Jade-Alexandra Fearns

Transactional:

• Jade has advised on hundreds of transactions in relation to merger and FDI filing analysis and resulting clearances. Some recent representative matters include:
• Advised CWT, a leading global business travel technology company, in relation to merger filings with respect to the proposed acquisition by Amex GBT. In a move described as almost unprecedented, Jade obtained unconditional clearance after an in-depth phase 2 CMA merger review, despite the CMA provisionally deciding to prohibit the transaction.
• Advised G42 in relation to its strategic partnership with Microsoft and related antitrust and merger control issues.
• Advised G42, and its majority-owned subsidiary Khazna Data Centers, in relation to the sale by e& of its stake in Khazna for $2.2 billion and minority investments in Khazna by MGX and Silver Lake, and related antitrust and merger control issues.
• Advised VINCI Airports, the world’s leading private airports operator, in relation to the merger control and FDI analysis with respect to its acquisition of Edinburgh Airport for £1.27 billion.
• Advised ABRY in relation to merger control and FDI analysis and filings with respect to various technology-related transactions securing both merger and FDI clearances in numerous jurisdictions.
• Advised STG, a private equity partner to market-leading companies in software, data and analytics, in relation to numerous transactions. Jade has secured merger and FDI clearances for many STG technology-related transactions.
• Advised Francisco Partners on numerous transactions with respect to merger clearance and FDI-related issues.
• Advised one of the UK’s leading technology companies in relation to CMA and international merger clearance, ultimately resulting in an unconditional phase 2 UK clearance decision.
• Advised a leading sovereign wealth fund on global merger control and foreign investment filings in relation to a number of infrastructure- and energy-related projects, including EU filings, national merger filings, national foreign investment filings and notifications to applicable energy regulators.

Behavioural:

• Jade has extensive experience advising clients across a wide range of sectors on behavioural competition litigation and international sanctions- related matters. Representative matters include:
• Advised a global manufacturer in relation to the European Commission’s power cables cartel investigation and a number of follow-on litigation matters.
• Advised a global auto-parts manufacturer in relation to investigations by the European Commission.
• Advised Russia’s largest retail bank before the European Courts with respect to its inclusion in EU sanctions.
• Advised a global manufacturer in relation to simultaneous civil and criminal investigation for alleged cartel activities in multiple jurisdictions.
• Advised a pharmaceutical company on abuse of dominance and product denigration proceedings before the English courts and subsequent settlement proceedings.
• Advised a global leisure goods manufacturer on EU competition compliance matters and EU distribution arrangements.
• Advised a luxury global clothing brand in relation to European and UK competition compliance matters.
• Advised on state aid aspects of the groundbreaking Malta LNG-to-Power project.

Sports Regulatory:

• Jade routinely advises businesses in the sports sectors on competition and wider regulatory-related issues. Representative matters include:
• Advised numerous private equity and other investors in relation to the regulatory issues connected to potential investments in UK and other European sports teams.
• Advised numerous governing bodies in relation to the application of EU and UK competition law to their procedural rules.
• In a pro bono capacity, Jade also advises individual athletes on various behaviour- and conduct-related issues.
• Advised a leading football club in relation to EU and UK competition law compliance issues.
• Prior to joining King and Spalding, Jade was seconded to a leading global bank to provide strategic competition law advice. She was also seconded to a leading global insurance company to provide competition and sanctions advice. Additionally, during an in-depth CMA merger review, Jade was seconded to a leading technology company which resulted in an unconditional phase 2 clearance.

Jade-Alexandra Fearns is a partner in the London office of King and Spalding. Jade focuses her practice on antitrust and competition law along with international sanctions and other regulatory and compliance-related advice across a number of sectors, including technology, pharmaceutical and healthcare, financial services and banking, sports, automotive, media, manufacturing, consumer goods and telecommunications.

Jade has advised on hundreds of merger filings in the UK, EU and internationally and has secured many phase 1 and phase 2 clearances. Jade also advises on and prepares foreign investment and national security-related filings. In addition, Jade advises clients on UK and EU sports-related regulatory issues.

Jade is recommended in The Legal 500 for the following practice areas: EU and Competition, Trade, WTO Anti-Dumping and Customs and Sport. According to The Legal 500, "competition expert Jade- Alexandra Fearns is … recommended for [sports-related] regulatory and disciplinary matters."

Jade also frequently advises pro bono clients on a various of issues, including athlete representations. Jade is heavily involved in community and pro-bono projects providing assistance to individual clients and nonprofit organisations in litigation and transactional matters.