UK Merger Control in a Period of Change

Covington and Econic Partners are pleased to invite you to an evening discussion exploring recent developments in UK merger control and the evolving policy landscape shaping merger review.

The UK's merger regime has undergone significant change in recent years. Procedural reforms, and the increasing interaction between competition enforcement and broader economic policy objectives, have resulted in notable outcomes in high-profile mergers. Against this backdrop, businesses, advisers, and policymakers are continuing to assess what these developments mean in practice for transactions and deal strategy.

The program will bring together senior representatives from the Competition and Markets Authority, business leaders, legal and economic advisers, and policy experts to discuss:

• How recent revisions to the UK's merger review process are working in practice;
• Key trends emerging from the CMA's substantive assessment of mergers, drawing on notable cases from 2025 and 2026;
• The growing intersection between competition policy and wider economic and industrial policy considerations in UK merger review; and
• Practical insights for businesses navigating merger control in the UK and across multiple jurisdictions.

The event will open with a fireside conversation featuring Richard Romney, Senior Director of Mergers at the CMA, followed by a panel discussion examining these issues from regulatory, commercial, legal, economic, and policy perspectives.

A drinks reception will follow, providing an opportunity to continue the discussion with fellow practitioners and industry peers. This event is co-hosted by:

Event Details

Tuesday, 6 October 2026
5:30 p.m. | Registration
6:00 p.m. | Program
7:30 p.m. | Networking Reception

Fireside Chat

• Richard Romney, Senior Director of Mergers, Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
• James Marshall, Partner, Covington
• Andy Parkinson, Partner, Econic Partners

Panellists

• Luisa Affuso, Chief Economist and Economics Group Director, Ofcom
• Andrea Gomes da Silva, Senior Advisor, Fingleton
  (former Competition and Markets Authority Executive Director of Mergers)
• Joshua Sherer, Deputy General Counsel, Competition Law, HSBC
• Claudia Berg, Partner, Covington
• Gianmarco Calanchi, Partner, Econic Partners

By Invitation Only

This event is closed to the press.