Morrison Foerster Expands Global Antitrust and Competition Capabilities with Addition of Alexander Israel

Brussels (February 04, 2025) – Morrison Foerster, a leading global law firm, is pleased to announce the arrival of Alexander Israel, who joins the firm as partner and chair of the European Competition Practice within the firm’s Global Antitrust Law Practice Group. He will be co-Office Managing Partner of the firm’s Brussels office. Israel brings nearly two decades of experience to Morrison Foerster, adding strength to the firm’s global antitrust and competition capabilities, across merger clearance, antitrust investigations, and civil litigation.

Israel joins Morrison Foerster from a major U.S.-headquartered law firm, where he was managing partner for its Brussels office, launching both the firm’s European antitrust practice and Brussels office. He has previously held roles with a major European firm, and other U.S.-headquartered firms.

Israel brings his award-winning antitrust and competition practice to Morrison Foerster, covering the full suite of antitrust counsel from merger control proceedings, global cartel investigations, abuse of dominance matters, and related proceedings at the European Commission, UK Competition and Markets Authority, and German Federal Cartel Office. He advises national and international companies on European Union and German competition law and regulatory matters. Further, Israel brings significant antitrust litigation experience to the firm, having represented clients in disputes before numerous courts, including two cases that received award recognition, before the Federal Court of Justice in Germany and the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg. He brings cross-industry experience to the firm, advising clients across the technology, aviation, automotive, financial services, and consumer sectors.

“Our global competition and antitrust practice continues to grow in stature and reach,” said Alexander Okuliar, co-chair of Morrison Foerster’s Global Antitrust Law Practice Group. “U.S., EU, UK, and other global regulators are increasing their competition enforcement activities, and our international clients regularly turn to Morrison Foerster’s Global Antitrust Group with business-critical, cross-border mandates. Alexander brings immense antitrust experience to the firm and our Brussels office, itself a critical component of our global practice. His formidable merger control, investigations, and litigation experience in Brussels and across Europe will add to our strength in Brussels and complement our existing capabilities in Berlin, the UK, Japan and the U.S. We are excited to welcome Alexander to the firm.”

“Morrison Foerster’s Antitrust Group has an exceptional reputation for handling high-stakes mandates, from the valuable role the team plays on complex cross-border M&A, to providing investigations, regulatory and litigation counsel to some of the world’s leading technology industry players. I am excited to grow my practice on Morrison Foerster’s global platform and am looking forward to building on the firm’s existing strengths in Brussels and in Europe more broadly, alongside connecting with colleagues across its 18 offices worldwide,” said Israel.

Israel is regularly ranked across various Chambers, The Legal 500, Who’s Who Legal, and JUVE directories. He joins Morrison Foerster with a German law degree from the University of Göttingen, and LL.M. from Boston University School of Law. Israel is admitted to practice in Germany and is a member of the Brussels bar.

His arrival follows other recent growth within Morrison Foerster’s Global Antitrust Practice Group, where Kerry C. Jones (Washington, D.C.) and Yoshiya Usami (Tokyo) were promoted to partner in January 2025, and Rob Manoso and Joseph Charles Folio (both Washington, D.C.) were promoted to partner in 2024, and follows Marie-Claire Strawbridge’s arrival as antitrust and national security partner in London. Israel’s arrival also follows Morrison Foerster’s launch and opening of its new Amsterdam office in January 2025.