Matthew is a commercially-focused antitrust/competition lawyer, who previously lived and worked in Brussels and is now based in London. He specializes in all aspects of contentious and non-contentious EU and UK merger control and antitrust/competition law, including State aid/subsidies. He also advises on foreign direct investment (FDI) and EU and UK internal market and regulatory law, including the UK Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers (DMCC) Act 2024. His litigation experience includes cases before both the EU courts in Luxembourg and the English courts. He is qualified as a lawyer in Belgium (Francophone Brussels Bar, A List), England & Wales (solicitor) and Ireland (solicitor, non-practising). He holds dual UK/Belgian nationality.

Matthew has substantial experience of merger control proceedings (including “second phase”, remedies and worldwide “multijurisdictional” matters), Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) rules, strategic business advice and competition risk management, State aid/subsidies, cartel and abuse of dominance cases, competition litigation, appeals, competition compliance/training, competition audits and market/sector investigations. He regularly provides competition/antitrust counselling on trading agreements and practices for a range of multinational clients. He advises both main parties and third party interveners in regulatory and government investigations and proceedings and has regular dealings with the European Commission, UK Competition and Markets Authority and other government bodies, courts and regulators in the EU, UK and elsewhere.

Matthew also advises in relation to EU and UK internal market rules, including in particular free movement, market liberalization, and public procurement/government contracts.

He has held various positions in the Leadership of the American Bar Association, Antitrust Law Section and is currently Vice Chair of the Podcast Programming Committee and a host of the Section’s podcast, Our Curious Amalgam.

Matthew regularly speaks at seminars, conferences and internal and external training sessions on various competition/antitrust law and regulatory topics. He also publishes on these topics, including for a range of ABA publications, and has been nominated four times for the Antitrust Writing Awards.  He has been recognised in a range of industry guides.

Merger Control and Foreign Direct Investment

  • Counsel on numerous transactions subject to the EU Merger Regulation, including phase one and two clearances subject to remedies. Sectors include pool equipment, construction machinery, agricultural machinery, process machinery, transport, healthcare, electronic equipment and chemicals.
  • Counsel on various transactions reviewed under the UK merger control and public interest/FDI rules, including phase one and two clearances subject to remedies. Sectors include process machinery, transport, chemicals, defence and retail.
  • Counsel to a multinational manufacturing company in relation to the UK merger control, antitrust and FDI aspects of its worldwide acquisition of a competitor, including the phase one and two UK CMA investigations and clearance subject to remedies. The first case in which the parties conceded SLCs at phase two in order to obtain fast-track clearance from the CMA.
  • Counsel to a multinational manufacturing company in relation to two distribution joint ventures with competitors, requiring merger control clearances in various jurisdictions worldwide, including China, South Korea, Colombia, Poland, Costa Rica and Germany.
  • Counsel to a multinational technology manufacturing company in relation to the merger control and FDI aspects of its acquisition of a competitor, requiring clearances and responses to questions in various jurisdictions worldwide, including the U.S., China, South Korea, Germany, Poland, Canada, UK and Turkey.
  • Counsel to a UK personal services provider on the UK merger control issues raised in local markets by its acquisition of a number of facilities from a competitor, including a filing with the UK regulator.
  • Counsel to a manufacturing multinational on the EU and EU member state FDI issues raised by its acquisition of a start-up, including relevant filings.
  • Counsel to a multinational manufacturing OEM in relation to the issues raised by a potential merger between key suppliers.
  • Counsel to a market-leading multinational manufacturer concerning the viability of potential mergers with three of its leading worldwide competitors.
  • Counsel to a large multinational shipping company on a proposed worldwide joint venture with two competitors.
  • Counsel to a large multinational chemical company on a proposed acquisition raising significant vertical issues.
  • Advice in relation to the purchase of a large steel manufacturing business by a competitor.
  • Advice on the competition law and merger control issues raised by a joint venture between a multinational conglomerate and a competitor.
  • Advice on replies to third party questionnaires in EU merger control investigations.
  • Counsel on numerous other “multijurisdictional” merger control transactions, including obtaining clearances subject to remedies.

Competition/Antitrust Regulatory Investigations

  • Counsel in relation to a European Commission multinational cartel matter, including attendance at dawn raids, internal investigations, representations before the Commission and conduct and finalization of the EU settlement procedure.
  • Counsel in relation to complaints before the European Commission concerning alleged abuse of dominance issues.
  • Counsel in relation to various other European Commission and UK Office of Fair Trading/Competition and Markets Authority cartel and other competition law investigations, at various stages. Sectors include insurance, general manufacturing, removals and transport.

Competition/Antitrust Private Litigation and EU Court Litigation

  • Advice on the defence of numerous cartel “follow-on” claims brought in the UK courts, including representation before the court and successful settlement negotiations.
  • Advice to a claimant on a potential “follow-on” competition damages action in the Belgian courts.
  • Counsel on appeals to the EU General Court in relation to decisions under the EU Merger Regulation.
  • Counsel for recipients and third parties on various appeals to the EU General Court in relation to European Commission decisions concerning EU State aid.

Counselling on Antitrust/Competition Law

  • Advice to a US manufacturing multinational and leader in its field on a range of abuse of dominance and other competition law issues, including supply arrangements, distribution and joint ventures.
  • Advice to a manufacturing multinational in a concentrated industry on distribution, price increase, price signalling and related issues, including preparation of relevant internal manuals.
  • Advice to a UK company on potential court action and/or a complaint concerning abuse of a dominant position by a supplier.
  • Advice to a luxury goods manufacturer on the structuring of its online distribution activities and its contractual relationships with third parties.
  • Advice on competition issues raised by standards devised in relation to biomass trading in the EU.
  • Advice to a distribution business on parallel trade issues and its relationship with its supplier, including in relation to potential court action.
  • Analysis and advice on distribution restrictions worldwide for a large manufacturing business.
  • General advice on distribution, dominance, the interface with intellectual property and other general competition law issues for a range of other companies. Sectors include packaging, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, general manufacturing, natural gas distribution, retail, medical devices, software, gaming, FMCG and electronic equipment.

Antitrust/Competition Compliance Programmes, Training and Audits

  • Preparation and implementation of competition compliance programmes and provision of compliance training, including in relation to dawn raids. Sectors include transport, general manufacturing, chemicals, FMCG, technology and pharmaceuticals.
  • Provision of internal competition law compliance audits and post-acquisition audits for several companies.
  • Provision of internal training sessions for various multinational companies

EU State Aid and UK Subsidy Control

  • Advice on the EU State aid issues raised by the resolution and restructuring of an EU Member State bank, including interaction with the BRRD.
  • Advice on the EU State aid issues raised by the privatisation and restructuring of a steel manufacturing business in an EU accession country, including notification to the European Commission and liaison with the national State aid authority.
  • Advice on the compliance with State aid law of the mining legislation of an EU accession state.
  • Advice on a number of complaints and potential complaints to the European Commission.
  • General State aid advice and notifications on a range of infrastructure projects, privatizations, schemes and other matters.
  • General State aid advice and notifications relating to the “banking crisis”.

EU/UK Internal Market including Public Procurement/Government Contracts and EU/UK Regulatory

  • Advice to a multinational manufacturer in the HVAC industry on EU and UK
    regulatory issues, including CE marking and the Biocidal Products Regulation.
  • Advice on the public procurement aspects of a range of projects and privatizations. Sectors include infrastructure, defense, town center development, accommodation and energy-from-waste.
  • Advice on public procurement actions and appeals before national courts.
  • Advice on various public procurement complaints to the European Commission.
  • Advice on free movement and market liberalization issues. Sectors include gaming and medical devices.
  • Advice on the specific EU regulatory regimes covering, amongst other areas, pharmaceutical products, medical devices, veterinary products, chemicals/REACH, transportation, packaging, food & beverage and energy (including natural gas, electricity, nuclear).

Events

Podcasts

  • Host, "What’s Happening in Ukraine? A Conversation With Timur Bondaryev," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, November 24, 2025
  • Host, "How Should Intent Apply in Competition Law? A Discussion With Maya-Salomé Garnier," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, November 10, 2025
  • Host, "How Should Killer Acquisitions Be Assessed? A Discussion With Professor Nicolas Petit," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, September 1, 2025
  • Host, "What Are the Risks of a Minority Shareholding? The European Commission’s Decision in Delivery Hero/Glovo," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, August 4, 2025
  • Host, "Are You Ready To Respond? Developments in Competition Law Dawn Raids," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, July 21, 2025
  • Co-host, "What Is the Role of Behavioural Economics in Consumer Protection Enforcement? The UK’s New DMCC Act Regime," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, June 30, 2025
  • Co-host, "What’s Happening in Hong Kong, the Philippines, and Japan? Catching Up With International Enforcers at the 2025 Spring Meeting," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, June 9, 2025
  • Host, "What Should I Know About Nigeria, South Africa, Egypt and COMESA? Developments in Key African Regimes," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, June 2, 2025
  • Co-host, "What’s Happening in the EU? A Conversation With DG COMP Director-General Olivier Guersent at the 2025 Antitrust Spring Meeting," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, April 28, 2025
  • Co-host, "What Is Happening at the UK CMA? Impact of the Government’s New Approach," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, April 14, 2025
  • Co-host, "A New Era for Private Antitrust Litigation in China? Impact of the June 2024 Judicial Interpretation of the Supreme People’s Court," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, February 24, 2025
  • Co-host, "What Will Happen to Competition Law Enforcement in Mexico? Implications of the November 2024 Reforms," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, February 3, 2025
  • Co-host, "Will the Past Be the Future? Looking Back at 2024 and Forward to 2025," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, January 6, 2025
  • Co-host, "How Do I Make a Competition Law Complaint in India? A Practical Discussion About Approaching the CCI," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, December 30, 2024
  • Co-host, "What Has Happened to Merger Control in India? The Impact of the September 2024 Changes," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, November 4, 2024
  • Co-host, "More or (Even) Less Certainty in EU Merger Control? The European Court of Justice Judgment in Illumina/GRAIL," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, October 14, 2024
  • Co-host, "Is the EU Position Now Clear? The European Commission’s Draft Guidelines on Exclusionary Abuses of Dominance," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, September 30, 2024
  • Co-host, "Who Is Aviva Will? Antitrust Lawyer and Litigation Financing Entrepreneur Audio Player," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, September 9, 2024
  • Co-host, "Who Should Competition Law Work For? Enforcement Against Restrictive Labour Market Agreements in the EU," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, July 22, 2024
  • Host, "Still Going Strong at 20? A Conversation With the Architect of the EU Merger Regulation 2004," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, June 10, 2024
  • Host, "What’s Happening in the EU? A Conversation With DG COMP Director-General Olivier Guersent at the 2024 Spring Meeting," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, May 6, 2024
  • Co-host, "What Does the UN Do For Consumers? UNCTAD’s Role in Promoting Competition and Consumer Protection," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, April 29, 2024
  • Co-host, "Bringing Big Tech to Heel? Compliance Day Under the EU Digital Markets Act," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, April 8, 2024
  • Co-host, "Is It Time To Burst the Bubble? Antitrust Law in the Age of the Polycrisis," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, March 25, 2024
  • Co-host, "Can I Avoid Targeted Ads? The EU Rules on Pay or OK," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, March 18, 2024
  • Co-host, "What’s The (Data Protection) Difference? An EU/U.S. Comparison of Personal Data Protection Issues In Merger and Behavioural Investigations," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, February 12, 2024
  • Co-host and Moderator, "Will the UK CMA Find Out About My Deal? The Operation of the CMA’s Mergers Intelligence Committee in Practice," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, January 29, 2024
  • Co-host, "Has A New Ecosystem Been Discovered? The European Commission Blocks Booking’s Proposed Acquisition of eTraveli," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, December 18, 2023
  • Co-host, "How Is Gender Relevant to Competition Law? The OECD’s Gender Inclusive Competition Toolkit," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, December 11, 2023
  • Speaker, "How Are We Celebrating Our 250th Episode? A Look Back at the Top Episodes of All Time," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, December 4, 2023
  • Co-host, "Levelling the Playing Field (Part 2)? The European Union’s Regulation on Foreign Subsidies Distorting the Internal Market is Now in Force," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, October 23, 2023
  • Co-host, "No More Clouds on the Horizon? The UK CMA’s Investigation Into Microsoft’s Acquisition of Activision Blizzard," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, September 18, 2023
  • Co-host, "What’s Happening in MENA? Trends and Developments in Middle East and Egyptian Antitrust," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, July 24, 2023
  • Co-host, "What’s Happening in the EU? A Conversation with DG COMP Director-General Olivier Guersent at the 2023 Spring Meeting," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, July 10, 2023
  • Co-host, "Is it a Parallel Universe? Competition Law in the Metaverse," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, April 17, 2023
  • Co-host, "What Can Be Done? Sustainability and Competition Law in Europe," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, March 27, 2023
  • Co-host, "A Power Grab Too Far? (Part 2) The European Commission Investigation in Illumina/Grail," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, December 19, 2022
  • Co-host, "What’s Happening in LATAM? Trends and Developments in Latin American Antitrust," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, November 21, 2022
  • Co-host, "Levelling the Playing Field? The European Union's New Regulation on Foreign Subsidies Distorting the Internal Market," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, October 10, 2022
  • Co-host, "How Has It Been Working? A Reflection on Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation Four Years In," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, April 4, 2022
  • Co-host, "What in the World Is Happening With Antitrust Enforcement? Antitrust Cartel Enforcement’s Return to Global Scale in 2022," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, March 21, 2022
  • Co-host, "What’s Next for EU Competition Policy? The European Commission’s Competition Policy Review," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, March 14, 2022
  • Co-host, "Should I Have Been Paid? Facebook Faces Class Claim From UK Users," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, February 14, 2022
  • Co-host, "What Were the Best Episodes of 2021? Our Curious Amalgam’s Hosts Choose Their Favorites," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, December 27, 2021
  • Co-host, "A Power Grab Too Far? The European Commission Extends Its Merger Control Reach," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, November 15, 2021
  • Co-host, "What’s My Message? Government Relations and Antitrust in the EU," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, July 19, 2021
  • Co-host, "What Happens in Their Smoke-Filled Room? Cooperation and Collaboration Among Antitrust Regulators," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, July 5, 2021
  • Co-host, "Is This Game Over? Competition Law Implications of the Super League," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, June 14, 2021
  • Co-host, "What Are the Generic and Biosimilar Industries Worried About? Current Competition Law Issues Impacting the Sector," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, May 10, 2021
  • Co-host, "A Never-Ending Issue? The Report of the EU Expert Group on Standard Essential Patents," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, April 19, 2021
  • Co-host, "What’s All The Fuss About? Brexit and UK Competition Law," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, February 1, 2021
  • Co-host, "Can They Really Say That? Product Denigration Under French Antitrust Law," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, January 11, 2021
  • Co-host, "Who Is Ready for 2021? Year in Review: Part 2," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, December 31, 2020
  • Co-host, "Can They Really Do That? The Use of Advanced Analytics by Antitrust and Consumer Regulators," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, November 9, 2020
  • Co-host, "Do You Really Know All 54? Antitrust Law in Africa," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, October 5, 2020
  • Co-host, "Still The Largest Taxpayer in the World? Apple Avoids Massive Tax Payment to Ireland," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, September 7, 2020
  • Co-host, "Would Anything Have Changed? The Use of the Failing Firm “Defense” in Merger Control," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, July 20, 2020
  • Co-host, "What, It’s Not Only Merger Control? The Rise of Foreign Direct Investment Controls Worldwide," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, July 6, 2020
  • Co-host, "Where Next? Climate Change, Sustainability and EU Competition Law," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, June 8, 2020
  • Commentator, "ABA Antitrust Section Virtual Spring Meeting: Hot Topics," Our Curious Amalgam Videocast, May 27, 2020
  • Co-host, "How Does This Pay? Understanding the Role of Litigation Funding," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, May 25, 2020
  • Co-host, "What Is the Competitive Drug Price? Understanding Drug Pricing and Competition in Europe," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, March 30, 2020
  • Co-host, "How Far Can I Go? EU Competition Law and Distribution," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, December 23, 2019
  • Co-host, "So What’s The Loss? An Economist’s Take on Private Antitrust Litigation Outside the U.S.," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, December 9, 2019
  • Co-host, "What Should Be Done? The Debate on How EU Competition Law Should Respond to China," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, September 30, 2019
  • Co-host, "A Unique Case? The EU Takes on Amazon," Our Curious Amalgam Podcast, September 9, 2019
  • Guest, "Brexit and GDPR," ABA Section of Antitrust Law March 2019 Podcast, On the Road, Legal Talk Network, March 28, 2019

Insights

  • Vice Chair, Antitrust Law Section, Podcast Programming Committee (2019-2026) (“Our Curious Amalgam” podcast series), American Bar Association
  • Nominee, 2025 Antitrust Writing Awards, jointly organized by Concurrences Review and George Washington University’s Competition Law Center (two articles nominated)
  • Acted on merger control, FDI, antitrust/competition and remedy aspects of transaction awarded “Best Large Cap Corporate Deal 2022”, M&A Awards 2022, Belgium and “Materials Deal of the Year”, 15th Annual International M&A Awards (2024), The M&A Advisor
  • Selected for inclusion in Who’s Who Legal, Investigations: Lawyers, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
  • Selected for inclusion in Legal Media Group’s Competition & Antitrust Expert Guide, United Kingdom, 2020
  • Nominee, 2018 Antitrust Writing Awards, jointly organized by Concurrences Review and George Washington University’s Competition Law Center
  • Selected for inclusion in Who’s Who Legal, Government Contracts, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020
  • Nominee, 2017 Antitrust Writing Awards, jointly organized by Concurrences Review and George Washington University’s Competition Law Center
  • Nominee, 2016 Antitrust Writing Awards, jointly organized by Concurrences Review and George Washington University’s Competition Law Center
  • Vice Chair, Section of Antitrust Law, Economics Committee, American Bar Association, 2015-2016
  • Vice Chair, Section of Antitrust Law, International Committee, American Bar Association, 2012-2015 and 2016-2019
  • Member of Steering Committee, Section of International Law, International Antitrust Committee, American Bar Association 2015-2017
  • Vice Chair, EU Committee, Competition and Trade Task Force, British Chamber of Commerce in Belgium, 2011-2014
  • Member of Steering Group, UK Procurement Lawyers’ Association, 2009-2010
  • Selected for inclusion in Legal Experts Europe, Middle East and Africa, EU and Competition Law
  • Selected for inclusion in Legal Business European Legal Experts, EU and Competition Law
  • Named in The Legal 500 Europe, Middle East and Africa, EU and Competition Law
  • Selected for inclusion in International Who’s Who of Public Procurement Lawyers
  • Selected for inclusion in International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers, Public Procurement Chapter