Latham & Watkins announced that Simon Pritchard will join the London office as a partner in the Antitrust & Competition Practice. Pritchard has over 20 years of experience advising companies, financial institutions, and global investors on complex merger control matters, market investigations, conducting inquiries and counseling, and cases before the Competition Appeal Tribunal.
As one of the leading merger control practitioners in the UK and Europe, Pritchard previously served as the UK’s first Senior Director, Mergers under the modern UK regime at the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) – a predecessor of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). And he has expertise in the healthcare and life sciences, media and entertainment, technology, financial services, consumer goods, retail, transport, and chemicals industries, and regularly counsels clients in their engagement with the CMA, the European Commission, and other prominent international enforcement agencies and regulatory authorities.
Pritchard joins Latham from Linklaters. He received a BA and LLB from the University of Adelaide, Australia, before completing an LLM at the University of Heidelberg, Germany. Then, he began his legal career in private practice before spending five years at the OFT, where he held various senior roles, including Deputy Director, Mergers, Director of Mergers, and Senior Director of Mergers. He re-joined private practice in 2009.
KEY QUOTES:
“We are delighted to welcome Simon to the firm. He brings substantial industry knowledge, and many years of experience across a wide range of complex transactional, regulatory and enforcement matters. He will add tremendous senior expertise to our strong and growing team in London and Europe.”
- Stephen Kensell, London Office Managing Partner at Latham & Watkins
“Simon’s unique experience, technical skill, and global connections are highly complementary to our practice in London and around the world. He has sharp commercial instincts and a keen eye for detail, both of which are critical in an increasingly complex business environment.”
- Héctor Armengod, a Brussels-based partner and Global Vice Chair of the firm’s Antitrust & Competition Practice
“At a time when the CMA, the European Commission, and other international regulators are taking an active stance in relation to merger control and enforcement matters, Simon’s impressive track record and hard-to-match experience will be of great value to clients across the firm. His arrival represents another important milestone as we continue to build the world’s premier practice for cross-border deals, trials, and high-stakes enforcement matters.”
- Mandy Reeves, Global Chair of Latham’s Antitrust & Competition Practice
