Expertise

Sara Fernández is counsel and head of the Competition department in Addleshaw Goddard (Spain). 

Over the last 11 years she has assisted Spanish and international clients in a variety of industries, with emphasis on the life-sciences, technology, and energy sectors, across the entire range of competition law issues before the EC, CNMC and Spanish National High Court (‘Audiencia Nacional’), as well as assisting in matters related to the Spanish Foreign Direct Investment control regime and the EU Foreign Subsidy Regulation.

Sara's recent experience includes advising:

• An online travel aggregator in relation to potential business opportunities under the Digital Markets Act (DMA) 
• Ferrovial, Abertis, and Itinere in their acquisition of joint control over Bip & Drive, before the EC*
• Boston Scientific’s acquisitions, including US$1.07 billion acquisition of Lumenis LTD (2021), US$615 million acquisition of Apollo Endosurgery (2022), acquisition of certain assets from B. Braun (2023, subject to Phase I commitments), and US$ $3.7 billion acquisition of Axonics (2024), before the CNMC and the Portuguese Competition Authority*
• Chiesi Farmaceutici in its US$1.48 billion acquisition of Amryt Pharma, before the CNMC*
• Coloplast in its EUR 2.1 billion acquisition of Atos Medical, before the CNMC*
• Bavarian Nordic in its up to $380 million acquisition of Emergent BioSolutions’ Travel Health Business, before the CNMC*
• Phase II merger control proceedings before the CNMC, including the offering of commitments, in relation to the acquisition of a majority stake in a medical device manufacturing company by a global medical group*
• Glennmont, Iberdrola, General Electric, Allianz Capital Partners, and Verbund in their acquisitions of electricity generation plants located in mainland Spain*
• Total Energies in its acquisition of a portfolio of electric charging points from Wenea*
• Aareon (Advent and Centerbridge) in its acquisition of IESA (software provider), before the CNMC*
• Veonet (Pai Partners and OTPP) in its acquisition of Miranza clinics, before the CNMC*
• idealista.com in all competition matters including compliance, merger control, and infringement proceedings before the CNMC and the Spanish National High Court*
• International hotel chain groups in relation to vertical restrictions (such as MFNs clauses)*

*Reflects experience at previous employer.