Kaarli Eichhorn has acted on a significant number of high-profile and politically sensitive merger and antitrust matters globally for almost 20 years.
He has substantial experience in competition law, international regulation, and government affairs, including legislative advocacy, foreign investment screening, and sanctions. His experience includes energy, oil & gas, transportation, telecommunications, digital, consumer products, aerospace, life sciences, financial services, and media. Kaarli is also one of Jones Day's Nordic Practice leaders.
Prior to joining Jones Day, Kaarli was global executive counsel of competition law & policy at General Electric (GE). During his 10-year tenure at GE he advised on hundreds of international transactions and led the merger review clearance processes with government agencies globally such as GE's acquisitions of Alstom ($10.6 billion), Avio ($4.3 billion), Lufkin ($3.3 billion), and Dresser ($3 billion) and divestments of NBCU ($30 billion) and upward of $200 billion of GE Capital assets. He handled a significant amount of GE's counseling, training, guidance, internal investigations, and audits within the company's business divisions internationally and regularly handled matters related to cartel and abuse of dominance issues.
Kaarli was named vice-chair and member of the board of AmCham EU in July 2020, after having held prior leadership roles for many years, including as legal affairs chair and vice-chair of the Competition Committee.
He is a prior member of the board of European Justice Forum, a former vice-chair of the In-House Competition Counsel Association, and member of the BusinessEurope Competition Committee. He is a non-governmental advisor at the International Competition Network.
Experience
The below is a selection of matters on which Mr. Eichhorn has advised General Electric Company in the last 10 years, prior to joining Jones Day.
Represented NBC Universal in its acquisition by Comcast Corporation, in non-U.S. merger and strategic investment clearance processes between 2009 and 2011.
Represented GE Energy in its 2011 $3.2 billion acquisition of French power conversion company Converteam Group SAS. The transaction led to horizontal overlaps and vertical links in a number of industrial markets. The transaction was unconditionally cleared globally, with divestments in the U.S. in low-speed synchronous electric motors.
Represented GE Energy in its 2011 $3 billion acquisition of Dresser Holdings, managing multi-jurisdictional clearances.
Represented GE Energy in a 2011 EU Commission investigation into potential anticompetitive practices related to gas reciprocating engines.
Represented GE Aviation in the 2013 $4.3 billion acquisition of the aviation business of Avio S.p.A. of Italy. This vertical transaction was made conditional upon a series of commitments in the EU and the U.S.
Represented Budapest Bank in allegations of the Hungarian Competition Authority in 2013 relating to anticompetitive conduct in the refinancing of foreign currency consumer mortgages.
Counsel to GE Capital in numerous business divestments where the majority of GE Capital assets (valued at approximately $200 billion) were spun off in 'Project Hubble' in 2015-2017 covering, among others, equipment leasing, factoring, real estate, and consumer banking.
Represented GE in obtaining global merger control clearances for the $10.6 billion acquisition of Alstom's power and grid business, its largest-ever industrial acquisition. The transaction was cleared following remedies in gas turbine markets provided in the EU and U.S. and following a very significant number of global merger and strategic investment clearances. The GE team won the 2016 GCR award in the category Merger Control Matter of the Year – Europe.
Represented GE Energy in obtaining global merger control clearances for the 2016 establishment of Russian Gas Turbines, a joint venture between Inter Rao and United Engine Corporation of Russia and GE.
Represented GE Energy Financial Services in the 2017 acquisition, jointly with Macquarie Group, of Markbygden ETT of Sweden, upon completion, the largest single onshore wind farm in Europe. The transaction was unconditionally cleared by the EU Commission.
Represented GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) in obtaining global merger control clearances for its 2017 acquisition over Irish joint venture Einn Volant Aircraft Leasing Holdings Ltd., jointly with Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec. The joint venture is active in the acquisition and leasing of aircraft.
Represented GE Healthcare in its amicable settlement with the Swiss Competition Commission in 2016, regarding imports of medical ultrasound machines.
Represented GE Capital in dismissing allegations in one of the highest profile antitrust investigations conducted by the Italian Competition Authority in recent years, involving information exchange practices among several Italian-based automotive leasing and fleet management companies.
Represented NBC Universal in an EU investigation into several major U.S. Hollywood film studios' contract provisions (including so-called 'MFN' clauses) relating to the financing and installation of digital projection equipment in cinemas.
Represented GE Healthcare after its US$2.4 billion acquisition of medical device manufacturer Instrumentarium in 2004 in comprehensive commitments compliance. The transaction was cleared conditional upon divestments, supply commitments, and a perpetual Open Interfacing Commitment.
Represented NBC Universal in the HULU joint venture in non-U.S. clearance processes throughout 2007-2011.
Additional Publications
Publications Prior to Jones Day
2017
“AmCham EU’s Consultation Response on evaluation of procedural and jurisdictional aspects of EU merger control”, Rapporteur, AmCham EU
2016
Jurisdictional Nexus in Merger Control Regimes, OECD
2014
“Policy Recommendations to the European Parliament (contributed to Legal Affairs Chapter),” AmChamEU
2014
“Response of AmCham EU to the European Commission’s public consultation ‘Toward more Effective Merger Control’” , Rapporteur, AmCham EU
2011
“AmCham EU’s Response to the European Commission’s consultation on: Best practices for cooperation among EU National Competition Authorities, Rapporteur, AmCham EU
2010
“EU sanctions policy and the encouragement of private enforcement in Article 102 TFEU cases”, IX Convegno Antitrust Fra Diritto Nazionale E Diritto Dell’Unione Europea, edited by Enrico Adriano Raffaelli
April 2009
“Corporate counsel: Kaarli Harry Eichhorn - Insight” Global Competition Review
2007
“Euroopa Liidu ja Eesti Konkurentsiõigus” (with Dr Carri Ginter), Juura
2006
“International Legal Developments in Review (contributed to Antitrust Chapter)”, The International Lawyer, Volume 40 Number 2
2002
“Medlemsstaternas nya bruk av koncentrationsförordningens artikel 22 – ‘en flygande holländare’ som skapar osäkerhet för fusioner”, Europarättslig Tidskrift, nr 3.
Speaking Engagements
- September 2020
Practicing Law in a Global Context, Peking University Law School - September 10, 2020
Is Europe Staying Open or Closing Up? EU Policies on Foreign Investment, Competition and Subsidies - February 8, 2020
GCR Live 9th Annual Antitrust Law Leaders Forum, Miami, Florida: Antitrust: Recent trends in antitrust and IP enforcement - September 18, 2019
Practicing Law in a Global Context, Peking University Law School - November 2018
Global Trends in Antitrust Enforcement, LeadershIp 2018 - October 2018
Working with the Baltic and Nordic Competition Authorities: Compliance, panel moderator
Speaking Engagements Prior to Jones Day
2017
European Competition & Consumer Day, organized by the EU Presidency
Tallinn
2017
New Frontiers of Antitrust, Concurrences
Paris
2016
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Working Party No 3 on Co-Operation and Enforcement, Roundtable on Local Nexus and Jurisdictional Thresholds in Merger Control
Paris
2016
Antitrust law and policies from Brussels to Washington D.C.: The Atlantic divide, Concurrences
Brussels
2016
IBC Advanced EU Competition Law
Brussels
2016
International Competition Network (ICN), Annual Meeting,
Singapore
2016
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Working Party No 3 on Co-Operation and Enforcement, Roundtable on Local Nexus and Jurisdictional Thresholds in Merger Control
Paris
2015
ICC Hot Topics in Competition Law, A Dialogue Between Business and Agencies
Sydney
2015
10th anniversary of Turkish law firm ELIG Conference
Istanbul
2015
IBC Advanced EU Competition Law
Brussels
2015
Canadian Bar Association Competition Law Fall Conference
Ottawa
2015
Concurrences, Pros and cons of settlement in competition Law
Paris
2014
GCR - 3rd Annual Antitrust Law Leaders Forum
Miami Beach
2014
IBC Advanced EU Competition Law
London
2014
International Bar Association 18th Annual Competition Conference
Florence
2014
Litigation in Europe after Passage of the EU Directive on Antitrust Damages Actions, ABA, Section of Antitrust Law
Brown Bag
2013
International Bar Association 17th Annual Competition Conference
Florence
2013
1st Malaysia Competition Commission Competition Law Conference
Kuala Lumpur
2013
The inaugural global merger control conference – navigating unchartered waters of global merger regimes, Competition Review
Paris
2013
The Competition Summit, Premier Circle
Brussels
2013
IBC Advanced EU Competition Law
Brussels
2013
Building effective markets – the role of an integrated legal system, Swiss Re Institute and the Centre for Socio-Legal Studies at Oxford University, The Centre for Global Dialogue
Switzerland
2013
CMS Competition Conference
Brussels
2012
CIPA Congress
London
2012
Antitrust in Brussels and Washington, Bridging the Atlantic Divide, Concurrences
Brussels
- Stockholm University (Master of European Law 2001; Master of Laws 2000)
- Sweden
Recipient of the 2016 GCR Team award in the category of "Merger Control Matter of the Year — Europe" (GE/Alstom)
Recipient of the 2012 Global Counsel Award for "Competition — Individual of the Year" by the Association of Corporate Counsel and International Law Office
Acritas "Star Lawyer" (2020)
- English, Swedish, Estonian, German