We are pleased to announce that we are boosting our Antitrust practice by promoting Dr Avantika Chowdhury to Partner.
Avantika is based in our London office. Since joining Oxera in 2008, she has advised on a wide range of competition matters across Europe, in particular in antitrust investigations and litigation. She also leads Oxera’s work across the pharmaceutical sector and on matters relating to intellectual property (IP) rights.
Avantika was part of the team that advised two parties during the European Commission’s investigations into patent settlement agreements involving Lundbeck and Servier. She also advised on the CMA’s investigation into settlements in the paroxetine market, and during the appeal of its decision at the Competition Appeal Tribunal last year.
She also advised Unwired Planet in the high-profile litigation against Huawei in the UK High Court regarding fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) royalties for its standard essential patents, where the Court dismissed the abuse of dominance allegations against Unwired Planet. In addition, she advises claimants and defendants in damages actions arising in the context of cartels, unilateral conduct and patent infringements.
Avantika says she is ‘excited to be part of the growing Antitrust practice at Oxera’.
‘I look forward to contributing to Oxera’s Antitrust practice and competition policy more broadly at a time when competition law is increasingly being applied, by both competition authorities and companies in litigation, to areas which were, traditionally, considered outside its remit, and when digitalisation across sectors poses new challenges for competition practitioners.’
Avantika says that Oxera’s culture of collaboration and the team’s range of skills and expertise provides the perfect atmosphere for effective economic advice to clients on complex issues.
Dr Gunnar Niels, Oxera Partner and Board member, praised Avantika on her promotion, stating:
‘We welcome Avantika to her new role as Partner. She has made a significant contribution to Oxera’s Antitrust practice, in which she will continue to play a central role. Her broad experience across the range of competition issues, thought leadership, and pragmatic approach provide an ideal mix for effective and timely economic advice. I look forward to working with Avantika in her new role.’