Ropes & Gray Expands European Antitrust Team with the Addition of Annie Herdman

Global law firm Ropes & Gray has bolstered its European antitrust offering with the appointment of partner Annie Herdman, based in its London office.

Annie is a leading antitrust lawyer, whose practice covers all aspects of EU and UK competition law, representing clients before the EU Commission and UK Competition and Markets Authority. Annie specialises in advising a wide range of corporate, sovereign wealth, and private equity clients on EU, UK and multi-jurisdictional merger control and foreign investment strategy and filings. Additionally, she has experience advising clients on EU and UK cartel investigations, behavioural issues, and compliance matters. 

Annie has been recognised by The Legal 500 as a ‘Next Generation Partner’ and a ‘Rising Star’ and Who’s Who Legal as a ‘Leader’, where she was noted as one of only four UK practitioners for her great ‘capacity to quickly understand the client’s business and form credible views’. Additionally, Annie has featured in Management Today’s 35 Women Under 35, which celebrates the top 35 female business talent in the UK under the age of 35.

Annie joins one of the world’s elite antitrust practices, recognised in a range of publications including Chambers, The Legal 500 and Global Competition Review. The European team, led by partner Ruchit Patel, regularly handles antitrust matters for global clients across a number of high-profile industry sectors, including life sciences & health care, private equity, and technology.

David Djaha, managing partner of Ropes & Gray, said: “We are very pleased to welcome Annie to our outstanding group of antitrust partners globally. Her experience and ability will further strengthen the team in London and will be highly valued by clients, both in the UK and elsewhere.”

Ruchit Patel, head of European antitrust at Ropes & Gray, said: “Annie’s arrival represents the continuation of the growth that we’ve seen over the last six years.  She is a first rate antitrust lawyer and – with antitrust issues higher on the agenda for our clients than ever before – our clients will benefit greatly from this addition to our excellent team.”

Jane Rogers, acting managing partner of Ropes & Gray’s London office, said: “As one of London’s pre-eminent international law firms for private capital and other sophisticated clients, we have enjoyed an impressive trajectory in recent years, as our clients entrust us with their largest and most complex matters. Annie’s arrival will further enhance our top tier antitrust offering and add to the firm’s momentum in London as we continue to see growing demand for our services.”

Annie will join Ropes & Gray in early March from the London office of a global law firm. Her arrival adds to the firm’s continued momentum in London. It follows the appointments in 2021 of funds partner Emily Brown and Life Sciences Regulatory partner Dr Lincoln Tsang, along with funds partner Tom Alabaster, restructuring partner Matt Czyzyk and special situations partner Samuel Norris who joined in 2020.