Activision hires Queen's former lawyer to lead appeal against CMA acquisition ruling

Activision Blizzard has reportedly hired high-profile UK lawyer Lord David Pannick KC – whose client list has included Queen Elizabeth II and Boris Johnson – to help lead its appeal against the Competition and Merger Authority’s recent ruling against its proposed merger with Microsoft.

The CMA recently made the shock decision to block Microsoft’s $68.7bn acquisition of Activision following its months-long investigation, citing concerns over the deal’s impact on the cloud gaming sector, which it said risked “stifling competition in this growing market”.

In response, Microsoft announced it would be appealing the CMA’s decision, while Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick told staff the move would “stifle investment, competition, and job creation throughout the UK gaming industry”, insisting “it is far from the final word on this deal”.