Competition Law

Daniel Beard KC is a highly sought-after silk who earns superb praise for his oral advocacy skills in complex competition cases. He handles diverse matters spanning competition damages claims and appeals against CMA or Ofcom decisions, challenging both fines and decisions in merger filings.

"Daniel Beard KC is obviously outstanding."

"He is really a superstar, but also very user-friendly."

"He is truly exceptional and world-class."

"Daniel is a top advocate and loved by clients."

Jon Turner KC enjoys an outstanding reputation for his competition litigation practice. He represents claimants and defendants in market-leading follow-on or standalone damages claims, including key cases on behalf of major IT or retail sector clients. He has proven experience in cases heard before the CAT, the UK senior courts or the CJEU.

"He is at the absolute top of his game. Jon Turner KC is our go-to silk for the most complex of competition matters. He is the best."

"Jon Turner is in a league of his own in the Competition Bar. He is very strategic and can break down complex issues. He can really understand the crux of a case."

"He is very good and his advocacy is excellent. He just wears the other side down and he is very effective."

Josh Holmes KC has notable experience advising on appeals against EC behavioural fines and merger prohibitions, as well as defending the CMA in challenges to its decisions. He also acts for defendants on high-profile applications for collective proceedings. He is particularly active in matters involving the technology sector.

"Josh Holmes KC is an excellent silk, with a forensic approach to the detail and strategy, as well as being superb on his feet and with clients."

"He is very smart, so hard-working, gives very straight advice and he is a phenomenal leader."

"Josh is excellent and has meticulous attention to detail. He is superb on his feet as a highly skilled advocate."

"Josh Holmes is very high-quality and good to work with."

"He managed to deliver spectacular analysis and advocacy."

Alan Bates has a strong track record in representing claimants in allegations of abuse of dominance. He also acts for class representatives and defendants on cartel follow-on damages claims.

"He holds his own comfortably in any competition law context, bringing an unparalleled wealth of expertise and understated confidence to complex decision-making processes."

"Alan is a pleasure to work with. He has a practical approach to complex matters, communicates clearly and has very strong legal and analytical skills."

Fiona Banks represents both claimants and defendants in high-profile cartel and abuse of dominance follow-on damages actions and collective proceedings.

"She is always one step ahead, always thinking what we need to be doing and good at pre-empting issues that would come further down the line."

"Fiona has a phenomenal work rate and she isn't afraid to voice her opinion and is just prompt. She is a star in the making."

James Bourke is an in-demand barrister who often acts for defendants on cartel follow-on damages claims in the transport sector. He has further experience acting for class representatives on proposed collective actions and assisting clients with appeals against European Commission decisions.

"James is very commercial and approachable."

"James Bourke has been exceptionally good."

Julian Gregory offers a broad competition law practice, advising class representatives in collective damages proceedings, judicial reviews under subsidy control regulations and appeals against decisions in merger control cases.

"His technical skills are second to none and he combines these with excellent strategic judgement and commercial vision. He is extremely good with clients and on his feet."

"Julian is great to work with. He is very knowledgeable and intelligent."

Laura Elizabeth John has a strong reputation among instructing solicitors and members of the Bar for her experience in major follow-on and standalone damages claims, as well as acting on appeals of CMA decisions. She acts for private and public sector claimants on high-value cases and has clients from a number of sectors, including the pharmaceutical, healthcare and retail sectors.

"Laura is a very safe pair of hands and has an encyclopaedic level of knowledge."

"She has excellent instincts and her advice is commercial, insightful and straight to the point."

Mark Brealey KC is a leading competition law silk who acts for both claimants and defendants on cartel follow-on claims. He has attracted recent attention for his success in overturning CMA decisions on cases in the pharmaceutical sector.

"He is good at delivering simple messages, really user-friendly and a really lovely man to deal with."

"Mark is a great tactician, thought leader and brings tremendous expertise to the table. He is always courteous and very approachable despite his level of seniority."

"His advocacy skills and ability to read a courtroom are phenomenal."

Meredith Pickford KC represents important technology sector clients in challenges to competition law decisions before the CJEU, as well as the UK Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. He also defends clients in high-profile cartel follow-on damages cases in the telecommunications and transport sectors.

"He is very strong, has a background in economics and is a very nice human being which makes him easy to work with."

"He translates things in a way that a client can understand. I'm with him every step of the way in his advice."

"He is the most technical economic barrister. He is all over the technical detail."

Paul Harris KC is widely regarded as an excellent choice for competition litigation cases, appearing for both claimants and defendants in standalone and follow-on claims concerning both abuse of dominance and cartel matters. He also has experience acting on class actions and challenges to regulatory bodies.

"If you want someone who is great and impressive and can argue all your points, he's your man."

"He is someone that gets stuck in and isn't afraid of running points strongly and powerfully."

"He has lots of energy, gets stuck in and is very available and responsive. He is a very effective courtroom advocate."

Philip Moser KC acts for both claimants and defendants in cartel damages claims, including class actions, follow-on claims and standalone proceedings. His recent activity has included a number of cases in the transport sector.

"Philip Moser KC is brilliant, brings humour in an effective way and is very good at diffusing situations and winning tribunals over."

"He is a very shrewd strategic thinker, brilliant diplomat and unusually responsive and approachable."

"He is very dependable and greatly analytical in his approach."

Rob Williams KC moves into the top tier of the rankings this year. He remains a favourite of the CMA for difficult appeals against decisions in merger control and abuse of dominance matters. He has also represented defendant companies in large-scale damages claims resulting from cartels and abuse of dominance.

"Rob is a great leader who deals superbly with strategy and the finer detail. He is formidably fast to see the overall picture."

"Rob is forensic in his attention to detail, remains calm in high-pressure situations, is a thoroughly nice and decent person, and a joy to work with."

Ronit Kreisberger KC is a sought-after competition silk who frequently represents class representatives in high-profile collective damages actions. She has a particular recent focus on abuse of dominance matters, including before the CAT and often involving the TMT sector.

"She is incredibly strategic and thinks things through. She is also entirely on top of the economic issues and speaks the language of the trial."

"Ronit Kreisberger KC has a brilliant manner with tribunals."

Tim Ward KC is sought after for a number of different competition law matters, assisting both claimants and defendants with follow-on damages claims and class action proceedings. He often represents clients in appeals against regulator decisions and judicial reviews.

"Tim is simply fantastic."

"He was really willing to listen and develop points with solicitors."

Alison Berridge attracts instructions from defendants in class actions and from claimants in follow-on damages cases. She also represents appellants and interested third parties in high-profile challenges to CMA decisions. She additionally represents clients in CMA investigations and is well regarded by interviewees for her work on merger clearance matters.

"For anything competition-related, Alison is top of my list. She completely understands the solicitor's side of things, which gives her an edge. She's never called a situation incorrectly."

"Alison is outstanding - she is the go-to on merger control appeals."

"Alison has a unique combination of competition law knowledge and commercial acumen. She always goes the extra mile and tells you what it means for the client with practical advice."

Anneli Howard KC is often chosen to work for either the claimants or interveners in important follow-on class actions or standalone damages claims. She has recent experience in a number of high-profile cases in the technology sector.

"She is great to work with and is very client-friendly."

"Anneli is very collegiate, hard-working and is a first-class advocate."

Anneliese Blackwood moves up in the rankings on the back of her activity for both claimants and defendants in high-profile collective proceedings, including acting on Merricks v Mastercard. She has recently been advising on a number of matters in the transport sector.

"Anneliese's work is consistently excellent. She drafts brilliantly, demystifies complex issues, constantly considers the broader litigation strategy and is extremely responsive."

"Anneliese is very diligent and super-clever."

Ben Lask defends competition regulators in CAT or CJEU appeals against their decisions and assists them as interveners with other competition cases. He has recent experience in cases relating to blocked mergers and abuse of dominance cases.

"He is very good, commercially savvy and knows how to handle a court."

"He is very thorough and great with written pleadings. He is very polished as an advocate and growing nicely into a young silk with a confident style and presence."

Ben Rayment acts for defendants on high-profile follow-on damages claims and class actions. He also has experience advising clients on challenges to CMA decisions in abuse of dominance investigations.

"He is very good, thorough and gets on top of details quickly."

"Ben is very thorough, diligent and is good at quietly but persistently getting points across during hearings."

Daisy Mackersie moves up in the rankings on the back of her experience defending the CMA against high-profile appeals of its decisions. She also acts for defendants on large-scale follow-on damages claims and represents complainants in possible abuse of dominance cases.

"Daisy is an outstanding junior. She has superb technical skills and clients adore her."

"Daisy is a brilliant team player who brings a razor-sharp focus to any case. She's a star of the future."

"Daisy is a phenomenon."

George Peretz KC has a broad EU and competition law practice that focuses on challenges to authority decisions, acting both for the appellants and the authorities on disputes around state aid, abuse of dominance, market sharing and information exchange.

"He is very smart and user-friendly."

"George is very helpful and astute."

"He is very intelligent, greatly analytical and very strong in advocacy."

Julianne Morrison offers notable experience defending CMA decisions against appeals, as well as acting for other regulators on challenges to their decisions. She also acts on disputes concerning allegations of abuse of dominance in the technology sector.

"She is outstanding. You can't ask anything more from her."

Kassie Smith KC is particularly active in abuse of dominance disputes arising from FRAND licences. She also represents claimants in disputes concerning possible cartels in the financial services sector.

"She is so bright, a fearless advocate, and really straightforward. She is pragmatic and incredibly intelligent."

Ligia Osepciu is a highly regarded competition law barrister who has copious experience acting for claimants on damages claims. She has also developed strong expertise in contentious state aid matters and the overlap between intellectual property matters and competition law.

"She is excellent."

"She is a superstar and has dealt with the complexities of the case really well."

Michael Armitage attracts attention for his contributions to follow-on and standalone damages claims, as well as collective proceedings. He predominantly acts for defendants, but also has experience advising class representatives. He has additional experience defending the CMA in appeals against its decisions. He rises in the rankings this year on the back of impressive activity in matters in the transport and technology sectors.

"Michael is very astute and has considerable experience in competition matters. He is cerebral with a very in-depth knowledge of case law."

Nikolaus Grubeck is well regarded for advising class representatives on collective proceedings and for advising defendants on potential claims of abuse of dominance, often in the technology sector. He has notable experience defending the CMA and other regulatory bodies in competition law challenges to their decisions.

"Nik is an absolute pleasure to work with."

"He has an incredibly impressive strategic brain with a very strong sense for determining the best course of action amongst a myriad of options."

"Nik is engaging, collaborative and solution-oriented."

Alexandra Littlewood rises in the rankings on the back of her experience acting for both class representatives and defendants in high-profile collective actions. She also has experience in damages claims following cartel investigations.

"Alexandra has very strong analytical skills coupled with a responsive and diligent approach to client service."

"Alexandra is very responsive and proactive."

Ciar McAndrew has a very strong profile in follow-on and standalone competition claims, and her experience in the field includes work in a number of collective actions. She also advises clients on challenges to regulatory decisions.

"Ciar McAndrew is fantastic and has great advocacy skills. She is doing things well above her years of call."

"Ciar is absolutely fantastic - I would work with her again in a heartbeat."

"Ciar is a very talented junior and an invaluable member of the counsel team."

Conor McCarthy has an impressive competition practice and is instructed in some of the largest cases in the field. He has acted extensively in matters such as the Trucks and Interchange litigations.

"Conor McCarthy has a level of expertise that far outstretches his year of call."

"Conor McCarthy is very smart and very hard-working."

David Gregory is an emerging competition-focused barrister who has attracted acclaim for his work in various high-profile claims and appeals. He tends to represent defendant companies in matters concerning claims for damages arising from cartel and abuse of dominance investigations. He also has experience acting for clients on appeals against European Commission decisions.

"David is extremely strong technically. He finds points no one else has thought of."

"David is genuinely astonishing. He is a very innovative thinker and I was so impressed with his exceptional drafting. His oral advocacy is beautifully done - he's very measured yet stylish,"

"David Gregory is a lawyer's lawyer. He can work through the most complex technical material and come to the right answer. He's simply excellent."

"David is a different talent. He is very cerebral and analytical with the intellectual persistence to pursue an idea to mastermind cases and create incredible results."

Jack Williams has been selected to represent an enviable line-up of clients from the global technology sector in competition cases. He has notable experience of appeals against CMA decisions, and damages claims, including follow-on proceedings and collective actions.

"He works collaboratively, is intelligent and responsive. Jack has a good manner with clients and has the ability to easily break down complex and difficult concepts."

"Jack bring tremendous energy to the counsel team and is a pleasure to work with."

Stefan Kuppen is a talented competition barrister who advises claimants and defendants. He showcases particular expertise in damages actions in a variety of areas and boasts deep financial and economic understanding.

"Stefan is very experienced and knowledgeable in competition disputes."

"Stefan is a great advocate who sees how all the pieces of the case fit together."

Philip Woolfe KC acts in follow-on damages claims on behalf of both claimants and defendants, including major claims in the pharmaceutical and automotive sectors.

"He has been very good. He was amazing on the technical financial detail."

"He is completely available, he is very intelligent and he drafts really well."