Steve Melrose is an English qualified Of Counsel in the London and Madrid offices of Gibson Dunn.
Steve is a member of the firm’s Dispute Resolution, White Collar Defence and Investigations, Antitrust and Competition, and Privacy, Cybersecurity and Data Innovation Practice Groups. His practice focuses on domestic and cross-border corporate and regulatory investigations, and antitrust and white-collar criminal matters. Steve has extensive regulatory compliance experience, advising large technology companies subject to online safety laws in the EU and the UK, including the Digital Services Act and Online Safety Act.
Steve advises corporates and individuals under investigation by government authorities in the UK, including the Financial Conduct Authority and the Serious Fraud Office, and in the U.S., including the New York Attorney General, Securities and Exchange Commission, Commodities and Futures Trading Commission and the Department of Justice. He has extensive experience advising clients in relation to the UK Bribery Act 2010 and FCA systems and controls matters.
Steve has also has experience counselling clients under investigation by the European Commission, as well as the UK Competition and Markets Authority, for antitrust violations. In addition, he advises clients in connection with English consumer law matters and related CMA investigations.
Representative technology sector work includes:
- Advising multiple Very Large Online Platforms under the Digital Services Act, on every aspect of VLOP compliance including development of compliance regimes, transparency reporting, dispute settlement, audit, risk assessments and regulatory engagement.
- Advising a number of companies on Digital Services Act and UK Online Safety Act service scoping, and related European Commission and Digital Services Coordinator engagement.
- Conducting Digital Services Act and UK Online Safety Act (illegal content and child harms) risk assessments.
- Advising clients in connection with preliminary findings issued by the European Commission under the Digital Services Act.
Representative investigations and compliance advisory work includes:
- Advising a global company in connection with parallel DOJ, FCA and SFO investigations regarding allegations of bribery and corruption.
- Representing an individual under investigation by the FCA and CFTC for trading related conduct issues.
- Advising a global financial institution as part of a multi-office teams in connection with the LIBOR and FX investigations conducted by antitrust, criminal and regulatory bodies in the UK, U.S. and various other major jurisdictions, which involved extensive direct interactions with the FCA and SFO.
- Advising a U.S. investment bank in connection with criminal investigations brought simultaneously in the U.S. (DOJ and SEC) and UK (Financial Conduct Authority) in relation to suspicions of insider dealing.
- Advising a global consulting firm in connection with enquiries from the FCA regarding insider dealing concerns.
- Advising a U.S. listed global consulting firm to resolve historic contentious tax issues with the Swiss Federal and Cantonal tax authorities.
- Advising a Swiss insurance company in connection with its U.S. cross border tax exposure.
- Advising a global media company in connection with various cross-border whistleblower and other internal investigations in Europe and APAC.
- Advising a global musical instruments company in connection with a CMA antitrust investigation, through to negotiated resolution.
- Advising a care home management firm and its North American shareholders in connection with a CMA consumer law investigation, which resulted in the first resolution in which the CMA used its newly acquired Enhanced Consumer Measures (in this case formal Undertakings).
Prior to joining the firm, Steve practiced in the Wellington office of a leading New Zealand law firm. Before entering private practice, Steve was a Legal and Policy Advisor at the New Zealand Law Reform Commission where he worked on a range of criminal and public law enquiries.
Capabilities
- Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice
- Antitrust and Competition
- Privacy, Cybersecurity, and Data Innovation
- White Collar Defense and Investigations
Credentials
Education:
- Institute of Professional Legal Studies - 2009 Professional Legal Studies Crs
- Victoria University of Wellington - 2008 Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.)
- Victoria University of Wellington - 2008 Bachelor of Arts
Admissions:
- England & Wales - Solicitor
- New Zealand - Barrister and Solicitor