WINNERS

• 1st - Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Innovative, successful and skilled is how clients of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer described the magic circle firm’s competition team.
The firm’s talent and, as one judge described as “outside of the box thinking”, secured an unconditional clearance in the Competition Commission inquiry into the acquisition of Vernons Football Pools by Sportech, which runs the Littlewood and Zetters pools. The proposed acquisition was a significant regulatory challenge as it would create a sole supplier of football pools, with Sportech having a share in excess of 99 per cent.
Testament to the innovation of the team led by partner Nicholas Spearing, Freshfields persuaded the Commission to allow the acquisition outright. Yet another trophy for the Freshfields competition cabinet.

• 2nd - Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, Competition Brussles
Every case that Cleary Gottlieb’s competition team worked on last year hit the industry news headlines and as one judge stated, “it’s obvious when you look at the quality of the work”.
Brussels partner Antoine Winckler’s team acted for RealNetworks on the EU Microsoft antitrust case, which was dubbed by the judges as “one of the most significant cases of the year.”
Meanwhile, with Nicholas Levy at the helm, the group played a key role in the merger of long-time client Euronext with the New York Stock Exchange Group and obtained clearance from the European Commission for the creation of Sony BMG.

• 3rd - SJ Berwin
This competition team has proved that with the right legal nous it is possible to avoid even the most wide-ranging statements of objections. SJ Berwin’s legal advice and strategy, which were spearheaded by EU and competition partner Stephen Kon, were key in enabling Universal Music’s €1.63bn (£1.3bn) acquisition of music rivals BMG Music Publishing. One judge said SJ Berwin produced “innovative work on the challenging issues arising in the context of the complex bid,” while Universal Music’s general counsel Richard Constant said Kon had done a “magnificent job” and that he was “a pleasure to work with”.

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Judges will be looking for evidence of:

• Full details of the standout debt deal including market context and innovative structuring
• A list of all major parties involved in the deal, including advisers
• Supporting evidence of the group’s performance over the year

Submissions should focus on a single standout debt deal, but multiple entries from firms are acceptable

Entries welcome from:
Private practice teams	√
Nominations by in-house teams	√

Previous Winners:
2007	Clifford Chance
2006	Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
2005	Cadwalader