Anna has a broad competition practice, including advising on mergers, cartels and market investigations. She has dealt extensively with the European Commission and the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), as well as other regulators around the world.
Highlights
- British Airways in relation to:
- the CMA investigation into its transatlantic alliance with American Airlines.
- the air cargo antitrust proceedings, the multi-jurisdictional air cargo litigation, and on its appeals to the European Courts.
- International Airlines Group on its acquisitions of Aer Lingus, bmi and Air Europa.
- Salesforce on the CMA clearance for its $15.7 billion acquisition of Tableau Software.
- Takeaway on its merger with Just Eat.
- ASOS on its acquisition of Arcadia brands (Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge and HIIT).
- GlaxoSmithKline on its appeal to the General Court in relation to the EC State aid decision on the Controlled foreign company group financing tax exemption.
- DuPont in relation to the European Commission's investigation about a cartel in the chloroprene rubber market, and the subsequent European Court appeals.
Anna won the 2019 Client Choice Award for Competition & Antitrust in the European Union. She has also previously been named as “Lawyer of the Year - Under 40” by Global Competition Review, named in Management Today’s "35 under 35" list of high-flying young business women and recognised by W@Competition in their list of “30 in their 30s” notable women competition practitioners. Anna is recognised as a leading competition lawyer by Chambers, Legal 500 and Who’s Who Legal. She is a member of the Brussels Bar (A list), as well as being qualified as a solicitor (England and Wales).
Directories quote:
- “Anna Lyle-Smythe is described as ‘someone who is incredibly strategic and very good on the substantive cases we have,’ as well as a lawyer who ‘really does have wisdom beyond her years.’" Chambers Europe 2021
- “Sources describe her as an "absolutely terrific practitioner who doesn't waste a word.” Chambers Europe 2020