Vincent Brophy

VINCENT BROPHY has over 20 years’ experience in counseling and representing clients on matters involving antitrust/competition law. He is an experienced advocate who appears before the authorities in mergers, cartels and antitrust investigations, as well as in related litigation before the courts.

Vincent advises across a wide spectrum of industries and services. His experience ranges from mining and minerals to energy, consumer goods, payments, wholesale/retail banking, insurance, telecoms and technology.

Vincent has received acknowledgement from numerous industry ranking guides, including the following;

• Chambers UK 2026 – Ranked for Competition Law, where sources noted: “He is a seasoned competition lawyer with years of experience and is highly regarded,” and he “combines deep expertise and experience in antitrust matters with an ability to advise clients in a superbly strategic and understanding manner.”
• Legal 500 UK 2026 – Recommended for EU and Competition, where he is recognized for bringing “considerable experience of working in both London and Brussels.”
• Lexology Index 2026 – Recommended for Competition.
• Chambers Europe and Chambers UK 2025 – Ranked for Competition Law, where clients commented: “His experience with a variety of global regulatory regimes and knowledge of what was likely to work are what really set him apart”; he “is someone who is good to work with”; and “he has a great wealth of experience.”
• Legal 500 UK 2025 – Ranked for EU and Competition, where he was described by clients as “a key individual. He has deep experience of handling high-profile matters in Brussels. He is an astute tactician and a highly respected member of the antitrust bar”; clients also noted that he is a practitioner “with a wealth of experience, especially on EU matters.”
• Chambers Europe, Chambers Global, and Chambers UK 2024 – Ranked for Antitrust and Competition Law, where clients noted, “He has the rare quality of knowing how to listen, as well as being responsive, cordial, and pragmatic. His advice is incisive — he makes an immediate difference.”
• Chambers Europe, Chambers Global, and Chambers UK 2023 – Ranked for Competition Law, with sources saying, “He has exceptional judgement and gives us the senior-level judgement we need for the most sensitive matters” and “Vincent understood the delicate balance of the regulatory imperative against our commercial drivers, providing sound and measured advice.”
• Chambers Global 2022 – Ranked for Competition Law, where clients commented, “Vincent is brilliant — [he offers] clear, compelling advice which is practical and rooted in great experience.”
• Chambers Europe 2016 – Ranked for Competition Law, where he was described as “highly rated by rivals” and said to “excel in conduct work.” He has also been commended as a “class act ... client-focused, a very silky operator. Behind the smooth veneer is an excellent and tough legal mind.”

He has won several professional accolades for his client work, including the Global Competition Review 2016 award for “European Behavioural Matter of the Year” for leading the representation of Deutsche Bank in the European Commission’s investigation into the credit default swaps markets and the Legal Business 2007 award for “Competition Team of the Year” for representing MasterCard before the Competition Appeal Tribunal in its appeal against a ruling of the UK antitrust authority (Office of Fair Trading).

Vincent regularly publishes and is a member of the editorial board of the European Competition Journal.

Vincent studied at the University of Oxford and the University of Paris. He works in both English and French and is admitted in London and Brussels.

Prior to joining Sidley in 2020, he was a partner in the antitrust practice of another international law firm.

Recent examples of Vincent's work include advising:

• Affinity Partners as part of an investor consortium, along with PIF and Silver Lake, in an all-cash acquisition of Electronic Arts Inc., a global leader in digital interactive entertainment, with an enterprise value of approximately US$55 billion. The acquisition was described by the Financial Times as “the biggest-ever leveraged buyout.”

Representative merger matters include numerous mandates to advise on corporate mergers and disposals. Vincent has an unblemished record in obtaining smooth merger clearance for transactions — even in the face of obstinate opposition. Among many other merger clients, he has represented:

• Allkem
• Arthur J Gallagher & Co
• BHP Billiton
• Cubic Corporation
• Deutsche Bank
• International Game Technology
• Inteva
• MasterCard
• Procter & Gamble
• Regal Beloit Corporation

• Defense of Dell Inc. in an EU investigation into arrangements agreed with Intel.
• Defense of MasterCard in multiple antitrust investigations and proceedings, before the UK and EU competition authorities and courts, covering interchange, payment scheme rules and practices.
• Representing Nippon Chemi-Con in its defense of the European Commission’s investigation into an alleged cartel in the capacitor industry.
• An investigation by a competition authority into the syndicated loan businesses of numerous investment banks.
• An investigation by the European Commission into an alleged cartel between precious metals traders and coordination with parallel U.S. investigations and civil litigation.
• An investigation by the European Commission into the credit default swap markets and coordination with parallel U.S. investigations and civil litigation.
• An investigation by various regulators and the European Commission into an alleged cartel between foreign exchange traders.
• An investigation into the conduct of traders in investment grade bonds and CDS. 

*Some of the above matters were handled prior to joining Sidley.

• Editorial board of the European Competition Journal
• European Competition Law Forum