Overview
Matthieu is a partner in Linklaters’ Paris Antitrust & Foreign Investment Group.
He has over a decade of experience advising on the full spectrum of European Union and French competition law, including advisory, investigatory and transactional matters, with a particular focus on vertical restraints and abuse of dominance issues. Matthieu has acted on some of the most significant follow‑on damages actions before all levels of the French courts.
He is recognised as a leading commentator on competition and regulatory issues.
Experience
Matthieu has been involved in several major transactions and landmark cases. Highlights include advising:
- Air France-KLM before the European Court of Justice in the Air Cargo cartel challenging the fine imposed by the Commission
- Siemens Helthineers on the acquisition of Advanced Accelerator Applications Molecular Imaging
- GIP and Meridiam on the creation of New Suez
- A leading industrial player in the context of a cartel investigation before the French Competition Authority and follow-on damage claims with close to 300 individual claims across 40 courts in France
- Sanofi in the context of an abuse of dominance investigation before the French Competition Authority and follow-on damage claims
- PSA Group on its 50/50 merger with FCA to become Stellantis, the n°1 player in Europe and the 4th largest global car manufacturer, which was notified in 22 jurisdictions around the world and cleared in Phase 2 after an in-depth investigation in 7 jurisdictions including the European Commission, and subject to remedies in 6 jurisdictions
- Peugeot on its acquisition of Opel, creating the second largest player in Europe, which was notified and cleared by the European Commission as well as in more than a dozen jurisdictions around the world; this transaction included the acquisition, together with BNP, of Opel’s banking business, which triggered separate merger filings in a number of jurisdictions including the European Commission
- Sanofi on its asset swap with Boehringer Ingelheim, to create one of the leaders in the OTC segment. The transaction was authorised by the European Commission in phase 1 with commitments
- Linamar on its acquisition of Montupet authorised by the European Commission in phase 1 without commitments
- Beiersdorf before the French Competition Authority, the Paris Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court in the landmark personal and homecare case (which remains the highest ever collective fine imposed by the French Competition Authority
Admissions