Competition Law: Private Enforcement: Claimant
UK Guide 2025 : London (Firms)
Band 2
About
Provided by Stewarts
We are one of the UK’s leading competition practices. Our clients include global corporations and FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 companies.
We act on behalf of major enterprises on all aspects of competition litigation for claimants and defendants, specialising in claims relating to cartels or abuse of a dominant position. Our clients’ claims are often connected to regulatory decisions made by US, EU, UK and other national competition authorities. We advise clients by evaluating the benefits of taking action or defending claims brought or threatened against them.
Our team has cutting-edge expertise in this rapidly developing field. We have an impressive track record of successfully taking cases to trial in the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. We remain the only law firm to have successfully acted for a group of claimants at trial and subsequent appeals in a competition damages context.
Our lawyers have unparalleled experience in putting together innovative costs arrangements. The use of third party funding, after-the-event insurance and risk-sharing fee agreements enables our clients to effectively manage risk and litigate from a position of financial strength.
Chambers Review
Stewarts offers a dedicated competition litigation team able to handle high-value proceedings on behalf of domestic and multinational clients from the technology, energy and retail industries. It often assists clients with follow-on damages claims arising from European Commission investigations into possible cartels, as well as acting for clients on collective actions and opt-out class actions.
Work Highlights
- Stewarts advised large retail clients, including Asda, Wm Morrison and Home Retail Group, on interchange fee claims against Mastercard.
Strengths
Provided by Chambers
"They are able to condense lots of relevant aspects into key decision-making parameters for their clients."
"Stewarts thoroughly researches its cases and is on top of the details of complex issues."
"The whole team provided highly professional service at all times with short response times and good availability, always with a friendly and solution-oriented attitude."
"They are incredibly thorough, very careful and prepared."
"The team is quite level-headed and good at planning. It takes timetables and project management seriously so you can get ahead of issues and sort things out early."
"They are able to condense lots of relevant aspects into key decision-making parameters for their clients."
"Stewarts thoroughly researches its cases and is on top of the details of complex issues."
"The whole team provided highly professional service at all times with short response times and good availability, always with a friendly and solution-oriented attitude."
"They are incredibly thorough, very careful and prepared."
"The team is quite level-headed and good at planning. It takes timetables and project management seriously so you can get ahead of issues and sort things out early."
Notable Practitioners
Kate Pollock of Stewarts remains one of the leading individuals for high-profile competition damages actions, with notable experience representing claimants in follow-on actions arising from European Commission decisions in cartel cases. She has a number of clients from the retail sector and is well versed in issues in the technology and finance sector. She has experience both representing class representatives in mass claims and acting for stand-alone claimants.
"Kate Pollock is a highly experienced litigator who has a strong commercial sense of the likely success of a potential claim."
"Kate Pollock is absolutely brilliant. She is great with clients, absolutely diligent, reactive and a great team leader. Her diligence trickles down to the team."
"Kate Pollock is an excellent solicitor with very fine judgement and client management skills combined with a quality for motivating and inspiring her team."
"She is very strategic and commercial but also incredibly good at dealing with clients, the other side, counsel and the court."
"Kate Pollock makes competition law straightforward. She is available, easy to put in front of clients, pragmatic and commercial."
Inge Forster represents large claimant groups and stand-alone claimants in damages claims resulting from anti-competitive behaviour and cartel investigations, often in the technology and finance sectors.
"Inge Forster is a highly experienced, knowledgeable and professional lawyer. She is very nice to work with."
"Inge Forster is very hard-working, really stays focused on what the clients' goals are and keeps progressing a case. She diligently works to achieve the clients' goals."
"Inge Forster is very thoughtful and a pleasure to work with. She is very experienced in her work."
"Inge Forster is a talented and experienced competition litigator."
"She is extremely diligent and a sound commercial litigator. I really like her."
Ranked Lawyers at
Stewarts
London (Firms)