Department profile
Freshfields

Competition Law

UK Guide 2026 : London (Firms)

Share profile

Freshfields

Rankings

About

Provided by Freshfields

Please visit the Freshfields website for more details about our work in this category:

Antitrust and competition | Freshfields

Chambers Review

Provided by Chambers

Competition Law - London (Firms)

Band 1

What the Team is Known For

Freshfields enjoys an excellent reputation for activity across all aspects of competition law. The law firm is highly sought after by international companies from diverse sectors for merger filings before the CMA, with recent experience handling phase II investigations, as well as advising on notifications of foreign direct investment. The London office collaborates with colleagues across the globe to handle multi-jurisdictional merger clearances. The team is also highly regarded for representing clients in CMA investigations into possible breaches of competition law, as well as sector inquiries carried out by a range of authorities. The law firm boasts a strong bench of competition litigators who defend clients in a number of high-profile follow-on damages actions, including collective proceedings.

View ranking table

Work Highlights

Provided by Chambers

  • Freshfields defended Volvo before the CAT in damages actions following the European Commission's investigation into a cartel among truck manufacturers.

Strengths

Provided by Chambers

  • Freshfields has an absolutely first rate competition team with excellent quality throughout. The lawyers are extremely knowledgeable in the field of competition law and are superb, nuanced tacticians.

    Competition Law respondentUK

  • Freshfields does a great job coordinating between its offices and gives consistent, efficient advice across jurisdictions.

    Competition Law respondentUK

  • Freshfields is a truly global practice that can handle multiple matters strategically and precisely.

    Competition Law respondentUK

  • Freshfields is a firm that provides unparalleled technical ability and strategic advice which is realistic and tailored to our industry.

    Competition Law respondentUK

  • The team at Freshfields is technically sound, approachable and provides top-notch client care.

    Competition Law respondentUK

Notable Practitioners

Provided by Chambers

  • James Aitken
    James Aitken

    James Aitken

    James Aitken moves into the top tier this year on the back of a broad competition law practice that encompasses both merger clearance and foreign direct investment filings, as well as behavioural investigations and market inquiries carried out by the CMA and other regulatory bodies. He has particular experience representing clients from the TMT sector.

    • We can rely on him to provide a realistic assessment of risk and his understanding of both UK and EU antitrust regulation makes him stand out from the crowd.

      Competition Law respondentUK

    • James Aitken is a master in the field, he's very experienced with a beautifully clear mind and great strategic sense.

      Competition Law respondentUK

    • James Aitken is brilliant, technically able but also a calm and reassuring presence.

      Competition Law respondentUK
    View profile
  • Mark Sansom
    Mark Sansom

    Mark Sansom

    Mark Sansom stands out for his representation of defendants in high-profile follow-on damages claims, including acting on some of the most significant class actions currently before the CAT. He acts as the managing partner of the Freshfields London and Dublin offices.

    • Mark Sansom is a first-class lawyer and highly personable, he's a pleasure to work with.

      Competition Law respondentUK

    • He is an outstanding competition lawyer, who is highly knowledgeable, commercially astute and an impressive tactician.

      Competition Law respondentUK

    • Mark Sansom has a true depth of experience, he works on a lot of these litigation cases and is able to advise on these types of cases.

      Competition Law respondentUK

    • He is intellectually rigorous, extremely courteous and a pleasure to work with.

      Competition Law respondentUK
    View profile
  • Alastair Chapman
    Alastair Chapman

    Alastair Chapman

    Alastair Chapman has a strong focus on the competition law aspects of transactions, advising clients on merger clearance filings as well as foreign direct investment and National Security and Investment Act issues. He also advises clients on their involvement in CMA investigations. He is the global head of the firm's antitrust, competition and trade group.

    • Alastair Chapman is utterly impressive.

      Competition Law respondentUK

    • Alastair Chapman is super friendly and always on it, he can be trusted to deliver the right communication and understand what detail should be given.

      Competition Law respondentUK

    • Alastair Chapman's advice is at the highest level.

      Competition Law respondentUK
    View profile
  • Bea Tormey
    Bea Tormey

    Bea Tormey

    As head of the firm's London antitrust litigation team, Bea Tormey has notable experience defending clients in private damages actions arising from European Commission cartel investigations. She also assists clients with appeals.

    • Bea Tormey is a leader in her field. She delivers sophisticated and commercial advice.

      Competition Law respondentUK

    • She leads the team with such skill and gets the best out of everyone while making people feel appreciated and supported. She is clever, completely on top of the material and is unflappable.

      Competition Law respondentUK

    • Bea Tormey is super clever and really fun to work to work with.

      Competition Law respondentUK

    • She is very calm under fire and also has an excellent sense of humour, which is essential on a long project.

      Competition Law respondentUK

    • Bea Tormey is pragmatic and super lovely.

      Competition Law respondentUK
    View profile
  • Nicholas Frey
    Nicholas Frey

    Nicholas Frey

    Nicholas Frey defends clients in private damages actions following decisions in investigations into possible abuses of dominance or cartel involvement. He has notable experience in high-profile class action proceedings, as well as assisting clients with appeals against fines. He counts transport and financial services companies amongst his clients.

    • He is an excellent lawyer with a keen eye for litigation tactics. He's highly focused on securing positive outcomes for clients and is engaged, hard-working and has great attention to detail.

      Competition Law respondentUK

    • He is an excellent strategist who is great to have on the team. He is deceptively laid back, but delivers excellent advice and is always working on the best strategy for the project.

      Competition Law respondentUK

    • Nicholas Frey is such a pleasure to work with. He is really good at challenging the assumptions about how you do things. He is very open minded and ready to fight his clients' corner.

      Competition Law respondentUK

    • He has good inter-personal skills and is a great pleasure to work with.

      Competition Law respondentUK
    View profile
  • Simon Priddis
    Simon Priddis

    Simon Priddis

    Simon Priddis has a strong reputation for advising clients on a range of competition law matters, including acquisitions, investments and joint ventures, as well as assisting with behavioural investigations. He has substantial experience acting in the retail, pharmaceutical and private equity sectors.

    View profile
  • Alexander Potter
    Alexander Potter

    Alexander Potter

    Alexander Potter often assists clients with merger clearance and foreign direct investment filings, as well as representing them before the CMA in behavioural investigations.

    • Alexander Potter is brilliant at what he does, he is client aware and measured in his approach.

      Competition Law respondentUK

    • Alexander Potter is very good at working with economists and integrating specialist advice into strategy.

      Competition Law respondentUK
    View profile
  • Martin McElwee
    Martin McElwee

    Martin McElwee

    Martin McElwee often assists clients with obtaining CMA clearance for multi-jurisdictional mergers and investigations into allegations of anti-competitive behaviour.

    • Martin McElwee is so smart and clients love him yet he is really modest.

      Competition Law respondentUK

    • Martin McElwee is very hard working and provides excellent, pragmatic advice.

      Competition Law respondentUK
    View profile
  • Michele Davis
    Michele Davis

    Michele Davis

    Michele Davis moves up in the rankings this year on the back of her experience representing high-profile technology sector clients on market studies and behavioural investigations. She has further experience in the competition law aspects of proposed transactions.

    • Michele Davis is extremely sharp and practical. She gets stuff done and is not afraid to try and push the boat out a bit.

      Competition Law respondentUK
    View profile
  • Ricky Versteeg
    Ricky Versteeg

    Ricky Versteeg

    Ricky Versteeg is an increasingly prominent lawyer who assists household names from the finance and automotive industries with follow-on damages claims and opt-out collective actions before the CAT. He moves up in the rankings on the back of positive comments from market sources.

    • Ricky Versteeg is very strong and doing good work in this area.

      Competition Law respondentUK

    • He is very bright.

      Competition Law respondentUK
    View profile

Ranked Individuals at Freshfields (10)

London (Firms)

Members

Provided by Freshfields

Freshfields has rankings in the following guides

What success is built on

Chambers is the leading data and intelligence partner for the legal sector.

Explore thought leadership