Expertise

Recent matters on which Simon has led on and advised include:

Telecoms, Media & Digital Regulation

• Advising on all aspects of the regulatory life cycle including product / service launch across the EMEA for telecoms and tech clients, ongoing compliance advice and issues, consumer and product issues (including recalls), regulatory disputes and investigations.
• Advising on High Court challenges of telecoms regulatory decisions and investigations by the Irish telecoms regulator, ComReg, including acting for Three Ireland, Virgin Media, Speed Fibre Group, Sky Ireland and Vodafone Ireland.
• Advising a number of digital platforms and providers on issues and litigation / challenges related to the EU Digital Markets Act and other EU rules for the Digital Sector including advising on ongoing contentious matters against the Coimisiún na Meán.
• Advising traditional media clients on competition, regulatory and M&A matters including Mediahuis, Bauer Media, Daily Mail Group, RTÉ, Virgin Media, News Corp, ComcWarner Bros Discovery.
• Advising on regulatory approvals for Irish telecoms and digital business M&A deals, including multiple transactions involving Cellnex S.A., Sky / Comcast, Liberty Global, Three, Speed Fibre Group, NBI, Towercom and eir.

Merger Control

• Advising Smurfit Kappa Group on obtaining competition approvals across the globe, including from the EU Commission, for its merger into Smurfit WestRock.
• Advising clients in the energy and infrastructure sector (and institutional investors) on Irish and EU approvals such as Vermilion Energy, Irving Oil, Macquarie, Goldman Sachs, Brookfield.
• Advising clients in the healthcare sector on obtaining approvals across the EU including Orpea S.A, Blackrock Health, DIF and a number of healthcare providers and health and life insurance companies.
• Advising on most of the Irish media mergers before the competition and plurality regulators (including the only Phase II Ministerial process) since the regime’s inception in 2014.

Competition Investigations and Litigation

• Advising on inspections by the EU Commission, the CCPC and other sectoral regulators in Ireland, including advising on a number of inspections of international and domestic businesses in the construction, retail, financial services, telecommunications sectors and advising on identifying and mitigating risk after these inspections.
• Acting in defence of a follow-on action for damages arising from the European Commission's decision in the 'Trucks' case.
• Advising on the compliance with, and defending against enforcement of, the Digital Markets Act, the Digital Services Act and various other EU digital regulations.