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Mathew George is a competition and regulatory lawyer with nearly a decade of post qualification experience, specialising in antitrust enforcement, merger control, digital markets regulation, and complex regulatory litigation. He has been involved in contentious competition matters before the Competition Commission of India (CCI), the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT), various High Courts, and the Supreme Court of India.
He has been part of more than 25 merger notifications, including Form I, Form II, and Green Channel filings across technology, manufacturing, infrastructure, financial services, and private equity sectors. Mathew brings deep experience in handling high-stakes investigations, including cartel defense, vertical restraints and abuse of dominance matters. His practice spans the full life cycle of competition matters.
He has helped companies institute CCI compliance for business teams and led training sessions. He has interfaced with DG Office personnel during investigations, appeared before the CCI and, thereafter, in appellate proceedings, including invoking writ jurisdiction. In merger control, he has assisted clients in structuring and thereafter secured approvals from the CCI. He also has experience negotiating behavioural commitments and structural divestments, and, uniquely, defending the approvals granted before the NCLAT.
He has advised clients ranging from leading global technology companies, multinational conglomerates, industry associations, private equity funds, and sovereign funds. Now also a practising advocate, Mathew, appears and argues before the Kerala High Court and other judicial and quasi-judicial bodies in Kerala. Therefore, he is known for combining a strong technical command of competition law with both practical, business-oriented advice.
He also has experience developing public policy positions and representing them before Parliamentary Committees and the CCI, both individually and on behalf of clients. He has previously contributed to submissions to Parliamentary Committees on India’s proposed Digital Competition Bill and the Competition Law Review Committee.
Education
- LL.B., Campus Law Centre, University of Delhi – 2015
- B.A.(Economics & Commerce), St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai – 2011
Expertise
Awards
Work Highlights
Contentious/ Enforcement Matters
- Successfully resolved a group boycott against PSA Port terminal in Nhava Sheva after initiating CCI proceedings.
- Successfully represented a Japanese auto parts marker before the CCI to receive 100% reduction in penalties after leniency filings before the CCI.
- Successfully represented the Alcohol Industry Association against the Uttarakhand Agricultural Produce Marketing Board for abusing its dominance in alcohol distribution.
- Successfully defended the CCI approval given to UltraTech before the NCLAT for Binani and Century acquisitions.
- Involved in the defense of abuse of dominance allegations raised by app developers against Apple before the CCI.
- Involved in the defense of Grasim against abuse of dominance claims raised against it by textile spinners.
- Involved in the defence of HMIL from claims of resale price maintenance before the CCI, where the majority of allegations were closed, with an eventual closure before NCLAT.
Regulatory / Merger control Matters
- Involved in UltraTech receiving unconditional approval from the CCI for acquisition of Century Cement, Kesoram Cement and Binani Cement in separate Form II filings.
- Involved in cartel defense cases for UltraTech, before the DG, CCI, NCLAT, Delhi HC and Supreme Court.
- Involved in seeking and receiving unconditional approval for GIC’s acquisition of interests in Sutherland, Athenahealth, Virtusa, and IRB in separate filings.
- Involved in PayU, a Prosus-backed company, in receiving unconditional approval after a phase II enquiry during its attempted acquisition of Billdesk.
- Involved in the unconditional approval for Oaktree from the CCI during its attempted acquisition of DHFL.
- Involved in the approval for a Tata-led consortium for the attempted acquisition of GMR Airports.
- Assisted with competition aspects in RUSAL's acquisition of a stake in Pioneer Alumina for Pioneer.