Román González Melo

Competition Investigations & Contentious Matters

• Meta Platforms and Facebook Mexico in antitrust matters in Mexico.
• Kansas City Southern de México in its successful defense in an effective competition structural proceeding.
• Kansas City Southern de México and CPKC in competition proceedings concerning the railway sector, including investigations relating to competition conditions and structural issues in railway freight transportation.
• PayPal in antitrust matters in Mexico.
• PRB in a competition investigation in the food and retail sector.
• Autobuses de la Piedad and Omnibus de México in competition proceedings concerning the bus transportation sector.
• Advising major technology and digital-platform companies in ongoing competition investigations involving digital advertising, online marketplaces and platform-related conduct.
• Representing leading financial institutions and fintech companies in cartel, gun-jumping and other competition investigations concerning payments, credit products and digital financial services.
• Advising multinational companies on strategic competition issues arising from existing and proposed commercial structures and arrangements, including distribution, platform and vertical relationships.
• Representing transportation companies in structural competition proceedings concerning barriers to competition, essential facilities and access conditions in railway and passenger transportation markets.

Merger Control & Transactional Matters

• Kansas City Southern before the Mexican competition and telecommunications authorities in obtaining clearance for its approximately US$31 billion combination with Canadian Pacific Railway, creating the first single-line rail network linking Canada, the United States and Mexico.
• Saudi Aramco before the Mexican competition authority in connection with its approximately US$69.1 billion acquisition of an interest in Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC).
• TransUnion in obtaining unconditional antitrust clearance in Mexico for its acquisition of control of Buró de Crédito.
• Newmont and Goldcorp in obtaining Mexican antitrust clearance for Newmont's approximately US$10 billion acquisition of Goldcorp.
• Sun Pharma in connection with the Mexican competition aspects of its approximately US$11.75 billion acquisition of Organon, obtaining unconditional clearance notwithstanding horizontal overlaps.
• Klar in obtaining unconditional authorization for its acquisition of Bineo, Banorte's digital bank.
• Banorte in obtaining final antitrust clearance in connection with its acquisition of control over Tarjetas del Futuro (RappiCard).
• Abu Dhabi National Energy Company PJSC (TAQA) in obtaining Mexican antitrust clearance for its acquisition of GS Inima.
• Gatos Silver in obtaining Mexican antitrust clearance in connection with its combination with First Majestic Silver.
• Hartree Partners in obtaining antitrust clearance in Mexico in connection with its acquisition of several ED&F Man business units.
• Metso and Outotec in obtaining Mexican antitrust clearance for the combination of Metso Minerals with Outotec.
• I Squared Capital before the Mexican competition and telecommunications authorities in connection with its acquisition of KIO Networks.
• CPIH in obtaining unconditional antitrust clearance for its acquisition of the Jaguar Solar portfolio.
• Covalto in obtaining unconditional antitrust clearance for its acquisition of IRM Leasing.
• Hospitals MAC in obtaining antitrust authorization in connection with an investment by General Atlantic.
• Proma in connection with its acquisition of Allgaier's automotive business.
• VivaAerobus in connection with its fully integrated airline alliance with Allegiant Air.
• Clip in connection with strategic investments involving Ant International and Mastercard, addressing competition issues arising from successive related transactions, horizontal overlaps and vertical integration.
• Telefónica in connection with the antitrust aspects of its approximately US$450 million divestiture of its Mexican business.
• CME in connection with its approximately US$287 million acquisition of five offshore jack-up drilling rigs, including novel competition issues concerning geographic market definition.
• The consortium led by Morgan Stanley Infrastructure and the International Finance Corporation in connection with Red Compartida, Mexico's nationwide wholesale telecommunications-network project.
• Cadena Tres I / Grupo Imagen in obtaining antitrust clearance relating to the first public tender for a new national digital television broadcasting network, which became Imagen Televisión.
• BlackRock and First Reserve in connection with investments in Mexican midstream infrastructure following the Energy Reform, including the development of the Los Ramones II natural gas pipeline system.
• Tyson Foods in connection with its acquisition of Pilgrim's Pride in Mexico.
• Panasonic in connection with its acquisition of Hussmann.
• Advising international investors and energy companies on the competition aspects of proposed investments, restructurings and divestitures in Mexico, including preparation for potential merger control filings.
• Advising companies on corporate restructurings and sales of regulated or investment-related businesses requiring Mexican competition analysis and merger control strategy.

Additional Experience

• Advising boards of directors and senior management on competition compliance matters and designing and delivering antitrust compliance programs and training, including for the sales division and board of directors of Pfizer, Braskem, and companies in the energy and digital-platform sectors.
• Serving as temporary general counsel and pro-secretary of the board of BNY Mellon's Mexican banking subsidiary during a ten-month secondment, overseeing legal matters relating to its sale and merger and obtaining the relevant regulatory approvals.
• Assisting HSBC Mexico's Trust Division in conducting a comprehensive legal-risk review covering anti-money laundering, commercial and regulatory matters.