Ciara Barbu-O’Connor Senior Associate

Ciara advises clients in all areas of European, Belgian and English competition law including mergers, cartels, abuse of dominance as well as State aid and competition law compliance issues across all sectors and industries.

Ciara has significant experience advising clients on merger filings in the EU and other competition authorities, particularly in the energy sector. Ciara also has extensive expertise in State aid matters, particularly in the areas of aviation, energy and environment, rescue and restructuring as well as the interplay between State aid and arbitration.

Ciara also advises clients on antitrust matters, particularly in the field of distribution. Her expertise covers several sectors, including aviation, automotive, telecommunications, rail transport and energy.

Ciara spent time as a trainee at the European Commission, Directorate for Competition where she worked on the transposition of the EU Directive for antitrust damages.

Ciara’s recent work includes advising Czech energy company on merger filings before the European Commission, CMA and other competition authorities, advising UK company on the CMA’s cartel investigation into musical instruments alleging vertical online price restrictions, advising French airline on the European Commission’s Temporary Framework for Covid-19 State aid and representing a client before the Court of Justice of the EU in proceedings concerning State aid and arbitration*.

*experience gained at another firm