Clifford Chance

Clifford Chance announces hire of Cecilio Madero, former Deputy Director-General of DG Competition

Leading international law firm Clifford Chance today announced that Cecilio Madero will join the firm as Of Counsel based in Brussels this September. The appointment provides a significant boost to the firm's global Antitrust, Corporate, Litigation and Tech client offering.

Cecilio Madero comments:  'It has been a privilege to develop profound knowledge of the global antitrust environment from my enjoyable and fulfilling long career at DG competition, and I am now thoroughly looking forward to continuing my professional development by joining a hugely prestigious firm. Over my career, I have seen Clifford Chance operate with the highest level of integrity and I look forward to this exciting next step.'

Cecilio will join Clifford Chance after 34 years with DG Competition, the European Commission Directorate responsible for EU antitrust law and policy.  Cecilio began his professional life working for a large Spanish Bank (BBVA) before joining the Commission in 1987. Until his retirement in September 2020, he  worked for DG Competition on many state aid, antitrust and merger matters. During his long career he was in charge of some of the most complex, intricate and well-known competition cases. These cases are now widely recognised as landmark decisions adopted by the European Commission that underlie the current development of its antitrust policy.

Cecilio will operate across the global antitrust practice at Clifford Chance, strengthening the firm's client advisory services across all areas, including in dominance cases, merger control, state aid, cartels, litigation and investigations. Based in Brussels, Cecilio will act as an international consultant, working with colleagues across the globe, including in Europe, London, the US and Asia/Pacific.

Guy Norman, Global Head of Corporate at Clifford Chance, comments: 'Antitrust challenges, in all sectors but particularly in the technology sector, are intensifying across the globe at an extraordinary rate. As our client needs grow, so must our own knowledge, investment, and expertise. Cecilio's unique experience, deep knowledge and broad skillset in particular in relation to cartels, enhances what is already a market-leading global Antitrust offering at Clifford Chance.'

Thomas Vinje, Co-Chair of Clifford Chance's Global Antitrust Practice, comments: 'Cecilio has been at the heart of many of the world's most significant and high profile antitrust matters over the past two decades, helping the European Commission lead the globe in antitrust policy and enforcement.  His reputation and experience globally as a leading thinker and best-in-class antitrust enforcer embodying a highly-professional and principles-driven approach is perfectly aligned with the values and ambitions of our firm.'

Clifford Chance has a global Antitrust practice with over 160 lawyers supporting clients on their most complex and important matters across the key hubs of Europe, the UK, Asia/Pacific and the US. The team works together to solve multinational antitrust issues, including those arising in merger control, dominance and cartel proceedings, market investigations and sector inquiries, and state aid and public procurement matters.

Clifford Chance has continued to invest in its Antitrust practice across a number of key jurisdictions over recent years, with the partner promotions of Ashwin van Rooijen (Brussels) and Dimitri Slobodenjuk (Duesseldorf) in 2021, Jennifer Storey (London) and John Friel (New York) in 2020, and Yong Bai (Beijing) and Samantha Ward (London) in recent years. Lateral hiring has also boosted our client offering and bench of experts with senior partners Peter Mucchetti from the US Department of Justice (2020), Sharis Pozen from General Electric (2019), Michael Dietrich from Herbert Smith (2018), David Tayar from Willkie Farr & Gallagher (2017) and Nelson Jung from the UK Competition and Markets Authority (2016) joining the fold.