GCR Awards 2021 Shortlist Arnold & Porter's Global Antitrust Capabilities Six Times

Arnold & Porter's comprehensive antitrust capabilities were shortlisted six times for Global Competition Review's GCR Awards, which will honor the "outstanding contributions" made by law firms, attorneys and enforcers in connection with "the biggest cases from 2020."

This year, four significant matters were shortlisted for five awards. Partner Axel Gutermuth, who is based in the firm's Brussels office and focuses on a wide range of European, German and global competition law issues, was shortlisted for the prestigious "Lawyer of the Year" accolade and advised on several of the shortlisted matters.

The firm's Global Antitrust practice head Debbie Feinstein and partners Pete Levitas and Axel Gutermuth and counsel Charlotte Simphal advised Fitbit, Inc. on its $2.1 billion sale to Google. The transaction, which GCR noted "grabbed headlines internationally," was shortlisted for "Merger Control Matter of the Year" in the Europe category and as a worldwide "Matter of the Year."

Partner Niels Ersbøll and counsel Athanasia Gavala served as lead antitrust counsel for Pfizer in connection with the combination of Upjohn and Mylan that resulted in a new global pharmaceutical company, Viatris. The "landmark merger control matter" was shortlisted for "Merger Control Matter of the Year" in the Europe category.

Debbie Feinstein, Axel Gutermuth and counsels Barbara Wootton and Charlotte Simphal represented AbbVie in its $63 billion acquisition of Allergan. GCR highlighted the transaction as "one of the largest pharmaceutical deals of 2020" and shortlisted it for "Merger Control Matter of the Year" in the Americas category.

The firm's US Antitrust/Competition practice head Jonathan Gleklen and partner Daniel Asimow represented the Oakland Raiders in a federal antitrust lawsuit filed by the City of Oakland against the Oakland Raiders, the National Football League (NFL), and the other 31 NFL teams. The high-profile matter was shortlisted for "Litigation of the Year" in the Non-cartel Defense category.

The GCR Awards shortlist was announced shortly after Global Competition Review released its annual "GCR 100" guide, which listed Arnold & Porter among the world's leading competition law and economics practitioners for the 14th consecutive year. The guide again ranked Arnold & Porter as a "Global Elite" firm for its litigation and merger work.