Gabriela da Costa is a partner in the London office of K&L Gates' Antitrust, Competition, and Trade Regulation practice group and a key member of the firm's cutting-edge e-Commerce and vertical distribution practice.
Gabi advises consumer brands in luxury, fashion, electronics, homewares, beauty, and other sectors on complex competition law questions relating to their go-to-market strategies in the EU and UK, including optimized system design and execution, wholesale pricing, online marketplace policies, direct-to-consumer structuring, customer-competitor dealings, and system enforcement (including litigation). Gabi has defended the distribution models and practices of major brand owners in challenges by both European competition authorities and third parties, leading to the closure of several investigations and lawsuits without fines or damages.
Gabi also advises clients on complex horizontal competitor collaborations, including sustainability agreements. In the mergers and acquisitions context, Gabi has extensive experience coordinating multi-jurisdictional foreign investment screening assessments and clearances, including under the UK's National Security and Investment Act, as well as assisting companies on UK and EU merger control processes.
Gabi is ranked as a Future Leader by Who’s Who Legal and a Next Generation Partner in The Legal 500, where she has been described as a “unique lawyer” working at the “forefront of distribution strategy matters, particularly in the context of sophisticated issues arising in e‐commerce,” and clients say Gabi:
“is simply a rock star. The way she builds trust and relationships is second to none. She is professional, friendly and extremely engaged with any issue.”
“[is] excellent and extremely on-point: highly focused on both the material aspects of matters, but also keeping a keen eye on (cross-border) interests of clients…Gabi has a hawkeye view on aspects of cases that even we hadn’t thought of ourselves.”
“has an encyclopedic knowledge of vertical restraints.”
“super attentive, very knowledgeable and commercial.”
More Legal and Business Bylines From Gabriela Da Costa
- Illumina/ Grail—the Dawn of A New Era for Global Merger Control? - (Posted On Thursday, October 27, 2022)
- The UK National Security Regime Wets Its Feet: UK Government Publishes New Guidance - (Posted On Friday, August 26, 2022)
- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Repair? Current and Future Right-To-Repair Rules in The European Union and United Kingdom - (Posted On Thursday, August 18, 2022)
- It’s All About Context: CMA Imposes £1.5 Million on Lighting Brand for Creating an Unwelcoming Environment for Product Discounts - (Posted On Tuesday, August 09, 2022)
- European Commission Streamlines Merger Control Review Process - (Posted On Tuesday, July 05, 2022)
- "extra, Extra, Read All About It"—final European and Uk Brand Distribution Rules Published - (Posted On Friday, May 13, 2022)
- Surge of Antitrust Enforcement Against Manufacturers of Branded Consumer Goods - (Posted On Tuesday, January 25, 2022)
- The Sumal Case or The Liability of Subsidiaries - (Posted On Tuesday, December 28, 2021)
- The UK Government Shares New Detail Regarding Incoming National Security and Investment Act - (Posted On Friday, July 30, 2021)
- European Distribution Rules Latest: Dual Pricing, Shared Exclusivity In; Map Policies Still Out - (Posted On Tuesday, July 20, 2021)