Kirkland poaches four-partner antitrust team from Cleary across London and Brussels

Kirkland has hired four antitrust partners in Brussels from Cleary, including some of the firm’s most experienced names in the area.

Top-ranked EU competition specialist Robbert Snelders, who was co-head of Cleary’s EMEA antitrust practice and a lawyer at the firm since 1992, has made the move in Brussels alongside Thomas Graf, another longtime Cleary fixture who joined the firm in 2000.

Snelders focuses on EU and worldwide merger control proceedings, cartel and abuse of dominance investigations, as well as litigation.

Graf’s remit encompasses IP as well as EU competition and regulatory, with experience acting for Google in major EU investigations and litigation.

The firm’s other two hires are more junior, becoming partners in 2024 and 2022 respectively.

Conor Opdebeeck‑Wilson, who is joining in Brussels, advises on merger control issues and compliance framework development in the tech sector, while new London addition Henry Mostyn focuses on abuse of dominance issues in the tech sector.

Investment in EU competition

Cleary has long had a top antitrust practice, but other UK and US firms have been bolstering their EU competition benches lately.

In March, Paul Hastings relaunched its Brussels competition practice with a hire from King & Spalding, and Vinson & Elkins made its first foray into Europe by opening an office in the Belgian capital, led by a competition partner.

Kirkland opened in Brussels in 2021. The office currently has six partners, all focused on antitrust matters.

What they said

“Robbert, Thomas, Henry and Conor are market-leaders for high-stakes EU, UK and global merger control, cartel and unilateral conduct matters as well as in the growing field of digital regulation,” said Jon Ballis, Kirkland’s executive committee chairman.

“Their experience significantly complements and enhances our strong existing antitrust team in London and Brussels.”

“Robbert, Thomas, Henry and Conor are welcome additions to our European practice, bringing experience that complements our existing capabilities,” said Matthew Elliott, a member of the firm’s executive committee. 

“Their behavioural antitrust, litigation and digital regulatory expertise enhances our ability to deliver antitrust advice to clients as part of our wider, market-leading global platform.”