Paula Riedel

Partner Antitrust & Competition
Kirkland & Ellis International LLP

London T +44 20 7469 2470

M +44 78 1079 4058

Paula Riedel

Overview

Paula Riedel is absolutely first rate. A wonderful and deeply respected lawyer who’s judgement is trusted absolutely by my lawyers and business colleagues alike.” - The Legal 500 UK, 2024

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

  • Clear Channel on its $92.7 million sale of Clear Channel Switzerland to Goldbach Group AG
  • Brookfield on the sale of Student Roost to GIC/Greystar
  • Huntsman Corporation on the $718 million sale of Textile Effects business to Archroma
  • NortonLifeLock on its $25 billion takeover of Avast plc
  • Bain Capital PE and Cinven on Arxada’s combination with Troy Corporation
  • I Squared and TDR Capital on the £2.3 billion recommended cash acquisition of Aggreko
  • Bain Capital PE and Cinven on the CHF 4.2 billion agreement to acquire Lonza Specialty Ingredients
  • Bain Capital PE and its consortium partners on the €2.1 billion takeover of Ahlstrom-Munksjö Oyj
  • AbbVie Inc. on its $63 billion acquisition of Allergan plc
  • TDR/Stonegate Pub Company on its £3 billion acquisition of Ei Group plc
  • Infineon Technologies AG on its $10.1 billion acquisition of Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
  • Bristol–Myers Squibb on its $74 billion acquisition of Celgene Corporation
  • GlaxoSmithKline plc on 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 on its $4.25 billion acquisition of KLX Inc.
  • Madison Dearborn Capital Partners on its €365 million 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 on its £340 million acquisition of Autodata
  • Tronox Limited on its $2.2 billion acquisition of Cristal’s titanium dioxide business
  • Madison Dearborn Capital Partners on its $6.4 billion sale of VWR International to Avantor
  • Accenture plc on its $830 million sale of Navitaire to Amadeus IT Group SA

Antitrust/Regulatory

  • A financial sponsor in relation to an abuse of dominance investigation by the CMA in the software sector
  • 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 CMA antitrust investigations in 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

Co-Author, "EU Antitrust vs. U.S. Companies", Law360, 2016

Co-Author, "The Pharma Sector: A route map to merger control in the EU and beyond", MLEX, 2012

Co-Author, "The Competition and Markets Authority: A new era for competition law enforcement in the UK", Competition Policy International, 2012

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

Co-Author, "UK Competition Reform", Competition Law Insight, 2011

Seminars

"Navigating Global Mergers in the Tech Space", ABA Brown Bag, 2023

"Horizontal Mergers", GCR Live 2nd Annual Merger Control Brussels, 2019

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

"Brexit - Implications for Litigation, Merger Control and Antitrust", GCR Live New York, 2017

"Cooperation/Contacts with Competitors", IBC Legal Competition Law, 2016

"Compliance Best Practice", IBC Legal Advanced EU Competition Law, 2016

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

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

"A Retrospective on the Term of Commissioner Joaquin Almunía, and a Look Ahead", GCR Live Antitrust Leaders Forum, 2015

Recognition

Paula is recognised by clients as “extremely hard-working and very client-focused. She is smart, strategic and detail-oriented.” (Chambers UK, 2024)

Paula is described by clients as “amazing at strategy, knowing how to present arguments and which ones to present. She is just excellent.” (Chambers UK, 2023)

“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)

Memberships & Affiliations

Committee Member, City of London Law Society, Competition Section

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