A number one City lawyer has been shortlisted to turn into the following chief govt of the competitors watchdog.
Sky News has learnt that Ali Nikpay, a associate on the American legislation agency Gibson Dunn, is one among a handful of candidates mentioned to have been interviewed to run the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) within the final fortnight.
City sources mentioned that Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg was taking an lively curiosity within the recruitment course of at a time of vigorous debate in regards to the CMA’s course.
Mr Nikpay is a former govt on the competitors authorities, having held roles together with senior director for merger selections and senior director of its cartels and prison enforcement division.
At Gibson Dunn, the place he co-chairs the agency’s antitrust and competitors group, he has overseen work for purchasers comparable to Asda, UBS and Viagogo, the ticketing platform.
He is alleged to be in rivalry to interchange Andrea Coscelli because the CMA chief govt in opposition to rivals together with Sarah Cardell, the interim CEO, and Sheldon Mills, a senior govt on the Financial Conduct Authority.
The identification of the opposite candidates was unclear on Wednesday.
The Financial Times reported in April that the federal government was eager to nominate a feminine chief on the CMA.
Mr Coscelli stepped down earlier this 12 months, with the CMA’s management in flux forward of the arrival of Marcus Bokkerink as its new chairman.
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy declined to remark.
Source: information.sky.com”