Activision Blizzard In 'Pannick' Mode, Taps Queen Elizabeth II's Former Lawyer For CMA Appeal

Activision Blizzard, Inc. ATVI hired Lord David Pannick KC to represent its appeal against the Competition and Market Authority (CMA) board's decision to halt Microsoft Corp.'s MSFT proposed $68.7 billion acquisition.

The appeal will be brought to the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT).

Pannick is a well-known figure in the U.K.'s legal field, having served as a lawyer for several decades.

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Per intellectual property analyst Florian Mueller, Pannick's high-profile cases include representing Boris Johnson during the "Partygate" scandal and handling cases for Queen Elizabeth II during her later years. He also represented Machester City FC and former BBC director-general Mark Thompson.

Pannick currently works at the Blackstone Chambers, which specializes in cases in the field of commerce and government.

Meanwhile, Microsoft is proceeding with a parallel appeal handled by U.K. lawyer Daniel Beard KC.

Activision's decision to enlist Pannick demonstrates its dedication to overturning the CMA's verdict.

Mueller, an intellectual property advocate and app developer who has provided consultation services for Microsoft, commented on Activision's choice of lawyer: "As you can see, both parties to the deal have enlisted the best of the best of the British legal profession to overturn the fundamentally flawed #CMA decision: #Microsoft is being represented by Daniel Beard KC of Monckton Chambers (of Apple, Intel, etc.), and Activision by Lord Pannick."

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"I'm very optimistic about their chances of righting the wrong that is the CMA decision. I'm equally excited to see that ABK is putting its money where its mouth is and fighting hard for the approval of the merger. I wouldn't doubt #Activision's commitment for even a second. Those two parties still want the deal to consummate, and they will get there," he added.