About François Gordon

As Counsel, François advises French and international companies on all aspects of European and French competition law.

Avocat à la Cour, François advises clients on all aspects of competition law, including merger control, cartels, restrictive arrangements, abuses of dominant position and State aid. He also assists them for dawn raids and antitrust investigations, and for the design of tailored compliance programs. He has significant experience in commercial and distribution law, as well as regulatory issues.

His practice encompasses counselling, litigation (representing clients before the European and French competition authorities and courts) and transactional matters (including leniency applications and settlement procedures) across an array of industries.

François has worked in our Brussels office and has gained additional client-focused experience being seconded to Airbus Group’s legal department.

He lectures law at the ESSEC Business School and is a member of the Association des Avocats pratiquant le droit de la concurrence (APDC).

Relying on his legal and economic education, François frequently publishes antitrust articles in legal journals and economic newspapers.

François is fluent in English and French.

Recent work

• Advising EDF on the merger control aspects of the acquisition of a majority stake in Areva NP’s business.
• Representing Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG) in the commitment proceedings brought by the French competition authority against the online travel agency (OTA) Booking.com in relation to its most favoured nation (MFN) clauses.
• Representing Wendel in the landmark litigation cases brought by Editions Odile Jacob before European Courts against the European Commission’s decision approving Wendel as the acquirer of the assets divested by Lagardère following the Vivendi Universal Publishing/Lagardère phase II merger.
• Advising LVMH on the acquisition of Bulgari.
• Advising Pierre Fabre Dermo-Cosmétique in the milestone European and French litigation tackling the right to impose a ban on Internet sales to distributors within a selective distribution network.