Mazars acquires compliance adviser CompetitionRx

MAZARS has snapped up a trustee and compliance advisory business.

The top ten firm has acquired CompetitionRx, which provides monitoring trustee services and compliance advice for merger control proceedings, competition and state aid investigations.

The deal is the latest in a long line of specialist advisory acquisitions by the UK’s major accountancy firms. Recent transactions include EY’s purchase of digital consultancy Seren and KPMG’s of High Point Rendel. A value for the CompetitionRx deal has has not been revealed.

CompetitionRx has worked with a wide range of regulatory authorities and global companies across Europe, China, the US and South America. It acted as monitoring trustee in the British Airways-American Airlines-Iberia transatlantic joint venture.

Justin Menezes, the director of CompetitionRx’s Brussels office, has been appointed a Mazars partner, and will take a leading role in the continued development of the firm’s trustee services. He was previously a member of the competition and regulatory practices of two leading international law firms and has served as a regulator holding positions at the EC’s Directorate-General for Competition, the Office of Fair Trading and the EFTA Surveillance Authority.

Menezes said: “I am delighted to be joining Mazars and excited by the opportunities this brings to develop our business globally.”

Tom Hoehn, the founder of CompetitionRx, will continue to support the team.

Rudi Lang (pictured), Mazars’ global head of monitoring trustee services, said: “We are delighted to welcome Justin, Tom and the rest of the CompetitionRx team to Mazars. Their skills and experience will be a major asset in the continued development of our capabilities. We look forward to a successful future together.”

Mazars is ranked ninth on the Wolters Kluwer-sponsored Top 50+50 table, with £145m in fee income.