Biography
Romain Ferla is an Antitrust partner in Weil, Gotshal & Manges' Paris office. Romain has significant experience in European Union and French competition law matters, including merger control, investigation of cartels or abuses of dominance, and advising on distribution agreements (containing vertical restraints), cooperation agreements, joint ventures, and state aids.
Romain’s successful track record in antitrust litigation includes defending and representing a wide range of clients before French courts and in administrative proceedings before the European Union and French competition authorities. He has served both as counsel to the notifying parties (private equity funds and corporate clients) and as counsel to the complainants.
Track record and relevant experience
- Marinopoulos’ acquisition of Carrefour’s 50% stake in Carrefour Marinopoulos (retail JV)
- Guyenne & Gascogne on its disposal to Carrefour (retail, supermarkets)
- HLD on the disposal of its portfolio company Sarenza to Casino group (online and offline retail distribution of shoes)
- Quick on its disposal to Burger King (fast food restaurants, clearance subject to divestiture remedies in certain local markets)
- European Capital on the sale of its portfolio company Audika to William Demant (retail distribution of hearing aids, clearance subject to divestiture remedies in certain local markets)
- Elsan on its acquisition of Medipole Partenaires (clinics, clearance subject to divestiture remedies in certain local markets)
- La Poste on its JV with Suez Environnement (waste collection, local markets affected, clearance subject to remedies)
- Cerba on its €1.8bn disposal to Partners Group and PSP
Some of the above transactions involved multi-jurisdictional filings and/or referrals from the EU Commission to the French Competition Authority.
Romain has been recognized as “Rising Star” for EU competition and distribution in France in Legal 500 2013. For Chambers 2018, “Romain Ferla is particularly known for his track record in merger control mandates at French and European levels (…) He is commended for his ‘good capacity to listen to clients’ and ‘master all the main points quickly.’”
Bar Admissions
Paris
Education
Paris II University (post-graduate diploma in European competition law, 1996)
London School of Economics (LL.M., 1995)
Paris X University (Masters Degree in Business Law, 1994)
Paris Institute of Political Sciences (Sciences Po Paris) (1992)