Marco is a highly experienced competition and M&A/corporate lawyer having practiced in both areas for many years.
Marco is Head of the EU Competition and Regulated Markets team at LK Shields and is head of a large team of corporate/commercial lawyers specialising in M&A transactions. His experience as an M&A lawyer greatly benefits his competition practice as it gives him the unique ability to understand the wider transactional context in which the competition advice is being given.
Marco has advised on many significant corporate transactions including mergers and acquisitions and complex restructurings. He has acted for many large domestic and international corporations, private equity firms, entrepreneurs, investment managers and management teams (MBOs and MBIs).
Marco heads the firm’s Healthcare and Life Sciences team having led various transactions in these sectors and advised businesses on a wide range of legal issues including regulation and compliance under Irish and EU law.
Dr Marco Hickey SC has considerable experience in EU and Irish competition law (antitrust) including merger control, State aid, EU customs and trade law and EU Block Exemptions Regulations. Marco is an acknowledged expert in Irish competition law and has acted in some of the most significant complaints and merger reviews conducted under the Irish Competition Act. He has written extensively on the topic of EU, Competition and Regulated Markets and is the author of "Merger Control" which was published by the Thomson Reuters group in May 2013. This is the only book to date devoted exclusively to the competition law implications of mergers and acquisitions in Ireland. He has published many articles and is often asked to comment on competition law issues and developments in publications such as the Sunday Business Post, Irish Times, Irish Independent and Sunday Independent. Marco’s PhD thesis was in competition law. Marco is very much a solution-oriented lawyer focussed on practical ways of achieving the desired commercial outcome and confines his academic analysis to situations where this type of input is required to achieve the desired result.
Marco was the winner of the Client Choice Award for 2015.
Marco has been with the firm since 2000. Prior to joining LK Shields, he practiced in the Brussels office of Squire Patton Boggs and the London office of Clifford Chance and then with another leading firm in Dublin.
Marco is recognised as a Leading Individual for EU and Competition by Legal 500 2024 and is ranked in Who’s Who Legal Competition 2024.
In July 2024, the Irish government, on the advice of the Advisory Committee (the members are the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, the President of the Court of Appeal, the President of the High Court, the Attorney General, the Chair of the Bar Council, the President of the Law Society and a nominee of the Minister for Justice) granted Marco a Patent of Precedence entitling him to use the title Senior Counsel. The above was granted on the basis of Marco’s specialist knowledge in the area of EU and competition law.
‘Marco Hickey’s level of responsiveness, willingness to problem solve and approachability are all key strengths. ’ Ranked as a 'Leading Individual' for EU and Competition.
‘Marco Hickey is very commercial in his approach and handholds his client through what can be an arduous process.’ Ranked as a 'Leading Individual' for EU and Competition.
‘Marco Hickey – a real authority on antitrust matters in Ireland.’ Ranked as a 'Leading Individual' for EU and Competition.
“Marco's technical knowledge and willingness to find solutions for clients is strong.” Recommended for Competition/European Law.
“He's very good, very cooperative, flexible and responsive. He's able to jump on calls really quickly and we're very happy with his responses.” Recommended for Competition/European Law.
“He gave us excellent guidance and support on competition law. He was very reassuring, and accurate in outlining what eventually came to pass.” Recommended for Competition/European Law.
Recognised as world’s leading practitioners in the Who's Who Legal. Recommended for Competition Law.
‘Marco Hickey is someone who you easily trust with the most complex deal, that he will carry safely over the line making it look easy.’ Recommended as 'Leading Individual' for EU and Competition.
‘Marco Hickey is a top drawer competition lawyer who has a good working relationship with the CCPC, but who is not afraid to stick up for his client.’ Recommended as 'Leading Individual' for EU and Competition.
"He is very good at working with our team to understand our business and our key drivers and to analyse the market dimensions correctly and to arrive at a good conclusion." Recommended for Competition/European Law.
"Our contact is Marco Hickey, who is probably Ireland’s most knowledgeable merger expert and one of the most knowledgeable in any jurisdiction that I ever met. To boot, he has outstanding tactical skills, which benefit our clients from the very first day of a planned transaction." Recommended as a 'Leading Individual' for EU and Competition.
Recommended as a 'Leading Individual'
"Marco Hickey has excellent knowledge of competition law matters; however, he is also very commercial and understood the sensitivities in relation to managing challenging expectations against strategic implications." Recommended for Competition.
Recommended as a 'Leading Individual' for EU and Competition.
"His analytical skills are exceptional, and his pragmatism ensures the highly efficient implementation of his advice."
'Marco Hickey has great commercial awareness combined with a first-rate competition brain.' Ranked as a 'Leading Individual' for EU and Competition.
Listed as a leading individual for Competition/European Law and described as "smart, confident and relentless ... experienced in creating a mutually acceptable accord in contract negotiations."
Practice head Marco Hickey, who has 'great understanding of deal dynamics and is not afraid to fight for his client when he needs to' is listed as a Leading Individual.
Clients report: "He has a very good knowledge of competition law," and additionally appreciate "his understanding of our industry and the way he works with the competition authority." Recommended for Competition/European Law.
Recognised as being among the world’s leading Competition lawyers
Recommended by Best Lawyers in Ireland for Competition Law.
The ‘very responsive’ Marco Hickey is listed as a Leading Individual.
"Knowledgeable and skilled in his area and very efficient and effective to work with" Recommended for Competition/European Law.
Clients praise him for his "intellectual depth and mental agility to quickly understand difficult concepts". He draws particular praise for "his depth and experience of merger notifications.".
Recommended by Best Lawyers in Ireland for Competition Law.
Recommended for Competition/European Law.
Marco Hickey is ‘a recognised expert’, and ‘a go-to competition lawyer in Dublin’. Listed as a Leading Individual.
Recommended for Competition.
Recommended by Best Lawyers in Ireland for Competition Law.
Winner - Competition & Antitrust (Ireland).
Recommended for Competition/European Law.
Marco Hickey ‘has emerged as a leading merger expert in Dublin’.
Marco Hickey is ‘first class. In ten minutes he will have 90% of the answer, and he’ll be right’; ‘on EU law, there is no-one better in Ireland’.
Marco Hickey of LK Shields Solicitors is valued by clients for the way he 'understands how a transaction is put together and financed. His transactional background is a big advantage'.
Marco Hickey at LK Shields Solicitors has “one of the acutest competition minds in Dublin”.
Highly recommended for corporate and M&A and EU and competition.
Recognised as leading individual for Competition.
Marco Hickey of LK Shields Solicitors is a great commercial operator. Recommended for competition/European law.
Marco Hickey is clear in his thinking and always delivers.
Highly recommended for corporate and M&A and EU and competition in Legal Experts Europe.
Recommended for competition/anti-trust.
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Leading independent legal ranking publication Chambers Europe has again highly ranked a number of our practice areas and solicitors...
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Marco Hickey, Partner, EU, Competition and Regulated Markets at LK Shields has been recognised in Who's Who Legal: Competition 2023....
LK Shields was delighted to act for the shareholders of International Airline Marketing (Holdings) Limited in the sale of their...