Top-Ranked Cleary Global Antitrust Practice Adds CMA Director of Mergers in London

Ricardo Zimbrón, a Director of Mergers at the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), is returning to Cleary Gottlieb as a partner.

As a member of the firm’s leading global antitrust practice, Ricardo will focus on UK and EU competition law, including merger control, anticompetitive agreements, abuse of dominance, and digital regulation.

Prior to joining the CMA in 2020, Ricardo was an associate at Cleary where he gained significant experience representing clients before the CMA and the European Commission. He also advised on antitrust matters around the world and represented clients in litigation before the European Courts in Luxembourg, the UK Competition Appeals Tribunal, and the UK High Court.

“We’re delighted to welcome Ricardo back to the firm,” said Cleary Managing Partner Michael Gerstenzang. “Ricardo’s experience at the CMA is superb and will further enhance our London competition team, and the breadth and depth of our top-of-market UK and EU merger control and antitrust practice.”

Cleary’s comprehensive international antitrust practice is recognized for the sophisticated guidance it provides to clients on industry-transforming deals in a rapidly evolving regulatory environment. As the CMA’s influence has expanded and the complexity of investigations has grown, Cleary has advised on many of the most significant mergers reviewed by the CMA in recent years, including Meta/Giphy, Veolia/ Suez, Broadcom/VMware, Sony Music/AWAL, Microsoft/Activision, Hitachi Rail/Thales, Sika/MBCC, and Arcelik/ Whirlpool.

“We are thrilled Ricardo is returning. He’s a brilliant lawyer, a star of his generation. His CMA expertise is invaluable and will strengthen our ability to advise on the most challenging merger control and antitrust cases in the UK,” said Nick Levy, antitrust partner and co-founder of Cleary’s UK competition team. “Ricardo’s extensive experience of complex matters will further deepen our bench of former senior officials from UK, EU, and U.S. agencies and courts.”

“I’m really happy to return to Cleary to work alongside some of the leading lawyers in the field,” said Ricardo. “Cleary’s long-standing tier-1 global antitrust practice is outstanding and I’m excited to return to the team to help build upon the group’s tremendous success. They’ve achieved remarkable success in building one of the top antitrust practices in London in the space of a few years and I can’t wait to rejoin the team.”

Ricardo earned his B.A. from University of Oxford and his LL.B. from City University, London.

Ricardo’s arrival adds to Cleary’s global strategic growth of key practice areas during the last 18 months. Most recently in London, the firm welcomed partner Alex van der Gaag and counsel Jo Roberts to the private equity practice.