Paula Riedel

Partner Antitrust & Competition
Kirkland & Ellis International LLP

London T +44 20 7469 2470

M +44 78 1079 4058

Paula Riedel

Practices

Overview

Paula Riedel is a partner in Kirkland’s London office. Her practice spans the full spectrum of antitrust requirements, in particular multinational merger control, antitrust, state aid and general compliance.

Paula is recognised as a leading lawyer in Chambers Global, Europe and Chambers UK, The Legal 500 UK, and Who’s Who Global Elite and was voted GCR ‘Dealmaker of the Year’ (2020). She is a long-standing tutor on King’s College London’s Postgraduate Diploma in EU Competition Law and is a former Chair of the Law Society Competition Section. Prior to partnership, she was seconded to the UK’s Department of Trade and Industry, Competition Policy Directorate (Merger Policy).

Transactions

  • L Catterton SPAC in its business combination with Lotus Technology
  • BC Partners in its definitive agreement to acquire a majority stake in Madison Logic
  • Bain Capital Private Equity in significant equity investment in EcoCeres
  • Bain Capital Private Equity on the €955.3 million public takeover of Caverion Corporation
  • Bain Capital Private Equity on the Investment and Strategic Partnership in CitiusTech
  • I Squared and TDR Capital on the £2.3 billion recommended cash acquisition of Aggreko
  • Bain Capital Private Equity and Cinven on Arxada’s combination with Troy Corporation
  • NortonLifeLock in its c. $25 billion combination with Avast
  • Bain Capital Private Equity and Cinven on the CHF 4.2 billion definitive agreement to acquire Lonza Specialty Ingredients
  • Bain Capital Private Equity and its consortium partners on the €2.1 billion proposed public takeover of Ahlstrom-Munksjö Oyj
  • AbbVie Inc. in its $63 billion acquisition of Allergan plc
  • TDR/Stonegate Pub Company in its £3 billion acquisition of Ei Group plc
  • Infineon Technologies AG in its $10.1 billion acquisition of Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
  • Bristol–Myers Squibb in its $74 billion acquisition of Celgene Corporation
  • GlaxoSmithKline plc in its acquisition of control of Pfizer Inc.'s Consumer Healthcare business
  • Spectrum Brands Holdings Inc. on the $2 billion sale of its global battery and lighting business to Energizer Holdings Inc.
  • The Boeing Group in its $4.25 billion acquisition of KLX Inc.
  • Madison Dearborn Capital Partners in its €365m sale of PowerFlute to the Mondi Group
  • CapVest/ IBA Molecular - carve-out acquisition from Mallinckrodt Plc of its global nuclear imaging radiopharmaceuticals division
  • Solera Vista Equity Partners in its £340m acquisition of Autodata
  • Tronox Limited in its $2.2 billion acquisition of Cristal’s titanium dioxide business
  • Huntsman Corporation in its proposed merger with Clariant
  • Madison Dearborn Capital Partners in its $6.4 billion sale of VWR International to Avantor
  • Accenture plc in its $830 million sale of Navitaire to Amadeus IT Group SA

Antitrust/Regulatory

  • A global investment bank in the EU antitrust investigation into Credit Default Swaps; and in the CMA market investigation into investment consultants and fiduciary management
  • Teva Pharmaceutical in the CMA antitrust investigation into Paroxetine
  • Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc on EU clearance for the UK Government’s $70 billion state aid package
  • De Beers Group in European court proceedings overturning challenges to its global distribution system

More

Thought Leadership

Publications

UK Chapter of EU Law of Competition and Trade in the Pharmaceutical Sector (2019)

EU Antitrust vs. U.S. Companies. (Law360 February 2016, co-authored with Sarah Jordan and James Mutchnik)

The Pharma Sector: A route map to merger control in the EU and beyond (MLEX October-December edition 2012, co-authored with Jonathan Ford)

The Competition and Markets Authority:  A new era for competition law enforcement in the UK (Competition Policy International 2012, co-authored with Anna Mitchell)

Patent Settlements: Post-operative care is now required (Competition Law Insight, 2012)

UK Competition Reform (Competition Law Insight, 2011, co-author) 

Seminars

GCR Live 2nd Annual Merger Control Brussels 2019: Horizontal Mergers

ABA Competition Section Spring Meeting 2019: International Merger Control: What You Need to Know

GCR Live 5th Annual New York 2017: Brexit - Implications for Litigation, Merger Control and Antitrust

IBC Competition Law Compliance 2016: Cooperation and Contacts with Competitors

IBC Legal 24th Annual Advanced EU Competition Law 2016: Compliance Best Practice Workshop

ABA Competition Section Spring Meeting 2016: Independence or Collaboration When Purchasing: A Buyer’s Dilemma

IBC Legal, UK Competition Law 2015: Chapter I and Chapter II Update

GCR Live 4th Annual Antitrust Leaders Forum Miami 2015: A Retrospective on the Term of Commissioner Joaquin Almunía, and a Look Ahead

EU Pharmaceutical Law Forum 2014: Reverse Payment Patent Settlements

GCR Live Competition Law and Financial Markets 2013: Focus on the CDS Investigation

EU Pharmaceutical Law Forum 2012: A Review of Recent Developments in the EU and elsewhere

LexisNexis webinars: Merger Control and the Risks of Non-Notification following Electrabel and Marine Harvest (2014); Private enforcement of competition law (2012); Reforms to Merger Control – Chair (2012)

BIICL 10th Anniversary Merger Conference 2012 – Recent Developments in EU Merger Control

GCR Live Pharmaceutical and Competition Law 2011 – Settlements

IBC Advanced EC Competition Law, 2010, 2007, 2006, 2004: Merger Case Review

British Institute of International and Comparative Law 2006: Conceptual and empirical issues in the analysis of local competition: Challenges for the merging parties

SMI Pharmaceutical Law 2005 – A Global Perspective: Recent EC cases 

Recognition

Paula is praised by clients as “fantastic - she is proactive, determined and an extremely clear thinker who brings clarity to a complex area” (Chambers UK, 2022)

Paula is “a real pleasure to work with,” according to commentators, who highlight her impressive strength in merger control proceedings (Chambers UK, 2021)

“Paula Riedel is an excellent operator, providing first class support on antitrust issues arising in the context of M&A deals and elsewhere.” (The Legal 500 UK, 2022)

Paula is described as “knowledgeable, patient and cool under pressure" (The Legal 500 UK, 2021)

Memberships & Affiliations

City of London Law Society, Competition Section (committee member)

Law Society Competition Section (Former chair/committee member)

Credentials

Admissions & Qualifications

  • Admitted to Practice as a Solicitor of England and Wales
  • Brussels (B List)

Languages

  • English
  • French
  • German

Education

  • College of Law, LondonLaw Society FinalsFirst Class1993
  • College of Law, LondonCommon Professional Examination1992
  • University of OxfordModern Languages (French & German)First Class1991