MLex

nonpartisan regulatory trade press

Background

MLex was founded in Brussels in July 2005 by Robert McLeod, a former Bloomberg News journalist who had covered M&A and antitrust in Europe, and his British co-founder Duncan Lumsden. The service launched with a focus on EU competition law and policy, then steadily expanded to cover additional sectors — telecoms, energy, data privacy, financial services, and trade — and added bureaus in Washington D.C., New York, San Francisco, and other major regulatory centers. In July 2015, LexisNexis — a legal information subsidiary of RELX plc — acquired MLex for an undisclosed sum, folding it into the RELX portfolio alongside Elsevier, LexisNexis Risk Solutions, and Reed Exhibitions. Since the acquisition, MLex has continued to operate as a distinct brand with its own editorial staff and subscription model, marketing itself on editorial independence. Its subscriber base consists heavily of law firms and corporate compliance teams, giving it a business-to-business rather than mass-market character. The service has reported very high subscriber renewal rates — over 90 percent by volume — reflecting its utility to professional users who track regulatory proceedings for compliance or deal-making purposes. No significant editorial controversies or documented political bias have been publicly reported about MLex; its coverage tracks enforcement actions and policy shifts under successive administrations in a neutral, analytical register.

Sources

1. LexisNexis buys regulatory news wire MLex — Talking Biz News
2. LexisNexis announces its agreement to acquire MLex — RELX press release
3. McLeod on how MLex sets itself apart — Talking Biz News
4. LexisNexis Legal & Professional Acquires MLex — BIIA
5. About MLex — MLex Market Intelligence
6. MLex Editorial Team — Shorthand Stories
7. MLex Antitrust coverage hub

Profile compiled 2026-07-23; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.

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