Frances Dethmers
Special Adviser – EU Antitrust, based in Brussels. Advises on complex merger control procedures, cartel investigations, IP issues, licensing and other matters.
Frances’s practice focuses on international, EU and Dutch competition law. She has extensive experience advising clients from a wide range of industries – in particular, pharmaceuticals, health and life sciences, consumer and industrial products, chemicals and packaging – on highly complex merger control procedures, cartel investigations, abuse of dominance investigations, intellectual property issues, and licensing and distribution agreements.
Frances is a qualified lawyer and an economist. Her background as an economist gives her unique insight into the economic concepts and analytical tools at the heart of competition law. Prior to working in private practice, Frances held positions with the Dutch Competition Authority and the European Commission. She is a co-author of The Economic Assessment of Mergers under European Competition Law and has written numerous articles on antitrust developments.
Experience
Frances’s representations before joining Davis Polk include the following:
- General Electric on competition law and support for various global transactions since 2001, including the $11.1 billion merger of GE Transportation and Wabtec and GE’s proposed sale of its nuclear steam turbine business to EDF
- Advent International on several M&A transactions in the chemicals sector, including the €3 billion acquisition of Evonik’s methacrylates business and the $4.75 billion sale of Allnex to PTT Global Chemicals
- Kingspan on the merger control aspects of its EU-wide M&A activities, including the second phase EU merger control procedure in Kingspan/Trimo
- Mondi on EU and national merger control advice and filings for M&A transactions including its acquisition of Powerflute
Insights
News
Education
Prior experience
- Partner, Allen & Overy, 2022-2023
- Counsel, Allen & Overy, 2017-2022
- Counsel, Clifford Chance, 2007-2017
- Associate, Clifford Chance, 2000-2007
Qualifications and admissions
- Brussels EU-List
- The Netherlands