Mélanie Thill-Tayara

Antitrust/Competition Partner at Dechert

Speaker

Mélanie Thill-Tayara is a partner in Dechert’s Paris office and co-lead of the firm's Life Sciences practice. She focuses her practice on antitrust and competition law, and she regularly represents leading companies in merger notifications before the French and European regulators and coordinates multi-jurisdictional filings. She has handled a significant number of cartel and abuse of dominant position cases before EU and French authorities and courts.

Noted as a strong litigator, she has been involved in landmark cases involving essential facilities, information exchange systems and dominance abuses in various sectors. Mélanie Thill-Tayara is described as “a fighter and very knowledgeable” (Legal 500, 2020) and is praised by clients for her “very practical approach” (Chambers, 2020). Noted as “a must” with respect to life sciences, pharmaceuticals and biotechs, she also counsels clients on issues pertaining to sectors such as financial services, consumer goods, luxury goods and leisure, transport, technology goods, chemicals and press distribution (Leaders League). Named Top Woman in Antitrust (GCR Women in Antitrust 2016) and listed as a leading competition lawyer in France (GCR 100, 2020), Mélanie Thill-Tayara is recognized as a leading lawyer by Who’s Who Legal: France 2020 – Competition and Life Sciences and by Best Lawyers France 2020 in Biotechnology and Life Sciences as well as in Competition / Antitrust Law.

Ms. Thill-Tayara has substantial experience in the areas of internal audits, compliance programs, mock dawn raid operations and competition law employee trainings, and regularly advises clients involved in inspections conducted by the authorities and the subsequent challenges.

She is a frequent author and speaker on various issues pertaining to antitrust and competition laws.

Prior to joining Dechert in February 2016, she served as a partner for more than 20 years with two other international law firms. Before that she was an officer at the European Commission, Directorate General for Competition, where she participated in numerous dawn raid operations and contributed to several decisions.