RBB is delighted to once again be named as an elite economics practice by Global Competition Review (GCR) in their 2026 listing.
RBB Economics maintains its rapid growth, now comprising 30 partners and more than 260 economists across 16 offices worldwide. Over the past year, the partnership was further strengthened through a mix of internal promotions (James Hill
James HillPartner, Nuno Alvim
Nuno AlvimPartner and Yi Ling Ng
Yi Ling NgPartner) and senior external hires (Helder Vasconcelos
Helder VasconcelosPartner and Sergey Khodjamirian
Sergey KhodjamirianPartner).
RBB’s leading EU merger control practice delivered several major successes, including advising Liberty Media on its acquisition of MotoGP owner Dorna, cleared unconditionally by the European Commission after a Phase II review. The team also supported Synopsys in its proposed acquisition of Ansys, scrutinised by both the European Commission and the UK Competition and Markets Authority, and advised International Paper on its acquisition of DS Smith, which received Commission approval. RBB also guided Korean Air and Asiana through merger filings before the European Commission and numerous other authorities, securing clearance with remedies internationally.
The firm’s global merger expertise was demonstrated in standout matters across numerous jurisdictions: advising Apotekstjänst on its ultimately cleared 3-to-2 merger with Svensk Dos in Sweden; supporting Phoenix Tower International in its acquisition of Cellnex in Ireland; assisting KME and Sundwiger Messingwerk in Germany; advising DPG Media on its acquisition of RTL Netherlands; advising Live Nation Entertainment on its acquisition of MEO Arena in Portugal; advising Visa on its acquisition of Prosa in Mexico; and advising Cement Australia, a joint venture of Holcim Australia and Heidelberg Materials, during its acquisition of BGC’s cement and concrete business in Western Australia.
The team continued to advise on authority appeals, acting for Booking.com in its challenge to the European Commission’s prohibition of its acquisition of Etraveli, and for Illumina in its successful appeal before the European Court of Justice against the block on its acquisition of Grail.
With 25 testifying experts, RBB also plays a key role in high-stakes litigation and arbitration. Matters include advising Scania on the European Commission’s Trucks cartel decision; supporting Google in several European cases, including Google Shopping and Ad Tech; and providing expert testimony on economic profitability in the Australian Epic v. Apple case. The team also advised on competition issues in sports governance, Newcastle United FC’s settlement with Sports Direct, Autoliv’s successful defence of the damage claim made by Stellantis Group, and a series of other high-profile competition disputes across many jurisdictions, including Chile, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, South Africa, Spain and Sweden.
