Band 1
Band 2
About
Provided by Graeme Young
Practice Areas
Graeme Young is a partner specialising in all aspects of UK and EU antitrust, competition and trade. He has over 20 years’ experience advising a wide range of clients on competition compliance, commercial agreements and sales practices, competition and regulatory investigations and merger control. He is also well-known for his advice on public procurement and State aid matters.
Graeme also advises on public procurement and state aid issues. He is accredited by the Law Society of Scotland as a specialist in Public Procurement Law and is an active member of the UK Procurement Lawyers Association. He regularly advises on procurement and state aid aspects of IT and capital infrastructure projects and on procurement challenges.
Graeme is dual-qualified (Scotland and England & Wales) and EU list registered and regulated by the Dutch Brussels Bar. He has an LL.M from the College of Europe, in Bruges, and is a former Chair of the Competition Section of the Law Society of England & Wales and a member of the Steering Committee of the Scottish Competition Forum.
With a reputation for giving practical commercial advice on complex competition and regulatory issues he is "impressively focused on getting the right result for the client" Chambers UK.
Professional Memberships
Former Chair, The Law Society's Competition Section
Procurement Lawyers’ Association
UK State Aid Law Association
Scottish Competition Forum
Work Highlights
A Competition Act investigation into suppliers of access control and alarm systems to retirement homes.
A major financial institution on compliance and dawn raids.
A major energy utility on competition (metering), regulatory and procurement matters (gas holder decommissioning).
A major energy utility on a Competition Act investigation by Ofgem (abuse of dominance).
Merger control assessment of a UK acquisition of a company engaged in supplying ingredients and accessories for the ice cream industry.
Scottish Water on the introduction of retail competition in Scotland.
Patersons of Greenoakhill Ltd v South Lanarkshire Council [2014] (successful defence of an award decision and securing lifting of automatic suspension).
British Telecommunications plc v NHS Scotland [2014] (successful defence of an award decision and securing lifting of automatic suspension).
Buchanan Partnership on funding and contract arrangements for the Buchanan Quarter Tax Incremental Financing (TIF) scheme (procurement and state aid).
City of Edinburgh Council on procurement and state aid aspects of its Connected Capital Wi-Fi project.
Transport Scotland on the procurement of a number of major road and rail projects (under competitive dialogue), including the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR), M8 improvements and the new Borders Railway.
Education
College of Europe, Bruges
LLM in European Law
1996
University of Strathclyde, Glasgow
Law, Dip LP
1995
University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen
Law, LLB (Hons)
1994
Chambers Review
UK
Based in Edinburgh, Graeme Young leads the Scottish competition practice at CMS. He assists private sector clients from regulated sectors, as well as public authorities. He advises on the subsidy control aspects of major projects. Additionally, he represents clients in merger control notifications and related NSI Act filings.
Graeme Young advises contracting authorities and bidders on the tender process and challenges to decisions. He is particularly known for his work in healthcare, utilities, public infrastructure and regeneration. He has extensive experience in cross-border procurement matters.
Strengths
Provided by Chambers
"He is knowledgeable and his experience isn't just on the black letter law; he knows how to do stuff. He gives sound, practical advice."
"Graeme is a good public procurement lawyer."
"Graeme Young provides responsiveness, insight and incisive advice."
"Graeme Young is always helpful and pragmatic. He helps us find solutions and we rely very heavily on him. He is technically capable but also down-to-earth and sensible."
"Graeme Young was incredibly user-friendly. He is down-to-earth and approachable."
"He can handle questions on the spot but also helps to contextualise difficult complexities."
"He is knowledgeable and his experience isn't just on the black letter law; he knows how to do stuff. He gives sound, practical advice."
"Graeme is a good public procurement lawyer."
"Graeme Young provides responsiveness, insight and incisive advice."
"Graeme Young is always helpful and pragmatic. He helps us find solutions and we rely very heavily on him. He is technically capable but also down-to-earth and sensible."
"Graeme Young was incredibly user-friendly. He is down-to-earth and approachable."
"He can handle questions on the spot but also helps to contextualise difficult complexities."