Marie Leppard
Biography
Marie Leppard is a senior partner in the Antirust & Competition Practice of Baker McKenzie's London office. Marie has over a decade of experience working across the spectrum of competition law issues at both the EU and UK levels and also has experience in global coordination strategies.
Marie advises clients on merger control, foreign direct investment, cartel investigations, abuse of dominant position, as well as antitrust compliance. Marie regularly appears before the CMA and European Commission.
What clients have to say: "Marie is one of the most impressive competition lawyers of her generation." "Marie Leppard is an accomplished lawyer, who is admired for her excellent judgement as well as her impressive ability to quickly establish effective working relationships." "Marie Leppard is widely recommended by clients, who applaud her humane, reassuring approach in combination with a brilliant understanding of competition law."
Practice Focus
Marie has been a key adviser to leading PE houses, financial sponsors, global financial institutions and corporate clients in large complex matters before the European Commission, UK Competition and Markets Authority and other global antitrust and foreign direct investment agencies.
Recently, Marie succeeded in overturning the CMA’s Phase 2 provisional findings to block Copart’s completed acquisition of Hills Motors and obtained a full clearance.
Over the years, Marie also developed an extensive expertise in advising leniency applicants in cartels, bid-rigging and resale price maintenance investigations carried out by competition and financial regulatory authorities in the EU and the UK.
Lately, Marie successfully defended Sunset + Vine in the CMA’s investigation into suspected anti-competitive behaviour relating to freelance labour in production and broadcasting as well as a generic pharmaceutical client in relation to the CMA’s excessive pricing and anti-competitive conduct investigations of Prochlorperazine, Nortriptyline and other generic drugs.
Representative Legal Matters
Matters handled prior to joining Baker McKenzie:
- Mastercard on the Payments Systems Regulator's market reviews into Cross-border Interchange Fees and Scheme and Processing Fees.
- Sunset + Vine in one of the CMA’s Competition Act investigations into suspected anti-competitive behaviour relating to freelance labour in production and broadcasting.
- Copart, Inc. on Phase 2 full clearance for its acquisition of Green Parts Specialist Holdings Ltd (Hills Motors) before the CMA.
- Mastercard on settlement of the Payment System Regulator’s Chapter 1 investigation into prepaid cards in the UK.
- Barclays in relation to the Libor and Forex investigations by the European Commission.
- Refresco on Phase 1 clearance with remedies for its acquisition of Cott’s bottling activities before the CMA.
- Unlockd in its litigation against Google for abusing its dominant position by removing Unlockd’s apps from the Google Play Store ecosystem and denying access to its ad server Admob.
- Royal Dutch Shell in relation to the sale of its Harburg refinery to Nynas AB
- Royal Dutch Shell in relation to the acquisition of Repsol’s LNG assets
- A generic pharmaceutical manufacturer in relation to the CMA’s excessive pricing and anti-competitive conduct investigation of Prochlorperazine, Nortriptyline and other generic drugs
- An immunity applicant in the European truck cartel as well as the global marine hose and the hydrogen peroxide cartels.
- Private Equity Houses on mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures in the UK and Europe.
- Numerous clients on National Security & Investment Act and foreign investment screening reviews of acquisitions in the data infrastructure, communications, transport, advanced materials, space technology and defence sectors
- European Commission together with Europe Economics, appointed to assist and advise DG Comp in its market study in relation to loan syndication in Europe.
- Brands in relation to their distribution strategies in Europe.
Professional Honors
- Recognised as a Competition Future Leader and Competition Expert by Who's Who Legal 2024
- Competition Law Lawyer of the Year in the Women in Law Awards 2023
Admissions
- England & Wales (Solicitor)~United Kingdom (2010)
- England & Wales (Barrister) (2005)
- Brussels (B-list)~Belgium
- Republic of Ireland
Education
- College of Law at London (B.V.C.) (2005)
- University College, London (LLM, International Law) (2004)
- University of Surrey (Bsc, Law and French) (2003)