Experience 

Kiran Desai is widely regarded as one of Europe’s leading legal practitioners in the areas of national and international competition law and EU regulatory matters. Kiran provides comprehensive, in-depth guidance on EU general law, with particular emphasis on procurement law and with demonstrated experience in governmental affairs. Recently, Kiran has advised clients on regulatory issues concerning developments in nanotechnology.

Kiran has been representing clients on these and related topics for 20 years, practicing first in London and, since 1993, in Brussels. He joined Mayer Brown in 1987 and was named partner some ten years later. In 2006, Kiran was recognized in The Legal Media Group’s Guide to the World’s Leading Competition and Antitrust Lawyers. He is also recognised in the Legal Business Report's European Legal Experts 2008 in its Belgian EU and Competition lawyers section.

Notable Engagements 

• A second-phase investigation before the UK's Competition Commission (Vue Entertainment Holdings [UK] Limited/A3 Cinema Limited 24.02.06).
• Antitrust litigation before the UK's High Court (Ineos Vinyls, et al v. Huntsman Petrochemicals [2006] EWHC 1241 [Ch]).
• Defending a European employee of a convicted cartel member in relation to the DOJ's criminal investigation against that employee.
• Advising a household consumer electronics corporation on DRMs and interoperability issues.
• Advising a tobacco corporation in relation to the EU regulatory regime.
• Advising An Post, the Irish postal operator, on EU regulatory developments.
• Advising on competition aspects of the new chemicals regime (REACH) as part of the team that developed the guidelines for the European Commission on data sharing/consortium building and management (RIP 3.4).

Education 

Keele University, degree in law and economics, 1986

Admitted

• Brussels, 2002
• England and Wales, 1989