Oliver founded Euclid Law at the end of 2014. He had the vision to create a law firm that was highly specialist, extremely commercial and very close to its clients and their needs. This is what has been driving the Euclid Law ethos ever since: “We only do competition law and foreign direct investment – nothing else – and we do that extremely well.”
Over the years, his work has been recognised by Chambers and Legal 500 for expertise in both EU and Competition Law. He has also won numerous awards, including from GCR, ILO Client Choice and The Lawyer.
Being expert on all aspects of Competition Law and National Security/FDI, Oliver is a trusted advisor across a broad spectrum of sectors, with a particular focus on technology, transport, energy, and financial services. He also has strong interest in competition law and sustainability.
Oliver is a CEDR qualified mediator and has served as an expert witness in competition law arbitration. He is a visiting Professor at the University of Law and a former adviser to the UK House of Lords Select Committee on the Lisbon Treaty.
Due to his European background, Oliver speaks English, German, French, Dutch, Spanish and some Italian.
Recent experience includes advising:
- a leading US electric vehicle manufacturer in relation to the CMA’s market study into EV charging
- Memoria in relation to the CMA’s market investigation into funeral directors and crematoria services
- HBF in relation to the CMA’s consumer law investigation into the leasehold housing market
- Siemens and BP in relation to a Joint Venture
- Refresco in relation to to CMA investigation of its acquisition of Cott’s bottling activities
- European Commission in relation to its study on competition law and loan syndication
- B2B provider of online services in relation to an abuse of dominance claim
- CityJet on its long-term wet lease arrangement with Aer Lingus, involving very rare strategic exit rationale
- BidonThis as a third-party complainant resulting in the CMA’s investigation into ATG Media’s suspected concerted practices in the supply of auction services in the UK.
- AXA in relation to the CMA’s market investigation into digital comparison tools and follow on investigation into a price comparison website (PCW) for its use of most favoured nation clauses in the home insurance market.
- National Lighting Company in relation to the CMA’s domestic light fittings Resale Price Maintenance (RPM) investigation.
- NHBC in relation to the CMA’s investigation into structural warranty service undertakings for new homes.
- Statoil Fuel & Retail (now Circle K) on its merger with Shell’s retail fuel network in Denmark before the European Commission.
- EEX/Powernext as a third-party complainant in the acquisition of Trayport by ICE before the CMA.
- Barclays in relation to the Libor and Forex investigations by the European Commission.
Education
LLM, University of Cambridge
MA Law, University of Cambridge
CEDR Qualified Mediator
New York Bar
Admissions
England & Wales
Belgium (avocat, registered on the Brussels Bar A List)
New York
Ireland (non-practising)
Languages
English, German, French, Spanish, Dutch and Italian
Recent Publications and Speaking Engagements
- Author: ‘Reforming Competition and Consumer Policy’ – Response to the Public Consultation by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, LinkedIn October 2021
- Chair: Competition Law Challenges in the Financial Services Sector, September 2021
- Speaker: Net Zero strategies: the challenge for government and business, September 2021
- Author: To Infinity and Beyond: The extra-territorial application of the UK’s National Security Regime, LinkedIn August 2021
- Author, “UK National Security and Competition: To File or Note to File”, LinkedIn, 1 June 2021
- Speaker, Legility Symposium 2021 “EU & UK Competition Law & Public Interest: Best Practices & New Challenges ahead”, 26 May 2021
- Chair, Zurich University of Applies Sciences, CAS Compliance International, 24 Feb 2021
- Author, “The end of the affair. Why the UK needs mandatory merger control”, Competition Law Insight, November 2020
- Speaker, EXPRA “Masterclass on EPR Systems and Vertical Integration” 8 October 2020
- Chair, Informa – “Competition Law in Financial Services”, 6 October 2020
- Author, “Fair play. Tackling European foreign subsidies”, Competition Law Insight, July 2020
- Author, “The Android choice screen. Has google ‘ducked’ the EU remedy?”, Competition Law Insight, January 2020
- Author, Competition and Hong Kong’s Major Economic Sectors: Financial Services, Oliver Bretz and Sarah Long, Chapter 7.3 Financial Services in Quigley, C. & Rab, S. (eds) (2016) Hong Kong Competition Law, London, Hart Publishing
Contact Details
+44 20 3816 3010
+32 465 882382
Email: oliver.bretz@euclid-law.eu