Claire Shepherd is a partner in the Antitrust and Competition practice group of Gibson Dunn, based in the London office. 

Claire’s practice spans the full spectrum of contentious and non-contentious UK and EU antitrust matters, including mergers, behavioural investigations and appeals, antitrust related litigation and other competition compliance issues. She has particular expertise in navigating antitrust and foreign investment / national security regimes on high-profile, complex and politically sensitive global transactions, and advising on antitrust and digital markets frameworks and regulatory engagement in the technology space. 

Claire advises corporate and private capital clients across a wide range of industry sectors, including in particular AI, technology and digital services, aerospace and defence, consumer products and services, entertainment and media, and financial services.

Claire speaks on a range of EU and UK antitrust and foreign investment issues, and has completed secondments at large technology, entertainment and consumer services firms. 
 
Representative experience includes advising:*

  • VMware on the European Commission and CMA in-depth antitrust reviews of its $69 billion acquisition by Broadcom
  • Inflection AI on the antitrust review and regulatory engagement of its precedent setting strategic license and hire transaction with Microsoft
  • Several of the largest global technology firms on various strategic acquisitions and investments
  • Macquarie Rotorcraft on the UK antitrust review of its acquisition by SMFL LCI Helicopters Limited
  • Airbus on its acquisition of Unical Aviation 
  • News Corp on its sale of Foxtel to, and acquisition of a minority stake in, DAZN
  • A household brand in the consumer products sector on the antitrust review and regulatory engagement of its acquisition of a European competitor
  • ArcelorMittal on its $1 billion acquisition of a strategic stake in Vallourec
  • Xylem on its $7.5 billion acquisition of Evoqua
  • A major global financial institution on EU cartel investigations and a subsequent appeal to the EU Courts
  • Japanese smart card chip producer Renesas in a combined follow on and standalone damages claim brought in the High Court by Vodafone in connection with the EU Smart Card Chips cartel decision
  • Micro Focus International on its $8.8 billion merger with Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s software business

*Some of these representations occurred prior to Claire’s association with Gibson Dunn.

Capabilities

Credentials

Education:
  • BPP Law School - 2012 Legal Practice Course
  • University of Nottingham - 2010 Bachelor of Arts
Admissions:
  • England & Wales - Solicitor