Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom has hired antitrust partner Merit Olthoff from Freshfields to strengthen its Brussels’ competition practice.
Olthoff leaves Freshfields after four and a half years as a partner, having joined the firm in 2012, with her early practice years at legacy Hogan Lovells and the European Commission. She is dual-qualified at both the Berlin Bar and the Brussels Bar.
She is also a board member of the European Competition Lawyers Forum and a member of the Studienvereinigung Kartellrecht, an association of German, Austrian and Swiss lawyers with a special intertest in antitrust law.
Her practice spans all areas of EU and German competition law, with a focus on complex merger control, antitrust investigations and digital regulation, including the EU’s Digital Markets Act and Foreign Subsidies Regulation. She advises technology and media companies, financial institutions, private equity firms and industrial companies undergoing transformation.
“Merit is a highly regarded EU and German competition lawyer with a strong market reputation and long-standing client relationships,” said Skadden’s executive partner Jeremy London.
He added: “We continue to invest in talent across the firm, adding lawyers who bring the experience and judgement our clients need. Merit’s arrival reflects that commitment and our ambitions for our Brussels office.”
Olthoff’s arrival at Skadden follows that of Rafique Bachour, an antitrust partner and former global managing partner of Freshfields, who joined in January after 15 years with the Magic Circle firm.
Bachour’s exit from Freshfields followed an announcement in July last year that he would step down from a three-lawyer co-managing partner role after Georgia Dawson was elected for a second term as senior partner, while his fellow co-managing partners – Alan Mason and Rick van Aerssen – remained in their roles.
Skadden also promoted Antoni Terra to partner in the Brussels office in its latest promotions round, with Alexander Knut Pascall and Georgios Zacharodimos promoted to counsel and Thorsten Goetz to of counsel. However, it lost Brussels-based antitrust partner Michael Frese to Hogan Lovells Cadwalader last month after a 13-year career.
“The next phase of EU digital and foreign subsidies regulation is reshaping how companies anticipate, innovate, invest and compete in Europe,” said Ingrid Vandenborre, head of Skadden’s EU competition practice.
“Sophisticated clients are looking for advisers who can help them plan for what comes next across these regimes, merger control and state aid, be it before the [European] Commission, national competition authorities or the EU Courts. Merit’s broad EU and German antitrust experience makes her a valuable addition to our team.”
David Wales, leader of the global competition group, added: “Clients are continuing to navigate complex regulatory environments. Merit’s experience, including in the media and technology sector where we have many clients, builds on the talent we are assembling across our global group.”
Olthoff said: “Skadden’s global reach and standing in the market create a strong platform to help clients navigate competition, digital regulation and antitrust issues across Europe and globally. I look forward to working with the firm’s lawyers across EMEA and worldwide as we support clients through an increasingly demanding regulatory environment.”
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