Paul Hastings enhances antitrust team in London

In a significant move, Paul Hastings LLP has announced the appointment of Sally Evans as a partner in its London office. This strategic hiring aims to enhance the firm’s antitrust platform across London, Brussels, and globally. Previously with Kirkland & Ellis, Evans is well-known for her expertise in areas such as antitrust investigations, merger control, foreign investment screening and antitrust compliance. With a particular focus on transactional antitrust work, she possesses extensive experience across crucial global jurisdictions, especially in U.K. merger control. Evans often represents clients before the U.K. Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and is dual-qualified in Brussels, where she plays a key role in leading EU merger control cases.

Firm Chair Frank Lopez expressed his enthusiasm for Evans' addition, stating “Sally has extraordinary experience and a stellar reputation in antitrust and will provide further momentum to our global antitrust practice.” He further highlighted the importance of such premier talent to the firm's strategic goals, noting its relevance to building a global destination platform and executing major M&A mandates.

Evans brings a diverse client base that includes private equity firms, global investment funds, and strategic buyers. Her impressive portfolio includes advising on significant transactions such as Thoma Bravo’s $12.3 billion acquisition of Dayforce, Triton Partners’ take-over of the Bosch security and communications technology product business, and GIC’s minority investment in Messer Group. Additionally, she provided counsel to Noble Corporation regarding its combination with Maersk Drilling, which included a Phase I remedy with the CMA involving the divestment of oil drilling platforms in the North Sea.

“I look forward to working with Paul Hastings’ impressive antitrust team,” Evans remarked, expressing her excitement about joining the firm. “There is real momentum to the firm’s expansion in the U.K. and other markets across Europe, the Middle East and North America, so this is a brilliant opportunity to be part of a growing practice and work with the firm’s extensive roster of leading clients and professionals.”

Recognised as a top lawyer in her field by Chambers UK and distinguished as a “Leading Lawyer” by The Legal 500, Evans has also been listed among Global Competition Review’s “40 Under 40.” Her expertise extends to foreign direct investment (FDI) screening, where she has managed a significant volume of notifications under the U.K. National Security and Investment Act and coordinated FDI filings across Europe and other jurisdictions.

The addition of Evans follows a series of strategic hires at Paul Hastings, which has continually invested in strengthening its antitrust and competition offering globally. This includes recent additions such as Josh Soven from Paul Weiss in Washington D.C. and Stephen McIntyre from O’Melveny in Los Angeles, reinforcing the firm’s commitment to building a formidable antitrust practice in an increasingly competitive market