Cleary Gottlieb Lands CMA Mergers Senior Director in Major London Competition Hire

Cleary Gottlieb is continuing to expand its market-leading competition practice in London with the appointment of Naomi Burgoyne, Senior Director of Mergers at the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), in a significant addition to the firm’s top-ranked global antitrust team.

Naomi will join the firm as partner on September 7.

Naomi brings to Cleary more than 15 years of experience at the forefront of complex merger cases and investigations. Most recently, she has played a pivotal role in shaping the CMA’s landmark reset of UK merger control, bringing to the firm a rare blend of deep technical expertise, strategic judgment, and senior regulatory leadership.

“The continued expansion of our market-leading competition practice is a key strategic priority for Cleary and for our London office, and Naomi’s arrival is an exciting development for our team,” said Jackie Holland, partner and co-leader of Cleary’s EMEA Antitrust practice. “We have built exceptional momentum in London, promoting our home-grown talent and attracting star lateral hires, such as Naomi.”

Cleary’s continued investment in its competition practice has driven significant expansion in London, Europe and across the globe over the past few years, with the London team growing from two partners in 2020 to seven partners in 2026. The firm is ranked #1 in the Global Competition Review Global Elite rankings, while the London group is also ranked as Elite — one of the top five practices in London and the only U.S. law firm in the top tier.

“Our global antitrust practice is consistently at the forefront of the most complex and significant antitrust matters across mergers, litigation, and behavioral procedures worldwide, and the continued expansion of our London team is central to that success,” said Managing Partner Jeff Karpf. “A key to our competitive advantage is the number of former senior agency partners we have across the U.S., London and the EU. No firm can match us, and Naomi strengthens that position even further.”

“The strength and caliber of Cleary’s practice is well known in the market,” said Naomi. “As one of the best antitrust teams globally, I am delighted to be joining a collaborative firm with such ambition and depth across its competition practice.”

Naomi’s appointment reflects Cleary’s continued investment in the expansion of its global antitrust practice, and follows a record-breaking year for promotions and hires, including seven newly promoted antitrust partners, and the recruitment of Raif Hassan (London) and Puja Patel (New York).