Department profile
Linklaters

Competition Law

Europe Guide 2026 : UK

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Linklaters

Rankings

Chambers Review

Provided by Chambers

Competition Law - UK

Band 1

What the Team is Known For

Linklaters stands out for its experience in major merger control filings that attract considerable objection from competitors and intense scrutiny from the CMA. It works together with colleagues in Brussels and other offices to advise on obtaining clearance for global mergers. The team earns further praise for activity in high-profile follow-on damages claims and for the handling of UK-based private enforcement actions, including defending clients in class action proceedings. The law firm additionally assists clients who are subject to behavioural investigations and advises them on appeals against fines imposed by the CMA. Team members are also well reputed for advising on matters under the UK's new subsidy control regime.

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Work Highlights

Provided by Chambers

  • Linklaters represented Microsoft in the CMA's extensive investigation into the public cloud infrastructure market in the United Kingdom.

Strengths

Provided by Chambers

  • Linklaters has a very high level of specialist expertise as well as outstanding quality lawyers who are agile in their thinking and easy to work with.

    Competition Law respondentEurope

  • Linklaters has a top competition litigation outfit as well.

    Competition Law respondentEurope

  • The team is absolutely excellent at handling complex matters. If you need the best you go to Linklaters.

    Competition Law respondentEurope

  • Linklaters is an absolute pleasure to work with. The lawyers have excellent competition law experience and are calm, sophisticated tacticians.

    Competition Law respondentEurope

  • The Linklaters competition team is the one that we go to most frequently. It is fantastic - a stand-out team that knows both the industry and regulators well. The depth of expertise is fantastic.

    Competition Law respondentEurope

Notable Practitioners

Provided by Chambers

  • Thomas Cassels
    Thomas Cassels

    Thomas Cassels

    Thomas Cassels is well regarded for defending clients in competition damages claims, including acting in high-profile collective action proceedings. He also represents clients in challenges to CMA decisions and applications to strike out damages claims.

    • I think Tom Cassels is a great strategic thinker in the context of complex antitrust litigation.

      Competition Law respondentEurope

    • Thomas Cassels is a very good leader and is immensely experienced and with a very good client following.

      Competition Law respondentEurope

    • He offers clear, pragmatic and commercially-focused advice.

      Competition Law respondentEurope

    • Thomas Cassels is the best litigator I know; he is perhaps the strongest competition litigator in London.

      Competition Law respondentEurope

    • Tom Cassels is outstanding and the best in class.

      Competition Law respondentEurope
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  • Bruce Kilpatrick
    Bruce Kilpatrick

    Bruce Kilpatrick

    Bruce Kilpatrick represents clients in CMA investigations into potential breaches of competition law and in merger clearance reviews.

    • Bruce Kilpatrick is very experienced, incredibly commercial, has a strong understanding of our priorities and delivers prompt, risk-based advice.

      Competition Law respondentEurope

    • Bruce Kilpatrick is hugely experienced and has faultless client handling skills.

      Competition Law respondentEurope

    • He's superb. You just want to have him on your team. He's got a great way of cutting through nonsense.

      Competition Law respondentEurope

    • I am very impressed by him. He is very calm, very practical and very focused on the key arguments.

      Competition Law respondentEurope
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  • Sarina Williams
    Sarina Williams

    Sarina Williams

    Sarina Williams defends clients in high-profile class actions before the CAT. She often acts on damages claims arising from investigations into possible abuses of dominance and appeals of CMA decisions. She moves up in the rankings on the back of excellent referee support.

    • Sarina Williams is a leading light in competition litigation. She is a formidable partner who is running an amazing practice.

      Competition Law respondentEurope

    • She is one of the toughest competition litigators in the country. She is highly intelligent and tactically astute.

      Competition Law respondentEurope

    • Sarina Williams is just incredible. She is so bright and so engaging. Anything that comes out of her mouth is really sensible. She is really enjoyable to work with.

      Competition Law respondentEurope

    • Sarina Williams really stands out as a superstar of the future. She has a wonderful judgement and leadership qualities.

      Competition Law respondentEurope

    • There's an inquisitiveness that Sarina has which allows her to really cut through to the key issues and unpick them. She masters the case by doing that.

      Competition Law respondentEurope
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  • Natura Gracia
    Natura Gracia

    Natura Gracia

    Natura Gracia demonstrates impressive work in advising on CMA merger reviews. In addition, she has notable experience in investigations into possible anti-competitive conduct.

    • She is an incredible lawyer and is highly astute.

      Competition Law respondentEurope

    • Natura Gracia has been exceptional guiding the case through and getting a good outcome for the client.

      Competition Law respondentEurope
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  • Anna Mitchell
    Anna Mitchell

    Anna Mitchell

    Anna Mitchell stands out for her work assisting clients, often from the telecommunications sector, with merger clearance and foreign direct investment filings. She is adept at handling matters with cross-border elements.

    • Anna Mitchell is very competent and has a good understanding of the CMA.

      Competition Law respondentEurope

    • Anna Mitchell is a great advisor with great client service.

      Competition Law respondentEurope

    • Anna Mitchell has been a great adviser in high pressure scenarios.

      Competition Law respondentEurope
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  • James Hennah
    James Hennah

    James Hennah

    James Hennah enters the rankings this year on the back of his broad contentious practice, in which he represents claimants, intervenors and defendants in damages actions and collective proceedings.

    • James Hennah is an excellent competition lawyer and an impressively calm, sophisticated litigator. He is commercially astute and a wise tactician.

      Competition Law respondentEurope

    • James Hennah is an outstanding and very good partner.

      Competition Law respondentEurope

    • James Hennah shows his real-world experience and agility, combined with serious intellectual horsepower.

      Competition Law respondentEurope

    • He has been absolutely brilliant leading the team through this process.

      Competition Law respondentEurope
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  • Verity Egerton-Doyle
    Verity Egerton-Doyle

    Verity Egerton-Doyle

    Verity Egerton-Doyle enters the rankings this year thanks to her broad experience in competition matters, with particular expertise in regulatory CMA matters, such as market investigations. She is well-respected among clients in the pharmaceutical and technology sectors.

    • She is technically excellent and has an engaging personality.

      Competition Law respondentEurope

    • She is superb lawyer in all respects. She is highly responsive, is consistently well prepared, and has broad awareness of the commercial and regulatory context in which my company operates.

      Competition Law respondentEurope

    • Verity Egerton-Doyle has a very strong grounding in economics and provides commercial, highly tailored and thoughtful advice.

      Competition Law respondentEurope

    • She is one of the strongest competition lawyers in her generation. She's very strong on digital matters and on the intersection between competition work and other legal issues in digital markets.

      Competition Law respondentEurope
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Ranked Individuals at Linklaters (7)

UK

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