Valeri Bozhikov is an of counsel in the London office of Gibson Dunn. He is a member of the firm’s Antitrust and Competition Group. He is currently on secondment.
Valeri has extensive experience advising clients from a diverse range of industries on EU, UK, and international competition law, with a particular focus on merger control and foreign investment. He has routinely represented clients before the European Commission, the UK CMA, and the German Federal Cartel Office.
He is recognised in the Legal 500 UK 2024 directory as a Key Lawyer for EU and Competition and in the category Ones to Watch for Competition Law in the 2025 Best Lawyers edition.
Valeri graduated with a Master of Law (LLM) from Kings College London and a Magister Juris from Sofia University. He is admitted to practice in England and Wales, Belgium and Bulgaria.
As of 2023, Valeri is a visiting professor at Queen Mary, University of London.
Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, he was a Special Counsel in the Competition practice group at another major international law firm.
Valeri’s select representations include:*
- Thoma Bravo in numerous transactions, including its acquisitions of Ping Identity for $2.8 billion and Darktrace for $5.3 billion, its portfolio company Ping Identity’s acquisition of ForgeRock for $2.3 billion, its portfolio company Proofpoint’s acquisition of Hornetsecurity, its portfolio company Flexera’s acquisitions of Snow Software and the USU GmbH, and its portfolio company LogRhythm’s merger with Exabeam.
- Viavi’s attempted $1.3 billion public takeover of Spirent Communications plc.
- AEA Investors in numerous transactions, including its acquisition of Excelitas, Scan Global Logistics, Process Sensing Technologies, Scio Automation.
- Aleris Corporation in its acquisition by Novelis for $2.8 billion, which resulted in Phase 2 (in-depth) reviews in the EU and China.
- $2.7 billion definitive agreement for Soho House & Co. Inc. to be taken private.
- Leidos in its acquisition of L3Harris’ Security, Detection and Automation business for $1 billion.
- New Mountain Capital in numerous transactions, including sale of its portfolio company Blue Yonder to Panasonic for $8.5 billion and its disposal of Zep Inc. to Truelink Capital.
- RedBird Capital Partners and Compass Datacenters LLC in the acquisition of Compass by Brookfield Infrastructure Partners.
- Towebrook Capital Partners on the investment in GMC Group, the acquisition of IDAK Food Group and the $8.9 billion acquisition of R1 RCM (together with CD&R).
- Cambridge Information Group and its portfolio company ProQuest in the acquisition of Innovative Interfaces.
- Allergan (now part of AbbVie) before the UK CMA in the hydrocortisone investigation and the subsequent appeals before the Uk Competition Appeal Tribunal.
- A financial institution in relation to two separate cartel investigations before the European Commission and various national competition authorities, including the UK, France and Germany.
*Some of these representations occurred prior to Valeri’s association with Gibson Dunn.
Capabilities
Credentials
Education:
- King's College London - 2014 Master of Laws (LL.M.)
- Sofia University - 2012 Magister Juris
Admissions:
- Belgium - Belgium - Flemish Bar
- Bulgaria - - Plovdiv Bar Association
- England & Wales – Solicitor