Berkeley Research Group
The Global Merger Control Forum 2025
Explore the evolving practical, political, and technical challenges of the global merger control landscape
15 May 2025 | Brussels | In-Person
Complimentary attendance for In-House Counsel, Regulatory Authorities and Government Representatives
Agenda
Registration
09:00
Chairperson’s Opening Remarks
09:30
Fiona Carlin, Partner, Head of the EU Competition & Regulatory Affairs
Baker McKenzie
Keynote: The European Commission’s View on the State of Play in Merger Control
09:40
Fernando Castillo de la Torre, Director in the Legal Services (Competition and Mergers)
European Commission
Exploring the Commission’s Next Steps Following Illumina/Grail
10:15
- Assessing the effectiveness of the Commission’s decisions in how to fill the regulatory gap so far
- The future use of Article 22 and Call-in
- It’s impact on below thresholds cases
- Towercast and use of ex-post competition law in merger control
Nicholas Levy, Partner
Cleary Gottlieb
Carles Esteva Mosso, Partner
Latham & Watkins
Networking & Refreshment Break
11:00
Discussing the Political and Policy Pressures Shaping Merger Control
11:20
- Balancing competition and growth in an “era of geo-strategic rivalries”
- Discussing the Draghi reports and the new Commission mandates
- The Commissions Merger Regime overhaul plans
- The impact of industrial policy and its increasing impact on merger control
Anne Federle, Partner
Bird & Bird
Kristina Nordlander, Partner
A&O Shearman
Examining Key Developments in Theories of Harm Beyond Price
12:05
- Substantive analysis of eco-system, innovation, dynamic and novel theories of harm
- Are “Killer Acquisitions” a real thing?
- Sustainability, Supply Chain Resilience, and Quality
Kasia Czapracka, Partner
White & Case
Thomas Janssens, Partner
Freshfields
Xavier Boutin, Managing Director
BRG
Analysing the Evolving and Diverging Approach to Remedies
12:50
- Diverging and novel approaches to remedies from the agencies
- Id there a role for behavioural remedies in resolving merger harms?
- Ensuring remedies across jurisdictions are timed to work together
Bernd Meyring, Partner
Linklaters
Albert Pereda, Associate General Counsel
Lonza
Laurent Eymard, Managing Director
BRG
Networking & Lunch Break
13:35
Examining Tech Mergers and the Digital Market
14:35
- Partnerships between big tech and AI providers, aqui-hire and key learnings from recent cases
- Assessing the impact DMA provisions are having on mergers deals for designated Gatekeepers
- AI: Assessing Innovation and dominance in emerging markets
- How are remedies are developing in the digital sector?
Anna Lyle-Smythe, Partner
Slaughter and May
Pedro Hinojo, Head of Information Society Services
Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia (CNMC)
Navigating the Increasing Multi-Jurisdictional Challenges in Global Mergers
15:20
- Managing multi-jurisdictional mergers and multiple regulation authorities and regulatory divergence
- Balancing international unalignment and unpredictability
- Implications of the new USA administration on transatlantic mergers
- The effect of the USA’s updated HSR rules
- Examining developments in key worldwide jurisdictions and the pitfalls to avoid
Networking & Refreshment Break
16:05
Navigating Foreign Investment/Subsidy Regimes and The Impact on “Getting the Deal Through”
16:25
- Rating the European Commission’s foreign subsidies regime
- Have foreign subsidies become a hot topic elsewhere?
- Engaging with key foreign investment controls across the globe
- Balancing an increased protectionism with attracting inward investment
- How to plan for intervention and remedies by authorities
Thomas Ernoult , Head, Foreign Direct Investments Screening Unit
Ministère de l’Économie, des Finances et de la Souveraineté industrielle et numérique
Dervla Broderick, Counsel
Ropes & Gray
Vincent Mussche, Partner
Liedekerke
Fireside Chat: Judicial Review in Merger Control
17:10
- Navigating the differing impacts of judicial review across jurisdictions
- Analyzing key judgements and cases around the world and their effect on Merger Control Regimes
- Appeals in the court and the issue of Finality in regimes
- Key cases through national courts on below threshold mergers
Chairperson’s Closing Remarks
17:50
Fiona Carlin, Partner, Head of the EU Competition & Regulatory Affairs
Baker McKenzie
Drinks Reception - Hosted by BRG
18:00
Fiona Carlin - Partner, Head of the EU Competition & Regulatory Affairs - Baker McKenzie
Fernando Castillo de la Torre - Director in the Legal Services (Competition and Mergers) - European Commission
- Assessing the effectiveness of the Commission’s decisions in how to fill the regulatory gap so far
- The future use of Article 22 and Call-in
- It’s impact on below thresholds cases
- Towercast and use of ex-post competition law in merger control
Carles Esteva Mosso - Partner - Latham & Watkins
- Balancing competition and growth in an “era of geo-strategic rivalries”
- Discussing the Draghi reports and the new Commission mandates
- The Commissions Merger Regime overhaul plans
- The impact of industrial policy and its increasing impact on merger control
Kristina Nordlander - Partner - A&O Shearman
- Substantive analysis of eco-system, innovation, dynamic and novel theories of harm
- Are “Killer Acquisitions” a real thing?
- Sustainability, Supply Chain Resilience, and Quality
Thomas Janssens - Partner - Freshfields
Xavier Boutin - Managing Director - BRG
- Diverging and novel approaches to remedies from the agencies
- Id there a role for behavioural remedies in resolving merger harms?
- Ensuring remedies across jurisdictions are timed to work together
Albert Pereda - Associate General Counsel - Lonza
Laurent Eymard - Managing Director - BRG
- Partnerships between big tech and AI providers, aqui-hire and key learnings from recent cases
- Assessing the impact DMA provisions are having on mergers deals for designated Gatekeepers
- AI: Assessing Innovation and dominance in emerging markets
- How are remedies are developing in the digital sector?
Pedro Hinojo - Head of Information Society Services - Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia (CNMC)
- Managing multi-jurisdictional mergers and multiple regulation authorities and regulatory divergence
- Balancing international unalignment and unpredictability
- Implications of the new USA administration on transatlantic mergers
- The effect of the USA’s updated HSR rules
- Examining developments in key worldwide jurisdictions and the pitfalls to avoid
- Rating the European Commission’s foreign subsidies regime
- Have foreign subsidies become a hot topic elsewhere?
- Engaging with key foreign investment controls across the globe
- Balancing an increased protectionism with attracting inward investment
- How to plan for intervention and remedies by authorities
Dervla Broderick - Counsel - Ropes & Gray
Vincent Mussche - Partner - Liedekerke
- Navigating the differing impacts of judicial review across jurisdictions
- Analyzing key judgements and cases around the world and their effect on Merger Control Regimes
- Appeals in the court and the issue of Finality in regimes
- Key cases through national courts on below threshold mergers
Fiona Carlin - Partner, Head of the EU Competition & Regulatory Affairs - Baker McKenzie
Contact Us
Speakers
For Speakers enquiries please contact Alexander Edgal on +44 (0) 20 3998 9752 or email alexander@thoughtleaders4.com
Partnership
For Partnership enquiries please contact Helen Berwick on +44 (0) 20 3433 2281 or email helen@thoughtleaders4.com
Bookings
For Bookings enquiries please contact Amy Barrett on +44 (0) 20 3059 9796 or email amy@thoughtleaders4.com
Marketing
For Marketing enquiries please contact Yelda Ismail on +44 (0) 20 3398 8551 or email yelda@thoughtleaders4.com
Venue & Logistics
For Venue & Logistics enquiries please contact Holly Waterman-McLeod on +44 (0) 20 3398 8547 or email holly@thoughtleaders4.com