Chambers Review
Provided by Chambers
Competition Law: Litigation - UK
What the Team is Known For
Macfarlanes assists clients with both contentious and non-contentious competition law matters. The law firm has notable recent experience defending clients in high-profile follow-on damages claims, including class actions, as well as assisting them with challenges to authority decisions. On the non-contentious side, the team has experience in merger reviews before the CMA and in behavioural investigations.
Strengths
One of its key strengths is the breadth of skill and experience across both competition and commercial law. Most of the associates and partners have experience of heavy litigation in both spheres.
The team at Macfarlanes is really superb. The team is commercial, user-friendly, efficient and an overall a real pleasure to work with.
The team is exceptional in its strategic and tactical performance, invariably looking many steps ahead.
The lawyers at Macfarlanes are real experts; even the junior associates are immensely effective.
The Macfarlanes team answers complex situations with a multi-angled, well thought-out approach that keeps the customer's wishes in sight and without being stressed or hasty.
Work Highlights
Macfarlanes represented the BBC in a CMA investigation into the alleged anti-competitive behaviour of sports broadcasters concerning the treatment of freelance labourers and employees.
Notable practitioners
Cameron Firth offers notable activity in competition litigation, including defending clients in high-profile follow-on damages cases and advising on challenges to CMA decisions before the CAT. He is particularly popular with clients from the automotive and pharmaceutical sectors. He also assists clients with merger clearance and behavioural investigations.
Cameron Firth just has huge technical expertise and experience. He is able to give very sophisticated and nuanced advice on complex competition law and strategy.
He has a robust but extremely calm and considered manner of running cases. He attracts universal respect from those who work with him.
Cameron Firth is a fantastic lawyer with excellent experience and clientele in the competition field.
His legal knowledge, strategic thinking, client engagement and empathy are outstanding.
Cameron Firth is very experienced and has an extraordinary work ethic. He is also easy to work with and has a very good grasp of our business needs and objectives.
Malcolm Walton often assists clients with obtaining merger clearance before the CMA, frequently acting on behalf of private equity houses and other investors.
He is straightforward and really knows what he’s doing. I admire the fact that he’s quick to respond, gives practical advice and always puts clients first.
Malcolm Walton is extremely responsive and has a unique ability to distil complex issues into cogent and practical advice.
Malcolm Walton is knowledgeable, responsive and quickly proactive in understanding and pre-empting the changing commercial landscape that affects our business.
Simon Day is well-reputed for his wealth of experience in collective actions at the High Court and CAT. He has a number of clients from the financial services sector.
Simon Day is an enormously experienced disputes lawyer, both technically and from the point of view of giving strategic advice in hugely complex litigation.
Simon Day is a great litigator with a lot of experience in collective proceedings and is smart and pleasant to work with.
He is good at catching the intellectual high points, is a good listener and offers valuable strategic oversight.
Simon Day is exceptionally thoughtful in providing advice to clients and is a strong strategic litigator.