2-3 PQE Antitrust & International Competition Associate in London

Akin is a global law firm with more than 900 lawyers and advisors. With 19 offices worldwide, they are renowned for numerous market-leading practices with strengths in complex transactions and restructurings, high-stakes litigation, and public policy and regulatory matters and their unyielding pro bono commitment. Akin’s London office is the firm’s third largest office and serves as the hub for its international practice. Our London strategy prioritises globally core practices, resulting in a fully integrated platform that collaborates seamlessly with colleagues across continents. This approach enables us to deliver sophisticated, high-value advice to clients navigating complex, cross-border challenges.

We lead sophisticated private equity driven transactions, advocate in landmark financial restructurings, resolve high-profile disputes and arbitrations in addition to forming innovative investment vehicles, and advising on M&A, special situations, tax and other business-critical issues. Our achievements reflect not only our technical excellence but also our commitment to delivering practical, commercially focused solutions that drive success for our clients worldwide.

Our Antitrust & International Competition team is expanding and seeking a talented lawyer with two to three years post-qualification experience to join our London office. The successful candidate will be a key contributor to transactional antitrust matters and have proven experience collaborating directly with Corporate partners on such matters.

At this level, you will be expected to work closely with multiple partners across a range of complementary workstreams. We offer an environment where associates are given significant responsibility and early exposure to clients, with the support of a collaborative, high-performing team.

What We’re Looking For

The ideal candidate will demonstrate the following:

• UK/EU experience at a leading US firm, Magic Circle, or Silver Circle firm.
• Previous exposure to clients in financial institutions, PE/funds, tech/digital, and/or energy sectors.
• Demonstrated expertise in transactional antitrust, particularly in M&A transactions and restructurings.
• Experience in merger control (UK and EU) and foreign investment matters, including running and coordinating multi-jurisdictional filing processes.
• Proven ability to obtain merger control approvals before the European Commission and the UK Competition and Markets Authority.
• Commercially minded, and confident working directly with corporate partners.
• Self-starter mentality with a commitment to continuous development.
• Strong academics needed, with additional post-graduate competition/antitrust studies preferred.
• Fluent in English with excellent verbal and written communication skills;
• Foreign language skills and EU FSR experience are advantageous but not essential.

The Antitrust & International Competition team advises leading financial institutions and multinationals in complex behavioural, state aid, multi-jurisdictional merger control, foreign investment/national security and litigation cases across industries globally. The London team is led by partners Davina Garrod and Scott Pettifor and is made up of two senior counsel, two counsel, six associates, an International Competition Economist and an Economics Research Analyst.

Robust cross-border transactional antitrust capabilities led from London: The competition team in London is the firm’s hub for all international (ex-U.S.) antitrust and foreign investment/national security expertise. All cross-border investigations and transactions giving rise to antitrust/competition issues and approvals are handled by the team, which is known for leading and coordinating international antitrust and merger control investigations, across the full spectrum of transactions, including complex restructurings, M&A, joint ventures (JVs), and strategic, suggestivist and activist investments. We advise clients before the European Commission and other EU institutions, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), UK government departments (inc. OFCOM and OFGEM) and the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT), as well as litigating before the European and U.K. courts. The team has developed a market-leading reputation in the area of national security and foreign investment, particularly under the UK’s National Security and Investment Act (NSIA) with the team having advised on some of the most significant and precedent-setting matters under the regime, including the first UK judicial review proceeding under the NSIA.

The London team is supported by a network of Akin competition lawyers located in key business centres and has close relationships with leading antitrust counsel across the globe. A strong London presence underpins the firm’s leading competition law practice, with London being a global financial centre, the seat of a leading competition authority and the London courts being the forum of choice for an increasing number of competition law damages claims. The team also provides strategic, regulatory advice across a wide number of industries, including, inter alia, technology/digital markets, financial services, energy, aviation, industrial, chemicals, and life sciences. In the digital and technology sectors, the team is at the forefront of regulatory developments, advising on UK and EU behavioural competition investigations, and representing technology platforms under the EU Digital Markets Act and the UK’s DMCCA.

This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a dynamic and growing team at the forefront of international competition law. You’ll work on cutting-edge matters, collaborate with top-tier professionals, and contribute meaningfully to high-impact transactions.

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld's employment practices actively promote equal opportunities throughout the Firm and its employees are selected and recruited by merit in relation to the job to be performed, without regard to race, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity,religion or belief.