Kirkland boosts competition bench with two hires from Weil

Kirkland & Ellis has hired competition lawyers Nafees Saeed and Chris Thomas from Weil as partners in its antitrust and competition practice in London.

Saeed was a partner at Weil, while Thomas was a counsel. The pair bring experience in EU and UK competition law advising private capital and corporate clients on antitrust matters including mergers and foreign investment reviews.

Saeed completed a year-long secondment to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in 2020 and was part of the Weil team that secured clearance for Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of Activision in 2023.

Thomas previously spent two years working in Brussels on competition matters at former firm O'Melveny.

Broader powers, more reviews

For Kirkland, the hires deepen the bench of its antitrust team at a time when UK merger control and foreign-investment reviews have become more active and expansive. The new Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act has given the CMA broader powers to scrutinise deals.

The CMA has become more proactive too, stepping in to examine deals based on press reports or market speculation even before parties formally notify it. The UK government has been signalling a push to present London as a more pro-business environment, but that messaging sits alongside a regulatory climate that remains assertive in practice.

London and Brussels weigh in

Matthew Elliott, corporate partner and Kirkland executive committee member said in a statement: "We are excited to welcome them to our fully integrated London and Brussels antitrust and competition team," adding: "Both have strong track records advising private capital clients on all aspects of competition law."

Post-Brexit, companies are also facing more parallel reviews in London and Brussels, adding extra time and complexity to cross-border transactions. Parties must now anticipate potential differences in timing, process and approach between the CMA and the European Commission, which can complicate transaction planning.

Kirkland lately

The new additions stem a flow of partner exits from Kirkland's London office in recent months and come after the exit of senior competition partner Sally Evans to Paul Hastings in September.

Kirkland had the second largest attrition of any City firm in September and October, according to data from legal recruitment firm Edwards Gibson, which counted six departures over the period.