Francesco Carloni is a partner in the firm's Antitrust, Competition, and Trade Regulation practice group. Francesco has extensive experience in notifying mergers and joint ventures with the European Commission and national competition authorities in Europe, coordinating the notification of international transactions globally, and advising on all aspects of antitrust law, including vertical agreements, anti-cartel enforcement, collaborative arrangements, unilateral conduct, e-commerce, EU sector inquiries, public consultations, and state aid. He has been involved in some of the most high-profile and complex merger control cases, including in-depth (Phase 2) investigations and remedies. He offers compliance training and develops customized compliance programs adapted to clients' specific risk profiles. He has extensive experience in the fashion and luxury sector where he represents a number of the most iconic brands globally. He advises leading corporations in a variety of sectors including fashion and luxury, pharmaceutical, IT, digital maps, telecommunications, aviation, chemicals, liner shipping, food, dairy and automotive industries. A New York and Italian-qualified lawyer, Francesco graduated from the University of Rome “La Sapienza” and received two LLMs from the College of Europe, Bruges, and Georgetown University Law Center, where he was a Fulbright scholar. He is also the author of several articles on antitrust law–most recently, he was the author of the third antitrust survey on the luxury and fashion sectors, Journal of European Competition Law & Practice (2024) and the EU merger control chapter of the Merger Thresholds Monitor in Kluwer Competition Law (Wolters Kluwer) (2025) –and often participates as a speaker at conferences and seminars on European and Italian competition law.
Francesco has been recognized by WWL: Competition – Future Leaders in 2017-2024 (Partners category), and ranked by Milano Finanza among the best lawyers category for competition law in 2020. In 2021-2024, Francesco was nominated as a stand-out lawyer to Thomson Reuters by senior in-house counsel in large organizations. He has been shortlisted as "Luxury Partner of the Year" at Luxury Law Summit in London in 2022,2023, 2024 and 2025 and named “Partner of the Year” at Luxury Law Summit in London in 2024. Francesco is a member of the Firm’s Global Health Care Industry Group Advisory Committee and is the co-lead of the firm's Luxury Products and Fashion group.
Prior to joining the firm in 2015, Francesco worked for several international law firms in Brussels. In 2004, he was also an intern for the World Trade Organization in the Council Division & Trade Negotiations Committee, and, in 2003, he was an intern for the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- Recognised by Chambers Europe for Competition: EU in Belgium, 2024-2026
- Recognised by Chambers Global for Competition: EU in Belgium, 2024-2026
- Recognised by The Legal 500 EMEA as a Recommended Lawyer in Belgium
- Competition: EU and Global, 2024-2026
- Customs, Trade, WTO and Anti-Dumping, 2025
- Named Partner of the Year at the Luxury Law Summit, 2024
- Co-founder, antitrustitalia, a Brussels-based association for antitrust professionals, including enforcement officers, lawyers, economists, corporate counsel and scholars; for more information see www.antitrustitalia.eu
- Member, Georgetown European Law Alumni Advisory Board
- Member of the Italian Initiative Group (GII), the most representative fellowship of Italian interests in Brussels, including major industrial groups, banks and international companies, and public institutions and private business associations
- Co-chaired, Maximise Your Brand’s Go-To-Market Strategy, K&L Gates, Milan, 7 March 2023
- Co-chaired and hosted the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) a GC roundtable regarding the fashion and luxury sector, 23 March 2021
- Presentation on What trade associations need to know about antitrust compliance at the European Association Summit of 2020 in Brussels, 11 March 2020
- Chaired and presented key developments and implications for the luxury/fashion industry stemming from vertical, restraints, e-commerce, review of the European Commission’s EU block Vertical Exemption Regulation for the largest fashion brands at Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana’s workshops and meetings, 2016-2021
- Co-author, “Competition Law Enforcement in the Fashion and Luxury Sector in 2023-2024,” Journal of European Competition Law & Practice, 2025
- Interview, “S’habiller local et responsable: comment changer le business model de la mode?,” BECI, December 2024
- Co-author, Antitrust survey on the luxury and fashion sector, Journal of European Competition Law & Practice (2023)
- Co-author, “A Look At New Vertical Laws, Their Opportunities And Pitfalls,” Law360, 23 January 2023
- Co-author, “Key Takeaways From China's Amended Anti-Monopoly Law,” Law360, 9 August 2022
- Co-author, “Vertical agreements in the luxury sector,” Journal of European Competition Law & Practice, 2020
- “Now screening: Europe,” Ragtrader, April 2018
- “‘Eturas’ UAB and Others v. Lietuvos Respublikos konkurencijos taryba,” E-Commerce Law Reports, Vol. 16 Issue 2, April 2016
- Co-author, “Judgments in the Cement Case: Requirement for Greater Clarity, Specificity, and Justification of Information Requests from the Commission”, Journal of European Competition Law & Practice (April 2016)
- “The E-Commerce Sector Inquiry: Can It Stop National Competition Authorities from Adopting an Overly Restrictive Approach?” Journal of European Competition Law & Practice, 30 July 2015
- Author, “Electrabel v Commission & COMP M.7184 Marine Harvest/Morpol: Gun-jumping and Violation of the Merger Standstill Obligation in Europe,” Journal of European Competition Law & Practice (August 2014)
- Author “Merger Control 2014” (3rd ed.), Global Legal Insights (July 2014)
- Author, Chapter: “Italy”, The International Comparative Legal Guide to Merger Control 2014 (November 2013)
- Co-author, “Caught in the net. Why Italy must consider the scope of its new rule on interlocking directorships”, International Financial Law Review, May 2012
- Author, Chapter: “Italy”, The Public Competition Enforcement Review (2nd ed.) (2010)
- Francesco Carloni is a very good lawyer.
- Francesco Carloni is very quick and precise with his advice.
- Francesco Carloni is always present and quick to provide answers with great competence and commercial acumen.
- Francesco Carloni is an excellent professional with an innovative view on commercial matters.
- Francesco Carloni knows our industry inside out and always offers pragmatic solutions.
- Francesco Carloni of K&L Gates is frequently mandated for his expertise to assist with cross-border merger and FDI approvals, in addition to interventions in merger clearance appeals. He is equally skilled at advising on antitrust investigations and regulatory guidelines regarding vertical block exemptions.
- We couldn't have asked for a better partner in this endeavour.
- He has great competence, commercial and industry sensitivity, and is extremely helpful and always reachable.
- Francesco's expertise, dedication and guidance are exceptional and truly made a significant impact.
- Francesco Carloni and his EU team provided outstanding leadership and guidance to help us.
- Francesco Carloni is a true and trusted business partner and exceptional leader. His expertise, unwavering support and responsiveness are outstanding. He is a great advisor and person to work with.
- Francesco Carloni is a long-term, trusted advisor on everything from day-to-day to the most complex matters. He is knowledgeable, responsive, pragmatic and ensures reasonable billing for all work done. Without doubt, my first choice.
- I want to mention Francesco Carloni who I would recommend to anyone.
- Francesco Carloni displays remarkable flexibility in adapting the pace of the activity, offering invaluable assistance in challenging circumstances when prompt evaluations and decisions are required.
- Francesco Carloni is the energetic partner in charge of K&L Gates antitrust team. He is very proactive, skilled, communicative.
- I started working with Francesco Carloni many years ago and I continue to work with him and his team due to his preparation, proactive and problem solving attitude and great expertise in competition law. I suggest this professional to other companies.
