Few competition deals took the headlines the way Microsoft’s drawn-out takeover of Activision did last year, with the tech giant having Weil Gotshal’s Jenine Hulsmann to thank for spearheading the success of the transaction.
Since joining Weil as head of the firm’s European antitrust practice from Clifford Chance in 2021, Hulsmann has been a central figure in developing relationships with heavyweight clients across the TMT, pharmaceutical and energy and infrastructure sectors. On the cosh for Microsoft last year from proposal to appeal to clearance, Hulsmann secured the corporation’s $68.7bn acquisition on the gaming company over the course of 22 tireless months.
Hulsmann continues to stand at the forefront for Microsoft as she oversees the company’s $10bn investment into OpenAI and the CMA’s investigation into the AI research organisation. Her winning reputation in the sector has also helped her secure instructions for new Weil clients such as Eutelsat, Telefonica and Liberty Global.
Hulsmann’s growth ambitions for the antitrust practice in Europe are evident, with the partner having grown the team five fold in two years. An office in Brussels has been established and there are further plans to build out to a size comparable to Weil’s US peers.