Vlad Novak’s practice focuses on EU and global foreign direct investment control, EU, U.S., and international competition law/antitrust, including complex merger control proceedings, cartel investigations, abuse of dominance cases, antitrust counseling, and litigation before EU Courts, as well as a wide range of issues under EU law and sports-related matters.

Vlad Novak co-leads the Cleary Gottlieb’s EU FDI practice and regularly advises on complex global FDI matters across a wide range of sectors, leading a team of our broader FDI practice and local counsel.

His experience covers a range of industries, including steel, metals, energy, agrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, payment card systems, IT, finance, consumer goods, and sports. Since 2015, he regularly co-authors an annual publication on developments in EU merger remedies.

Vladimir is an arbitrator at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre, London Court of International Arbitration, and Vienna International Arbitral Centre.

Vladimir joined the firm in 2012 and was resident in the Washington, D.C. office in 2015 and 2016.

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Notable Experiences

  • Airbus in the establishment of a joint venture with Safran.

  • ArcelorMittal in its bid for the steelmaking group Ilva.

  • Company in cartel investigation in Europe.

  • The Dow Chemical Company in its $130 billion merger of equals with DuPont.

  • A major fossil fuel producer in a $2 billion complex asset swap, involving an exchange of interests in gas fields for European gas production, distribution, and storage assets.

  • Marine Harvest in an appeal before the EU Court of Justice and EU General Court against the EU Commission’s €20 million fine for an alleged breach of the notification and standstill obligations in the EU Merger Regulation in respect of its acquisition of Morpol.

  • Several clients in non-public antitrust investigations.

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Selected Activities

  • Member (Arbitrator) at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland
  • Member (Arbitrator) at the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre

  • Member (Arbitrator) at the London Court of International Arbitration
  • Member (Arbitrator) at the Vienna International Arbitral Centre

Publications

“Outbound Investment Screening Regime—EU May Follow In U.S. Footsteps,” Cleary Foreign Investment and International Trade Watch (February 8, 2023)

“Recent Developments in EU Merger Remedies,” Journal of European Competition Law & Practice, annual publication 2015-2021.

“European Commission Seeks Comments on Draft Revised Distribution Rules,” Cleary Gottlieb Alert Memorandum, July 2021.

“Health Data Transfer and Processing in CAS Proceedings,” Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) Bulletin, July 2020. 

Events