Daniel Baker
Daniel Baker is a Partner at Geradin Partners. He assists financial sponsors and strategic investors obtain global regulatory approvals for complex, high-value transactions. Daniel has over a decade of experience advising clients on multi-jurisdictional filing assessments, cross-border merger investigations, and notifications under the EU’s Foreign Subsidies Regulation, as well as helping companies navigate the antitrust aspects of joint ventures and commercial arrangements. He has also acted for a technology platform in relation to an antitrust investigation by the European Commission
Daniel has particular experience representing clients in merger investigations before the European Commission, including in respect of transactions raising substantive competition concerns and requiring in-depth/Phase II reviews and remedies. In cross-border transactions with multiple filings, Daniel regularly acts as global coordinating counsel, working with local law firms to implement a harmonised filing strategy across jurisdictions, while taking into account the specific requirements of national regulators.
Daniel’s merger control experience spans industry sectors, including semiconductors (AMD / Xilinx, AMD / ZT Systems), esports and gaming (Savvy Games Group / VSPO), cryptocurrency (Coinbase / Deribit), extractive industries (consortium acquisition of ENGIE’s oil & gas exploration and production business, Carlyle / Energean oil & gas assets), insurance (Onex / R&Q Accredited), as well as basic industries and manufacturing (Viasat / Inmarsat, Carlyle / Flender, BASF’s acquisition of the Bayer/Monsanto divestment assets, Rexam / Ball). He has also assisted corporates and private equity firms carrying out M&A in a range of manufacturing and services industries with data collection and notifications under the EU’s Foreign Subsidies Regulation.
Daniel trained and spent the first six years of his legal career with Freshfields in London and Brussels (2012-2018), where he worked on a variety of merger control matters and completed a year-long client secondment with Lafarge Holcim in Zurich supporting the legal team with competition law compliance. Following a brief interlude at Sidley Austin, Daniel spent the last five years as a senior associate at Latham & Watkins in Brussels (2020-2025), focusing on merger control, foreign subsidies control, and antitrust counselling. Prior to becoming a lawyer, Daniel worked as a management consultant for Oliver Wyman based in the firm’s Frankfurt office (2005-2007).
- Advising Coinbase in relation to the merger control aspects of its acquisition of Deribit, a cryptocurrency derivatives exchange (2025).
- Advising AMD on the global merger control, FSR and FDI aspects of its USD 35 billion acquisition of Xilinx (2021), as well as its USD 5 billion acquisition of ZT Systems (2024-2025), and the subsequent sale of ZT Systems’ server manufacturing business to Sanmina Corporation (ongoing).
- Advising Viasat, a U.S. satellite operator and services provider, on the EU, UK and global merger control aspects of its USD 7 billion acquisition of Inmarsat, a UK satellite operator, resulting in unconditional clearance in the EU and the UK following an in-depth Phase II investigation (2022-2023).
- Advising PT Mineral Industri Indonesia on the multi-jurisdictional merger control aspects of acquiring a jointly controlling interest in PT Vale Indonesia, a nickel production company (2024).
- Advising Golden Energy and Resources, a Singapore-based exploration and mining company, in the merger control aspects of the acquisition of Australian coking coal assets from South32 in conjunction with local counsel (2024).
- Advising New Relic, a cloud-based observability platform, on the EU and multi-jurisdictional merger filings required in relation to its sale to private equity firms, Francisco Partners and TPG (2023).
- Advising the Ellison Family in relation to the FSR filing required in connection with the USD 28 billion acquisition of Paramount (2024-2025).
- Advising Tapestry a fashion house, in relation to the FSR filing required in connection with its acquisition of Capri Holdings (2023).
- Advising GCP Applied Technologies, a supplier of specialty chemicals, in relation to the national merger control and FDI filings required in connection with its sale to Saint-Gobain (2022).
- Advising Mars in relation to the EU merger control aspects of its acquisition of AniCura, a Swedish-owned chain a veterinary clinics (2018).
- Advising BASF in relation to the EU merger filing required in connection with its acquisition of the Bayer / Monsanto divestment assets, as well as in the purchaser approval process (2017-2018).
- Advising Rexam plc, a beverage can manufacturer, in relation to the EU merger filing required in connection with an acquisition by Ball Corporation, resulting in conditional Phase II clearance (2015).
- Advising various private equity firms on the merger control and FSR aspects of their portfolio transaction, including (2020-2025):
- Carlyle’s acquisition of Flender, a provider of mechanical and drive technology (merger control);
- KKR & Co’s acquisition of OMS Group, a telecom infrastructure group;
- Leonard Green & Partners’ acquisition of interests in IRIS Software, TenCate Grass, Community Psychiatry, and others (merger control);
- Onex Corporation’s acquisition of R&Q Accredited (merger control); and
- PAI Partners’ acquisition of an interest in Motel One Group (FSR).
- Advising Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (“PIF”) and its portfolio companies on the merger control and antitrust aspects of multiple M&A and joint venture transactions, including Savvy Games Group’s acquisition of a jointly controlling minority investment (alongside Tencent) in VSPO, a leading Chinese esports operator (2023), and the acquisition by PIF and Rajhi Invest of the Saudi Iron & Steel Company and the AlRajhi Steel Industries Company (2024).
*representative matters undertaken at prevous firms
- A new ‘balancing’ approach to remedies under the Foreign Subsidies Regulation? Some initial observations on the ADNOC/Covestro commitments, November 2028 2025
- UK Competition and Markets Authority’s consultation on merger remedies confirms greater flexibility, 30 October 2025
- Moderator on a panel discussing ‘Merger control under scrutiny: key trends in EU & UK enforcement’, Geradin Partners’ first annual Competition Law and Policy Seminar (co-sponsored by Charles River Associates), Antwerp, 22-23 September 2025
Daniel Baker is a Partner at Geradin Partners. He assists financial sponsors and strategic investors obtain global regulatory approvals for complex, high-value transactions. Daniel has over a decade of experience advising clients on multi-jurisdictional filing assessments, cross-border merger investigations, and notifications under the EU’s Foreign Subsidies Regulation, as well as helping companies navigate the antitrust aspects of joint ventures and commercial arrangements. He has also acted for a technology platform in relation to an antitrust investigation by the European Commission
Daniel has particular experience representing clients in merger investigations before the European Commission, including in respect of transactions raising substantive competition concerns and requiring in-depth/Phase II reviews and remedies. In cross-border transactions with multiple filings, Daniel regularly acts as global coordinating counsel, working with local law firms to implement a harmonised filing strategy across jurisdictions, while taking into account the specific requirements of national regulators.
Daniel’s merger control experience spans industry sectors, including semiconductors (AMD / Xilinx, AMD / ZT Systems), esports and gaming (Savvy Games Group / VSPO), cryptocurrency (Coinbase / Deribit), extractive industries (consortium acquisition of ENGIE’s oil & gas exploration and production business, Carlyle / Energean oil & gas assets), insurance (Onex / R&Q Accredited), as well as basic industries and manufacturing (Viasat / Inmarsat, Carlyle / Flender, BASF’s acquisition of the Bayer/Monsanto divestment assets, Rexam / Ball). He has also assisted corporates and private equity firms carrying out M&A in a range of manufacturing and services industries with data collection and notifications under the EU’s Foreign Subsidies Regulation.
Daniel trained and spent the first six years of his legal career with Freshfields in London and Brussels (2012-2018), where he worked on a variety of merger control matters and completed a year-long client secondment with Lafarge Holcim in Zurich supporting the legal team with competition law compliance. Following a brief interlude at Sidley Austin, Daniel spent the last five years as a senior associate at Latham & Watkins in Brussels (2020-2025), focusing on merger control, foreign subsidies control, and antitrust counselling. Prior to becoming a lawyer, Daniel worked as a management consultant for Oliver Wyman based in the firm’s Frankfurt office (2005-2007).
- Advising Coinbase in relation to the merger control aspects of its acquisition of Deribit, a cryptocurrency derivatives exchange (2025).
- Advising AMD on the global merger control, FSR and FDI aspects of its USD 35 billion acquisition of Xilinx (2021), as well as its USD 5 billion acquisition of ZT Systems (2024-2025), and the subsequent sale of ZT Systems’ server manufacturing business to Sanmina Corporation (ongoing).
- Advising Viasat, a U.S. satellite operator and services provider, on the EU, UK and global merger control aspects of its USD 7 billion acquisition of Inmarsat, a UK satellite operator, resulting in unconditional clearance in the EU and the UK following an in-depth Phase II investigation (2022-2023).
- Advising PT Mineral Industri Indonesia on the multi-jurisdictional merger control aspects of acquiring a jointly controlling interest in PT Vale Indonesia, a nickel production company (2024).
- Advising Golden Energy and Resources, a Singapore-based exploration and mining company, in the merger control aspects of the acquisition of Australian coking coal assets from South32 in conjunction with local counsel (2024).
- Advising New Relic, a cloud-based observability platform, on the EU and multi-jurisdictional merger filings required in relation to its sale to private equity firms, Francisco Partners and TPG (2023).
- Advising the Ellison Family in relation to the FSR filing required in connection with the USD 28 billion acquisition of Paramount (2024-2025).
- Advising Tapestry a fashion house, in relation to the FSR filing required in connection with its acquisition of Capri Holdings (2023).
- Advising GCP Applied Technologies, a supplier of specialty chemicals, in relation to the national merger control and FDI filings required in connection with its sale to Saint-Gobain (2022).
- Advising Mars in relation to the EU merger control aspects of its acquisition of AniCura, a Swedish-owned chain a veterinary clinics (2018).
- Advising BASF in relation to the EU merger filing required in connection with its acquisition of the Bayer / Monsanto divestment assets, as well as in the purchaser approval process (2017-2018).
- Advising Rexam plc, a beverage can manufacturer, in relation to the EU merger filing required in connection with an acquisition by Ball Corporation, resulting in conditional Phase II clearance (2015).
- Advising various private equity firms on the merger control and FSR aspects of their portfolio transaction, including (2020-2025):
- Carlyle’s acquisition of Flender, a provider of mechanical and drive technology (merger control);
- KKR & Co’s acquisition of OMS Group, a telecom infrastructure group;
- Leonard Green & Partners’ acquisition of interests in IRIS Software, TenCate Grass, Community Psychiatry, and others (merger control);
- Onex Corporation’s acquisition of R&Q Accredited (merger control); and
- PAI Partners’ acquisition of an interest in Motel One Group (FSR).
- Advising Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (“PIF”) and its portfolio companies on the merger control and antitrust aspects of multiple M&A and joint venture transactions, including Savvy Games Group’s acquisition of a jointly controlling minority investment (alongside Tencent) in VSPO, a leading Chinese esports operator (2023), and the acquisition by PIF and Rajhi Invest of the Saudi Iron & Steel Company and the AlRajhi Steel Industries Company (2024).
*representative matters undertaken at prevous firms
- A new ‘balancing’ approach to remedies under the Foreign Subsidies Regulation? Some initial observations on the ADNOC/Covestro commitments, November 2028 2025
- UK Competition and Markets Authority’s consultation on merger remedies confirms greater flexibility, 30 October 2025
- Moderator on a panel discussing ‘Merger control under scrutiny: key trends in EU & UK enforcement’, Geradin Partners’ first annual Competition Law and Policy Seminar (co-sponsored by Charles River Associates), Antwerp, 22-23 September 2025