Competition Law

Brick Court Chambers hosts an enviable bench of competition law barristers at all levels of seniority, receiving instructions in the most significant cases of the day. Individuals act on both sides of major infringement actions involving the CMA or the European Commission, and represent both claimants and defendants in follow-on damages claims. Notably, the barristers have been involved at the centre of novel attempts to bring large-scale collective actions in the UK courts, following decisions in respect of the trucks and forex cartels and other prominent matters. Members appeared before the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court on behalf of both Mastercard and the representative claimant Walter Merricks, as part of a case seeking to establish whether such a claim could be brought on behalf of over 46 million consumers affected by the setting of rates for interchange fees. The barristers have also been involved in some of the key FRAND cases of recent years. They act for the CMA, claimants and corporate defendants in the manufacturing, pharmaceutical and financial services sectors.

"Brick Court has an excellent clerking team. Tony Burgess in particular remains brilliant."

"Jo Francis at Brick Court is incredible and maintains a good balance between advocating for barristers and meeting the needs of clients."

"The clerking team at Brick Court is always pleasant and responsive."

"Brick Court clerks are always very helpful, and they understand the need for flexibility as far as many clients are concerned."

Marie Demetriou KC
Marie Demetriou KC is routinely involved in the biggest competition cases of the day and receives stellar feedback from an array of sources. She is standing counsel to the CMA and has experience in key appeals against the regulator's decisions. She also advises on both sides of cartel damages claims and has appeared on behalf of proposed class representatives for claimant groups. "Marie is simply straight out of the top drawer, and it is hard to think of a competition silk more at the top of their game right now. Despite her busy practice, with many marquee instructions, when she is focused on your case there is no one better to have in your corner, and on her feet she is simply excellent, commanding the respect of the judges she appears before as well as the listening ear of the client." "Marie is first class in every respect. She could not be nicer or easier to work with, but she combines that with the most effective advocacy and razor-sharp strategic skill." "She is operating at the very pinnacle of competition litigation." "She is one of the pre-eminent barristers of the competition Bar." "She is brilliant and one of the best I have worked with. She is super bright and on top of the detail and strategy."

Mark Hoskins KC
Mark Hoskins KC has an outstanding practice in the field of competition damages, and has acted in significant claims concerning financial services providers, sporting leagues and telecoms operators. He has experience acting for claimants and defendants on high-profile collective actions. "Mark is one of the go-to people on a competition damages case; he has done a great job for us. He identifies key points, and has experience like no other." "Mark is still the best in the business when it matters the most. He is forensic, astute and accomplished." "His cross-examination and advocacy are perfect - he was succinct, persuasive and ultimately it was quite devastating." "His advocacy style is brilliant, he makes things simple and straightforward."

Aidan Robertson KC
Aidan Robertson KC acts on both the claimant and defendant side of cartel damages claims, including representing clients in collective actions. He also has notable experience in appeals against European Commission decisions and in judicial reviews in matters involving possible state aid. "Aidan is authoritative and brings a wealth of experience." "Aidan is a genius - there's nothing he doesn't know." "He is good on his feet and has great in-depth knowledge of state aid law and subsidy control law."

Daniel Jowell KC
Daniel Jowell KC is particularly active on the defendant side of follow-on damages cases and collective actions brought before all levels of the UK courts, and has had key roles in the defence of participants in the smart card chip cartel. He has further experience in challenges to CMA merger control decisions. "Daniel is an excellent, calm advocate with a great ability to think on his feet and remain calm under pressure." "He is very good on his feet, a quick thinker and he engages with economic detail. He is an excellent conduit for someone without any economic law background." "He is very nice and easy to work with." "He is very impressive in his advocacy." "He has excellent judgement in difficult situations, and a calm authority in the way that he masters issues and persuades the court to be on his side."

David Bailey
David Bailey acts as standing counsel to the CMA, and has noteworthy experience defending CMA decisions in appeals heard by the CAT. Bailey often acts on both the defendant and claimant side of UK private enforcement actions, including high-profile collective actions. "David is an excellent advocate, with an extraordinary ability to conceptualise cases, unpick them and re-pack them. He is able to present extremely effectively and deal with all sorts of stressful situations with a calm approach and a lot of charm." "David is one of the leading competition and EU juniors. He advises on very complex technical issues with impressive speed and clarity. He also understands how the CAT thinks." "He has an encyclopedic knowledge of competition law."

Helen Davies KC
Helen Davies KC acts on the defendant side of cartel follow-on damages claims, including both collective and stand-alone actions. She also has experience of competition law issues in the sports sector. "Helen is one of my top choices for complex competition disputes and the cross-over between commercial and competition disputes." "Helen Davies I think is brilliant." "She always cuts to the chase and gets right to the issues."

James Flynn KC
James Flynn KC acts for claimants on follow-on damages actions, including high-profile collective action claims. He has further experience representing appellants before the CAT in challenges to CMA decisions. "James is wonderful to work with. He brings different perceptions to bear on very complex issues, and is himself very flexible and readily becomes a member of the team." "I really enjoy working with James and recommend him a lot."

Mark Howard KC
Mark Howard KC has a strong competition litigation practice and is particularly active in the financial services and technology sectors. He represents clients in follow-on damages claims arising from European Commission cartel investigations. He has also acted on key cases on the issue of standard-essential patents.

Robert O'Donoghue KC
Robert O'Donoghue KC attracts considerable attention for advising claimants and defendants on stand-alone and collective action proceedings following cartel investigations. He also regularly advises clients on challenges to CMA decisions, often involving the pharmaceutical sector. "Head and shoulders above his contemporaries, Robert is a brilliant and outstanding advocate. He is clever and creative in his understanding of competition law, but he also has the human touch with his clients." "He is an excellent advocate and a very clear thinker." "He is a fantastic advocate who is excellent with clients." "Robert is a market leader in competition disputes, with excellent judgement honed from his many years of experience." "Robert O'Donoghue is a standout leader in his field and one of the top silks at the competition Bar."

Sarah Ford KC
Sarah Ford KC represents both claimants and defendants in high-profile follow-on damages claims, including collective proceedings, arising from European Commission cartel investigations. She regularly acts on matters before the CAT and Court of Appeal. "I have a lot of time for Sarah. She is quietly intelligent and good to work with. I really like her." "She is excellent, super clear, very good at counselling the court, and uses good language to make transcripts. She makes technical things seem clear, she is really good." "I highly recommend her, she is very pragmatic."

Sarah Love
Sarah Love is well known for her work on the claimant side of abuse of dominance cases. In addition she defends clients in FRAND investigations and cartel follow-on damages claims. She acts on both collective actions and stand-alone cases. "Sarah Love is a go-to barrister on competition law matters." "She is incredibly sharp in her knowledge on the law and drafting." "She is excellent - insightful, all over the detail, and a fountain of information. I have enjoyed working with her."

Victoria Wakefield KC
Victoria Wakefield KC represents claimants in a number of high-profile class action claims, as well as defending clients in stand-alone actions. As a junior barrister she advised on appeals of EC decisions affecting pharmaceutical companies and challenges to new regulations in the sports sector. "Victoria is first rate and stands out for her experience in collective proceedings. She is fiercely bright and very personable." "Victoria is a top go-to competition barrister." "She is very nice to work with, an incredibly clear thinker, a clear drafter, and good with clients." "She is a very compelling advocate."

Colin West KC
Colin West KC has been involved in a number of leading competition law cases, frequently acting for claimants from the technology and financial sectors. He advises on cartel damages cases and the overlap between competition law and IP law, and has experience in stand-alone claims relating to potential abuse of dominance through the failure to negotiate licences for standard-essential patents. "Colin’s appetite and capacity to get into the weeds of issues, and work out the points which will really win the day in a hearing, are seriously impressive. He is very user-friendly and easy to work with, too."

David Scannell KC
David Scannell KC has a strong profile in competition work arising in the pharmaceutical industry, often with an overlap to intellectual property law. He is instructed to act on both regulatory appeals and follow-on claims, including the 'pay for delay' cases. "David is a pleasure to work with, particularly on technical matters, where his wealth of knowledge is readily apparent." "David is a great advocate; on a very difficult case, he was very good and persuasive."

Fergus Randolph KC
Fergus Randolph KC has acted for claimants in follow-on damages actions and also handles stand-alone competition claims for injured parties seeking to block anti-competitive conduct by commercial partners. He also assists appellants with the review of CMA decisions. "Fergus Randolph is very strong in competition and regulatory matters."

Hugo Leith
Hugo Leith plays a supporting role in many of the UK's most important cartel damages cases, often acting for defendants on high-profile collective damages actions. Leith has additionally acted for the CMA on key challenges to its decisions. "Hugo is bright, hard-working, and very easy and fun to deal with." "His drafting is clear and succinct."

Max Schaefer
Max Schaefer acts for claimants on allegations of anti-competitive behaviour. He has further experience advising on follow-on damages litigation and appeals against CMA decisions. "Max has lots of phenomenal qualities: he is extra bright, and is very adept at dealing with complex competition and economics issues." "Max is brilliant - he is very lively and has a quick mind." "He is extremely good at challenging and understanding the economics in a sophisticated way." "He is a superb advocate who is very easy to work with."

Maya Lester KC
Maya Lester KC acts for key financial services clients seeking to overturn EC cartel decisions. She also defends follow-on damages claims, as well as acting for claimants on stand-alone and collective action claims. Lester also has a number of clients in the pharmaceutical, energy and technology industries. "Maya is excellent in every respect - she is user-friendly, provides superb analysis, is quietly forceful and highly effective in court." "Clients love Maya and find her calm and measured approach very reassuring." "Maya is brilliant, she is a really good lawyer in writing and orally."

Sarah Abram KC
Sarah Abram KC has a strong focus on representing clients in damages claims following on from cartel investigations. She moves up in the rankings on the back of her recent experience defending clients in high-profile collective action proceedings, and has additional experience on the claimant side. She also assists clients with CMA investigations and often acts on matters in the transport sector. "Sarah is fantastic, incredibly bright, and ruthlessly focused on detail." "She gives very clear submissions and handles the court well." "Clients rate Sarah extremely highly; she is an excellent advocate and provides clear and commercial strategic advice. It is also a real pleasure to work with Sarah!" "She is clever, insightful and a joy to work with."

Tim Johnston
Tim Johnston handles regulatory appeals against CMA decisions on behalf of companies in the pharmaceutical sector. He has recently been involved in follow-on damages claims, acting for the largest claimant group in the trucks cartel litigation. He has further experience on the defendant side of stand-alone behavioural infringement cases. "Tim is super in terms of getting prepared and working collaboratively with the team." "Tim is a fantastic junior. His drafting is persuasive and concise and he cuts through to the heart of the key legal issues. His advocacy is strong and he is increasingly leading on a wide range of cases."

Tony Singla KC
Tony Singla KC has acted for defendants in relation to some of the UK's most important cartel follow-on damages class action claims. "Tony is a superb advocate and has a sharp mind combined with a very approachable and hands-on attitude." "Tony gives very commercial advice, and is able to advise on legal elements but also how this might play out in practice and what the strategic consequences might be. He brings lots of experience to bear, which instils confidence. He is also a very strong advocate."

Charlotte Thomas
Charlotte Thomas has amassed notable experience covering some of the more visible cases in the competition field. Her practice takes in the representation of claimants, defendants and appellants in damages claims and investigations. Of particular note is her involvement in the forex cartel claim. "Charlotte is an excellent drafter and has a clear and firm control of competition and procedural law." "Charlotte is a pleasure to work with. She is forensic, hugely knowledgeable and good-humoured throughout."

David Heaton
David Heaton's impressive work in competition law sees him acting in a broad range of stand-alone and follow-on damages claims in the financial sector, including collective actions such as the forex rigging litigation. "David is incredibly responsive and thorough. He is a real asset to any team."

Emily MacKenzie
Emily MacKenzie operates a busy practice in competition. She has strong expertise in a variety of areas including FRAND, cartels and merger control. "Very experienced in competition follow-on damages - definitely someone I'm seeing more of in this field."

Emma Mockford
Emma Mockford has notable experience in the developing area of collective actions on behalf of consumers affected by cartels or other anti-competitive behaviour. She has acted on behalf of the representative claimants in relation to the trucks cartel. She also has ample experience representing defendants in follow-on damages claims, as well as acting for regulatory bodies and appellants on reviews of CMA decisions. "Emma really knows how to work with solicitor teams effectively. She is outstandingly good." "Emma is brilliant and creative. She is great to work with."

Gerard Rothschild
Gerard Rothschild has represented claimants and appellants in a number of significant competition matters, including merger investigations and follow-on damages claims. He has additional experience of complex state aid cases. "Gerard has an impeccable and fastidious eye for detail and his knowledge of competition law is excellent." "He is diligent, calm, reassuring and always provides superb advice."

Jennifer MacLeod
Jennifer MacLeod attracts praise for her contributions to varied matters ranging from high-profile collective damages actions through to smaller commercial disputes that raise competition law arguments. She has further experience in standout cases on behalf of the CMA, defending appeals against decisions on excessive pricing in the pharmaceutical sector. "Jennifer is really hard-working, and completely on top of a lot of documents."

Matthew Kennedy
Matthew Kennedy is involved in a large number of the leading cases concerning anti-competitive behaviour. He has notable experience acting for both the claimants and the defendants on class action litigation. "I really like Matthew. He is very bright, has spot-on judgement, and delivers difficult advice that might be unwelcome diplomatically." "He is good at seeing issues for what they are and delivering advice that is really succinct. I trust his judgement."

Tom Pascoe
Tom Pascoe acts predominantly for companies accused of anti-competitive behaviour on appeals of CMA investigations and on high-profile follow-on damages claims, such as the trucks cartel litigation. "Tom is a very calm and collected individual, who seemingly effortlessly turns out immaculately researched, but also commercial and concise, advice in very short time frames. He is also a pleasure to work with on a personal level." "Tom has good drafting skills and identifies points very succinctly. He puts these forward and he expresses himself very well."

Daniel Piccinin KC
Daniel Piccinin KC is highly sought after for his ability to handle varied matters, including defending against individual and collective damages claims following abuse of dominance and cartel decisions. He also acts on appeals against CMA penalty decisions. Piccinin attracts significant attention for his economics background, which enables him to contribute to the economic analysis of complex competition claims. "Daniel is extremely clever and he has done a fantastic job. I have really liked working with him. He goes above and beyond for his clients." "Daniel is an extremely talented advocate and an absolute pleasure to work with. He has a great ability to spot potential issues and identify and deliver creative solutions." "He is able to get on top of things quickly." "He has a really good understanding of economics, which is really important when handling competition cases."