Norton Rose Fulbright has strengthened its antitrust and competition team in Brussels with a senior partner hire from Covington & Burling.

Miranda Cole brings with her a broad competition practice that is particularly focused on the tech and life sciences sectors. Her experience spans advising clients on strategic mandates around merger control, abuse of dominance, anticompetitive agreements and other compliance work. She also advises clients on emerging regulatory frameworks in the tech and life sciences areas.

Identified asa ‘notable practitioner’ by the legal directory Chambers and Partners, she is joining NRF fresh from being part of the Covington team that advised Brussels-based biopharmaceutical giant UCB on competition aspects of its $1.9bn acquisition of US outfit Zogenix, maker of potential 'blockbuster' epilepsy drug Fintepla, which completed last month.

Ian Giles, head of antitrust and competition at Norton Rose Fulbright for Europe, Middle and Asia, said: “Miranda has extremely impressive experience, particularly across technology and life sciences, and has worked with many of the top companies in these sectors. This hire demonstrates our ongoing commitment to maintaining a top tier antitrust team, and building our Brussels capabilities at the heart of the EU in this time of significant regulatory change.”

Cole spent just over 13 years at Covington, becoming a partner in 2011. Prior to that she spent more than five years as a senior associate at Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, as well as earlier stints at legacy firms Squire Sanders & Dempsey and Mallensons Stephen Jacques.

Cole said: “Competition and antitrust authorities across the world continue to revisit the rules relating to a range of technology issues which are becoming all pervasive, as technology underpins ever more industries. In parallel, the growth of genetic, personalised and immune-based therapies is changing the face of healthcare. In this unprecedented period, it is vital for companies to be taking an international perspective."

In January Covington's Brussels public policy practice welcomed former European Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström as an adviser and last October Carole Maczkovics joined the competition team as a counsel from local firm DALDEWOLF, where she was a partner.   

Other firms have also been strengthening their competition benches. Last month, Cooley expanded its antitrust team with the hiring of two senior partners from CMS and Quinn Emmanuel Urquhart & Sullivan. Caroline Hobson joined in London from CMS and Ethan Glass joined in Washington DC.

Firms are also ramping up their life sciences capabilities. In February, Allen & Overy hired a five-partner team of life sciences IP lawyers from Goodwin Procter as the UK Magic Circle firm opened an office in Boston. Also in February, Wilson Sonsini opened an office in Boulder to tap into Colorado’s booming life sciences market.