The Brief:
Thomson Geer has hired Mark Grime from Clifford Chance, appointing him as partner in its Sydney competition practice.
The move comes as firms race to bolster merger control capability under Australia’s new mandatory regime.
Grime joins as a partner after serving as counsel at Clifford Chance. He brings experience across merger control, cartel investigations, market studies, regulated infrastructure and ACCC enforcement proceedings.
He’s also a former ACCC insider, having worked across its Enforcement and Mergers divisions, and is dual qualified in Australia and New York.
His recent work includes advising for:
Adobe on its $3bn play for Semrush Holdings
L’Oreal on its $7bn acquisition of Kering Beauty
Viva Energy on its $1.15bn acquisition of OTR Group
Grime has been consistently flagged as a rising star in Global Competition Review and Legal 500 for competition and antitrust work across Australia and Asia-Pacific.
Chief Executive Partner Adrian Tembel said the hire reflects rising client demand.
“Mark has a strong track record advising on complex, high-value and strategically significant matters. His appointment strengthens our ability to support clients navigating increasingly complex competition and regulatory landscapes, particularly in M&A and cross-border transactions.”
The hire lands as firms across the market race to build out competition benches ahead of sharper merger enforcement, with Lander & Rogers and Corrs having made similar moves.
Source: Thomson Geer