Philipp Girardet

Willkie Farr & Gallagher

Within five years of arriving at Willkie Farr & Gallagher’s City office, Philipp Girardet has established the firm’s competition team as a go-to practice for clients such as Expedia Group, Match Group, Kraft Heinz Company and LEGO. In recent years, Girardet led the team which advised FIS on the EU clearance of its $42bn (£31.1bn) acquisition of World Pay, one of the largest fintech deals ever at the time.

His team tripled to six fee-earners last year, a reflection on his ability to win clients and keep them coming back. Girardet is a market leader among a growing group of competition lawyers, highly regarded for his particular expertise in mergers and cartels – both areas which have come under the spotlight in recent years.

Brexit implications rank high on Girardet’s agenda this year, when the UK’s exit from the EU has serious implications for clients. Another key focus will be the National Security and Investment Bill, which was published in November and which amounts to the most significant overhaul of takeover laws in the UK in the past 20 years. If that wasn’t enough, Girardet has been drafted in by Telefonica in the ongoing Phones4U litigation.