2 June 2026
12:30 pm-1:30 pm
Registration and networking lunch
1:30 pm-1:35 pm
GCR welcome address
1:35 pm-1:45 pm
Chairs’ welcome address
Ethel Fonseca
Partner, RBB Economics
Andrea Gomes da Silva
Senior Advisor, Fingleton
Nicholas Levy
Partner, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton
1:45 pm-2:45 pm
Keynote interview
Anthony Whelan
Director-General, DG Competition, European Commission
Ethel Fonseca
Partner, RBB Economics
2:45 pm-3:45 pm
Where next for EU antitrust enforcement?
- What do recent cases say about EU’s priorities?
- Can cartel enforcement be revived?
- Where next on Article 102?
- Does the EC need a New Competition Tool?
- Is there a role for economists in antitrust?
Kyriakos Fountoukakos
Managing Partner, Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer
Aleksandra Boutin
Managing Director, Berkeley Research Group
Uta Itzen
Partner, Freshfields
Saskia Kirchgeßner
Partner, Gleiss Lutz
Pierre Régibeau
Competition Expert, Analysis Group
3:45 pm-4:15 pm
Networking break
4:15 pm-5:15 pm
Demystifying antitrust enforcement under Trump 2.0 - a conversation
- Are the high profile departures, "exotic" settlements, controversial clearances and even Presidential tweets a signal or just noise?
- Has the DOJ been politicised?
- What does an America First doctrine mean for enforcement?
- Are the states now as "second line of defence" in what some see as underenforcement at a federal level?
- What does this mean for those advising on deals with a US angle?
Andrea Gomes da Silva
Senior Advisor, Fingleton
Ilene Knable Gotts
Partner, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
Bill Kovacic
Global Competition Professor of Law and Policy, The George Washington University
Aditi Mehta
Managing Principal, Analysis Group
5:15 pm-5:30 pm
Chair round-up of the day
5:30 pm-7:00 pm
Drinks and networking reception
7:00 pm-9:30 pm
All conference dinner with keynote interview
3 June 2026
8:30 am-9:00 am
Coffee and networking
9:00 am-10:00 am
Keynote interview
Guillaume Loriot
Deputy Director, General Mergers, DG Competition, European Commission
Nicholas Levy
Partner, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton
10:00 am-11:00 am
EU merger control post-Draghi
- Navigating the jurisdictional minefield
- What next after Draghi's call to arms for a new status quo?
- What's changed under Commissioner Ribera?
- What are the key takeaways from the Merger Guidelines review?
Joan de Solà-Morales
Partner, RBB Economics
Niels Baeten
Partner, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
Matthew Bennett
Vice President, Charles River Associates
Esther Kelly
EU Regulatory and Competition Counsel, Boeing
Annamaria Mangiaracina
Partner, Linklaters
11:00 am-11:30 am
Networking break
11:30 am-12:30 pm
Keynote interview
Lucia Bonova
Head of Unit – Digital Platforms, DG Competition, European Commission
Andreas von Bonin
Partner, Freshfields
12:30 pm-1:30 pm
Where next for Big Tech?
- What's changed under the DMA and DSA?
- Learnings from the first two years
- How does the EU define success?
- Can the EU withstand pressure from the Trump Administration?
- Where next for AI and Cloud Computing?
Amaryllis Müller
Counsel, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton
Konstantina Bania
Partner, Geradin Partners
Niklas Brüeggemann
Partner, Weil, Gotshal & Manges
Bradley Justus
Partner, Axinn, Veltrop & Harkrider
Clare Kelly
Senior Competition Counsel, Google
1:30 pm-2:30 pm
Networking lunch
2:30 pm-3:30 pm
GCR Live: Debate
In Oxford Union style, we will hear teams of debaters argue in favour of, or against, a motion. A facilitator will act as a judge voicing their opinions on what has been heard. You as the audience will have the deciding vote for or against, via a live poll.
Motion: This house believes that merger control is too important to be left to lawyers, economists, regulators and courts - politicians can and should play a role
Paul Csiszar
Former Director of DG Competition, European Commission
Catriona Hatton
Partner, Baker Botts
Nicolas Petit
Professor of Law, Head of Department, European University Institute
Claire Simpson
Barrister, Van Bael & Bellis
3:30 pm-4:30 pm
Litigating successfully and effectively in an era of rising cases and private damages actions
- Litigating before the courts: what makes for successful advocacy?
- Defending follow-on damages: how to design an effective strategy
Anca Cojoc
Principal, Cornerstone Research
Nicholas Khan KC
Barrister, Monckton Chambers
Derek Ridyard
Member, Competition Appeal Tribunal
Mary Helen Wimberly
Partner, Axinn, Veltrop & Harkrider
4:30 pm-4:35 pm
Chair’s closing remarks
Ethel Fonseca
Partner, RBB Economics
Andrea Gomes da Silva
Senior Advisor, Fingleton
Nicholas Levy
Partner, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton
