Herbert Smith Freehills Names Kyriakos Fountoukakos as New Head of Antitrust and Trade Team

Herbert Smith Freehills Names Kyriakos Fountoukakos as New Head of Antitrust and Trade Team

Kyriakos Fountoukakos, based in Brussels, has been appointed to lead Herbert Smith Freehills' competition and trade team. He will take over from Stephen Wisking, who returns to his competition law practice in London.

Fountoukakos will combine his current position as the lead partner for EMEA antitrust and trade work with his new global mandate. He will work closely with Linda Evans, his Australian counterpart who serves as the regional head of practice, and will also continue to serve as the managing partner for the Brussels office.

With over 20 years of experience in EU and UK competition law, Fountoukakos offers expertise in various areas of advisory services to international clients. These include the technology, media, and telecommunications (TMT) sector, life sciences, energy, mining, consumer products, financial services, and manufacturing, amongst others.

Fountoukakos provides advice on a range of areas such as merger control (M&A and joint ventures), antitrust investigations, cartels, distribution agreements, dominance, and competition litigation before the EU courts. He is highly active in advising clients in Japan and collaborates closely with HSF's specialised competition teams in Asia.

Fountoukakos, who is dual-qualified in Greece and England and Wales, began his career at Herbert Smith Freehills. He then worked at the European Commission in DG Competition's Merger Task Force and as a legal assistant in Bo Vesterdorf's cabinet during his presidency of the first-instance General Court of the Court of Justice of the EU.

In 2006, he returned to Herbert Smith Freehills as a partner.

Fountoukakos, who is active as a visiting lecturer at University College London and as senior-vice chair of the IBA's Antitrust Committee, said he plans to continue Stephen Wisking's leadership in both contentious and non-contentious competition and trade law work. Additionally, he aims to develop the firm's follow-on practice in competition class actions, which is a key growth area for the firm globally.

According to Ian Cox, practices executive partner at Herbert Smith Freehills, Fountoukakos has demonstrated strong leadership credentials through his various management roles within the firm.

Ian Cox added that, in addition to being a highly regarded competition lawyer, Fountoukakos' leadership credentials make him well-positioned to build on the firm's successes and drive the team forward to provide the best for clients.

He also expressed gratitude to Wisking for his work over the past six years.