Joel Gory

Since joining Kirkland, Joel’s representative matters have included:

• K1 Investment Management on strategic growth investment in Board Intelligence.
• TDR Capital on the acquisition of a majority stake in Asda.
• AppLearn International on its sale to Permira-backed Nexthink.
• Centerbridge Partners on the sale of its majority interests in APCOA.
• GIC on its long-term strategic partnership with industrial gas maker, Messer Group.
• Moderna on its collaboration with Immatics in relation to ground-breaking cancer vaccine development.
• Brookfield on the sale of Student Roost, the UK’s third largest purpose-built student accommodation provider, to GIC/Greystar.
• Huntsman Corporation on the $718 million sale of Textile Effects business to Archroma.
• A confidential private equity client in relation to alleged breaches by its portfolio company of UK competition law.
• JBT Corporation on the sale of its AeroTech business.
• Vista Equity Partners, alongside an affiliate of Elliott Investment Management, on its $16.5 billion acquisition of Citrix Systems, Inc. 
• I Squared and TDR Capital on the £2.3 billion recommended cash acquisition of Aggreko.
• Huntsman Corporation on its $300 million acquisition of CVC Thermoset Specialties. 
• GlaxoSmithKline plc on its transaction with Pfizer Inc. to combine their consumer healthcare businesses in a new world-leading joint venture, with combined sales of approximately $12.7 billion.

Prior to joining Kirkland, Joel’s representative matters included:

Merger Control

• Advising VTech, a global manufacturer and supplier of children’s toys, on its acquisition of US-based LeapFrog, in relation to its Phase II merger control referral to the UK Competition and Markets Authority (“CMA”).

• Advising Home Retail Group (owner of Argos) as the target of a £1.3 billion takeover by Sainsbury’s plc.

• Advising CMA CGM, a major international shipping company, in relation to its acquisition of Singapore shipping company NOL, on its merger control notification in China.

• Advising Greene King plc on its £774 million takeover of Spirit Pub Company plc.

• Advising a number of private equity clients and funds on global merger control requirements.

Cartel and Advisory Work

• Advising a confidential client in relation to a cartel investigation by the CMA and a concurrent regulator.

• Conducting a multijurisdictional dominance assessment of a global marketing and financial services company.

• Advising a major international bank in relation its position of market power in Hong Kong.

• Advising a company in the marine shipping sector on the risk of information exchange.

• Acting for a company in response to a dawn raid and subsequent cartel investigation in China.

• Advising a number of Hong Kong and international companies in relation to compliance with the newly-introduced Hong Kong competition law.

• Assisting Visa Europe in its defence against standalone private damages claims in UK courts.

Linklaters LLP, London

• Associate (2016–2017)

• Trainee Solicitor (2014–2016)