Rikki assists clients before UK and EU regulators and courts across the full range of competition law matters, including merger control and foreign investment reviews, antitrust investigations and market inquiries. He helps clients take a holistic approach to navigate the growing interplay between antitrust, data privacy and consumer protection laws.
As a member of the firm's global tech practice and having spent time working in Silicon Valley, Rikki advises a broad range of tech and digital platform businesses, including on merger reviews, regulatory investigations, and strategic issues with significant implications for their commercial objectives. He also has a particular focus on the telecoms, financial services, retail and consumer products sectors.
Rikki is able to help clients navigate complex regulatory environments, including behavioural investigations, new digital regulation (such as the EU Digital Markets Act and forthcoming UK regulatory regime) and new and emerging technologies (such as artificial intelligence, MedTech and the metaverse). He also regularly advises on high-profile and cross-border M&A, managing the process of securing merger control and foreign investment clearances around the world.
Rikki has extensive experience before the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and European Commission, including through his time on secondment to the CMA’s mergers unit. This enables him to formulate arguments that play well with decision makers and to approach difficult cases with innovative ideas and a calm demeanour.
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- Adobe on the merger control aspects of its $20 billion acquisition of Figma, including the Phase 2 reviews by the CMA and European Commission.
- Meta on its defence against parallel antitrust investigations by the European Commission and the CMA into Facebook Marketplace, and on its defence and coordination of other antitrust proceedings around the world.
- Meta on its response to the CMA’s market study into online platforms and digital advertising.
- Meta on its landmark challenge against the European Commission before the EU Courts, including obtaining interim relief from the EU General Court.
- BT Group/Openreach on its rollout of full fibre broadband in the UK, and the share acquisitions by Altice.
- MásMóvil on its €18.6bn joint venture with Orange to combine their telecommunications operations in Spain, including an in-depth Phase 2 review by the European Commission.
- Verizon on the global antitrust and foreign investment aspects of the $5bn sale of Verizon Media to funds managed by Apollo Global Management, Inc.
- Tesco on successfully obtaining an unconditional Phase 2 approval from the CMA in relation to its acquisition of Booker, and on its strategic alliance with Carrefour.
- HSBC on various market studies and investigations, including the CMA’s Phase 2 market investigation into retail banking.
- Cazoo on a string of commercial projects and transactions around Europe.
- Zoopla and RVU on their growth strategy and various acquisitions in relation to their property and digital comparison businesses, including Confused.com and Tempcover.
- CVC on the merger control and competition aspects of its strategic investments in the Premiership Rugby and PRO14 rugby competitions.
- Hellman & Friedman Advisors LLC on its $6bn acquisition of payments platform Concardis.
- Boparan Private Office on successfully obtaining an unconditional Phase 1 approval from the CMA in relation to its acquisition of Bernard Matthews.
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Education
Trinity Hall, Cambridge University, UK (Law)
Professional qualifications
BPP Law School, Legal Practice Course (with distinction)
Solicitor, England and Wales
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