navigate cross‑border investigations, cartel probes, and the emerging digital‑regulation regime are in high demand. Kirkland’s strategic recruitment of four seasoned Cleary partners signals its intent to become a go‑to advisor for global corporations facing these challenges, especially as the firm seeks to deepen its foothold in Brussels, the continent’s regulatory hub.

Robbert Snelders, a veteran of Cleary’s EMEA competition practice, joins as the lead on EU and worldwide merger‑control matters, while Thomas Graf adds a blend of competition and IP expertise, notably representing tech giants like Google before the Commission. Conor Opdebeeck‑Wilson and Henry Mostyn round out the team with a focus on tech‑sector abuse‑of‑dominance and financial‑institutional investigations. Their combined track record of high‑stakes cartel litigation and digital‑regulatory work equips Kirkland to offer a full‑service platform that spans traditional antitrust to the nuanced demands of the digital economy.

Kirkland’s hiring spree mirrors a broader trend among U.S. firms—Vinson & Elkins, Paul Hastings, Weil, Arnold & Porter, among others—vying for a scarce pool of EU competition talent. As multinational clients confront tighter cross‑border merger reviews and a wave of digital‑market investigations, firms that can deliver integrated, market‑leading advice will capture premium business. Kirkland’s expanded Brussels bench positions it to compete aggressively for high‑value mandates, reinforcing the firm’s global platform and signaling that the race for European antitrust expertise is far from over.