Vlad Novak’s practice focuses on competition law/antitrust and EU and global foreign direct investment control.

His experience includes 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 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. He is included in GCR’s inaugural global Foreign Investment Control 40 under 40 list.

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.

Vlad 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.

Vlad joined the firm in 2012 and became a partner in 2025. He was resident in the Washington, D.C. office in 2015 and 2016.

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Notable Experience

  • IBM in the acquisition of StreamSets and webMethods businesses from SAG.

  • Open Text in the disposal of AMC/Mainframe business to Rocket Software, Inc.

  • Ahlstrom-Munksjö in its acquisition by Bain Capital.

  • Sixth Street in numerous acquisitions. 

  • Middle East SWFs in numerous acquisitions. 

  • Merck & Co on the non-US antitrust aspects in the sale of its Consumer Care Business to Bayer, and acquisition of Bayer’s Anticoccidials Divestment Business.

  • Google in several confidential matters.

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

  • ArcelorMittal in its bid for the steelmaking group Ilva.

  • Broadcom in the FDI filing for its acquisition of VMware.

  • 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.

  • Synthomer in connection with the Styrene monomer cartel investigation. 

  • CSL Vifor in connection with an investigation before the EU Commission alleging abusive conduct in the iron deficiency products space.

  • Several clients in non-public antitrust investigations.

  • Court of Arbitration for Sport

    Chairman

    • CAS 2923/A/10161

    Sole Arbitrator

    • CAS 2023/O/10181
    • CAS 2023/O/10049
    • CAS 2023/O/9664
    • CAS 2020/A/7520
    • CAS 2020/A/6835
    • CAS 2020/A/6960
    • CAS 2020/A/6988 Andrey Isaychev v. Russian Anti-Doping Agency
    • CAS 2020/A/6987 Rudolf Verkhovykh v. Russian Anti-Doping Agency
    • CAS 2020/A/6986 Anna Knyazeva-Shirokova v. Russian Anti-Doping Agency
    • CAS 2020/A/6903 (withdrawn)
    • CAS 2019/O/6537 ASEMSA SA v. Al Hilal Saudi Football Club
    • CAS 2019/A/6514 Ivan Temnikov v. Football Club Dynamo Moscow & Football Union of Russia

    Arbitrator

    • CAS 2019/A/6226 World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) v. Spanish Anti-Doping Agency & Ibai Salas Zorrozua
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Selected Activities

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  • 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

“Global FDI Newsletter: October – December 2024,” Cleary Global FDI Newsletter, January 2025

“The EU Commission Urges Member States to Review Outbound Investments,” Cleary Gottlieb Alert Memorandum, January 2025 

“Whereabouts Failure in CAS Jurisprudence,” Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) Bulletin, December 2024 

“EU FDI: State Of The Union (2024),” Cleary Foreign Investment and International Trade Watch blog, November 2024

“Proposed New EU FDI Screening Regulation — 10 Things to Know,” Cleary Gottlieb Alert Memorandum, March 2024

“EU Takes Times to Ready Outbound Investment Control Toolkit,” Cleary Gottlieb Alert Memorandum, February 2024 

“Antitrust Violations May Oust Companies From Public Tenders (Infraestruturas de Portugal),” Cleary Antitrust Watch blog, December 2023

“Opening Up The Wallet: Apple To Offer Rivals Access To NFC System On iOS Devices,” Cleary Antitrust Watch blog, December 2023

“Opting-Out-Of-Settlement Could Be Costly: Commission Fines Largest Nordic Ethanol Producer €48 million For Manipulating Ethanol Benchmarks,” Cleary Antitrust Watch blog, December 2023

“European Commission In  “Reflection Mode” Following CJEU Loss In The Engie State Aid Case,” Cleary Antitrust Watch blog, December 2023

“EU FDI: State of The Union,” Cleary Gottlieb Alert Memorandum, November 2023

“Benelux FDI: Luxembourg FDI Screening Regime Enters Into Force,” Cleary Gottlieb Alert Memorandum, September 2023 

“A Systematic Review of CAS Decisions in Football Matters in 2020-2021,” Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) Bulletin, July 2023

“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