Professional profile
About Marc-Antoine
EU Merger Control, FDI Screening and Foreign Subsidies Counsel in Brussels
Marc-Antoine Laurent advises private equity funds, sovereign wealth funds and global corporations on multi-jurisdictional merger control, foreign direct investment (FDI) screening and the EU Foreign Subsidies Regulation, with more than eighteen years of experience securing regulatory clearances for complex cross-border transactions.
Mr. Laurent is a senior partner in the Antitrust, Merger Control and FDI practice. He is qualified in France (Paris Bar) and Belgium (Brussels Bar) and works in English, French and Dutch from Brussels and Paris. He is recognised for his strategic handling of Phase I and Phase II merger proceedings before the European Commission (DG COMP) and national competition authorities including the French Autorité de la concurrence and the German Bundeskartellamt.
EU and Multi-Jurisdictional Merger Control
Mr. Laurent manages full-scope merger clearance strategies for international transactions under the EU Merger Regulation (Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004), including Phase I remedies negotiations and Phase II investigations before DG COMP, with market definition analysis, economic arguments and efficiency defences. He handles Article 22 EUMR referral requests when non-reportable transactions are referred to the Commission by national authorities, and designs and implements structural divestitures and behavioural remedy packages to resolve competition concerns in high-concentration markets.
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Screening
His FDI practice covers the patchwork of European national screening regimes, including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and the UK NSI Act. Mr. Laurent evaluates transaction exposure under national security and public order thresholds in critical infrastructure, defence, dual-use technology, healthcare, media and sensitive data sectors, represents non-EU investors before national ministries such as the French Treasury (DG Trésor), and negotiates mitigation agreements covering governance controls, local employment guarantees and operational safeguards.
Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR) Compliance
Mr. Laurent advises acquirers and target companies on notification thresholds and reporting obligations under the EU Foreign Subsidies Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2022/2560) for large-scale mergers and acquisitions and public procurement procedures, assists in compiling and auditing financial contributions received from non-EU states, including tax exemptions, state-backed loans, guarantees and capital injections, and defends transactions against Commission ex-officio investigations into distortive foreign subsidies.
Gun-Jumping Avoidance and Transactional Planning
Mr. Laurent advises deal teams on clean-team agreements, information-exchange protocols and gun-jumping prevention during pre-closing integration planning, and structures joint venture agreements and minority shareholdings to comply with EU stand-still obligations and control definitions.
Engagement Approach
Mr. Laurent works in English, French and Dutch and coordinates with national competition and FDI counsel so that clearance calendars are built into the transaction timetable from the outset. Engagements are confirmed in writing with clear scope and communication protocols. New inquiries are handled through this profile's contact form, routed by listing id.
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