Photo of Luis Gomez

Luis A. Gomez

Partner
Baker & McKenzie LLP

Biography

Luis Gómez is a Partner in the Competition, Trade & Foreign Investment Department of the London office of Baker McKenzie. He advises on general competition and merger control law at both the EU and UK levels and also has experience in global coordination strategies.

His practice spans the whole breadth of competition law advice, ranging from cartel defence/leniency, abuse of dominance, distribution strategies and general compliance advice (including worldwide or local compliance audits and other initiatives), to merger control processes and the analysis of complex joint venture and strategic alliance situations. Luis regularly appears before the CMA and European Commission.

Luis also has extensive knowledge of the general antitrust and merger filing regimes in the US, having spent one year in Baker & McKenzie's Washington D.C. office.

Luis joined Baker & McKenzie in 1994. He became a partner in 2003.

"Luis Gomez receives effusive praise from clients, who describe him as 'a shining star in the competition law sky, who provides safe and razor-sharp guidance in the treacherous waters around the CMA.'" – Chambers (2020) Band 5

Practice Focus

Luis has extensive experience of coordinating multi-jurisdictional strategies, in respect of merger control, cartels and leniency, distribution and compliance. He also has in-depth experience of advising clients on competition law issues in numerous industries, including the oil and gas, financial services, mining, IT, chemicals, aviation, travel, manufacturing, consumer goods and infrastructure sectors.

Luis served as Chair of the Firm's EMEA Competition Law Practice Group and a member of the Global Antitrust & Competition Group's Steering Committee. He was seconded to Shell International Limited where he coordinated the worldwide regulatory filings for a major transaction.

Representative Legal Matters

  • Representing a major financial institution in the European Commission investigations into Credit Default Swaps, Euro interest rate derivatives and FX.
  • Represented a major property consultancy company in the CMA's design, construction and fit-out services cartel investigation.
  • Secured Phase 1 merger clearance for a major combination in the cleaning chemicals sector.
  • Represented a major pharmaceutical company in the CMA's merger investigation into its acquisition of a competing compounding business, securing an unconditional Phase 1 clearance despite a case review meeting.
  • Representing a large energy company in a European Commission investigation into oil supply routes to a European refinery.
  • Advised a food supplier during various merger control approval processes before the CMA in respect of transactions relating to the supply of food products to the UK food service industry.
  • Represented a global agri-business during a European Commission merger process in respect of a global sugar trading joint venture.
  • Advising a major financial institution on a European Commission investigation into alleged abuse of dominance for ceasing to supply banking services to certain customer groups.
  • Advised a global agri-business conglomerate in respect of multi-jurisdictional merger filings triggered by its acquisition of a competing animal feed manufacturer, including lead representation on filings in the EU, Mexico and Ukraine.
  • Represented a Russian entity in respect of merger filings in the EU, China and Türkiye for its LNG joint venture.

Professional Associations and Memberships

  • Law Society of England and Wales
  • Law Society of England and Wales - Solicitors' European Group
  • Business at the OECD (BIAC) Competition Committee
  • ICC UK Competition Committee
  • ICC Merger Control Task Force
  • CBI Competition Panel

Admissions

  • England & Wales~United Kingdom (1996)

Education

  • College of Law at London (Merit) (1994)
  • European University Institute (LL.M.) (1993)
  • University of Kent at Canterbury (B.A.) (1992)

Languages

  • English
  • French
  • Italian
  • Spanish
  • Galician

Previous Offices

  • Washington, D.C.
  • Author and presenter, "Distribution and Licencing Modules," King's College Distance Learning Diploma Course on EU Competition Law
  • Co-author, "State measures and public bodies," in PLC's EC and UK Competition Law Practice Manuals
  • Author, "Global Competition Law 'Health Check' Guide," Baker & McKenzie, 2017 
  • Co-Author, "Global Cartels Handbook - Leniency: Policy and Procedure," Oxford University Press, 2011
  • Co-editor, "Global Merger Control Manual," Cameron & May, 2010