Chambers Review

Provided by Chambers

Competition Law - London (Bar)

1
Band 1

What the Team is Known For

Monckton Chambers is renowned for its superb ability in complex competition law mandates across a breadth of key areas. Commentators state that they "use Monckton to handle the highest-stakes, most complex matters, and they step up to the challenge every time." Members regularly appear before the CAT, the UK appellate courts and the European Court of Justice, representing clients on both sides of infringement decision appeals and follow-on damages claims, as well as a number of high-profile collective action proceedings. The set also stands out for the frequency with which its members represent major parties in disputed merger proceedings. Members further advise key UK public bodies, including acting as standing counsel to regulators, and defending both UK and European competition authorities in disputed cartel investigations. The set has seen members active in many of the leading cases, a key example being acting for both the class representative and the defendant in the Le Patourel v BT opt-out class action proceedings, a £1 billion claim brought on behalf of over 3 million BT customers.

Strengths

Provided by Chambers

Notable Practitioners

Provided by Chambers

Daniel Beard
Daniel Beard
Star Individuals

Daniel Beard KC is a highly sought-after silk who earns superb praise for his oral advocacy skills in complex competition cases. He handles diverse matters spanning competition damages claims and appeals against CMA or Ofcom decisions, challenging both fines and decisions in merger filings.

An absolute superstar, he can really get to the heart of an issue and thinks through how to present things to regulators and judges. He makes a huge impact on every deal he works on.

He is just absolutely superb. He can deal with everything well and unobtrusively.

Daniel is among a small handful of leaders in the field. He has an extraordinary legal mind and handles clients beautifully.

He's one of the standout silks at the Bar; he knows the field inside out. There's a reason why we're all queueing to instruct him on things.

He is terrific - a live wire, super bright and incredibly knowledgeable on competition law. He's also very good at cross-examination - tough and excellent.

Jon Turner
Jon Turner
Star Individuals

Jon Turner KC enjoys an outstanding reputation for his competition litigation practice. He represents claimants and defendants in market-leading follow-on or standalone damages claims, including key cases on behalf of major IT or retail sector clients. He has proven experience in cases heard before the CAT, the UK senior courts or the CJEU.

You don’t need me to talk about Jon Turner, he’s the great statesman of competition law. He is right at the front of the pack.

He is highly sought after by defendants and claimants alike, and he tends to do both, which gives him a broad, pragmatic and considered approach to litigation.

He knows everything there is to know about competition law and brings incredible weight to any argument because of how highly respected he is by peers, judges and opponents.

He thinks so clearly and brilliantly on his feet. He is truly superb. Jon is just the dream barrister.

Jon Turner is one of the absolute top silks for competition law. He has a supreme command of his brief at all times.

Josh Holmes
Josh Holmes
Star Individuals

Josh Holmes KC has notable experience advising on appeals against EC behavioural fines and merger prohibitions, as well as defending the CMA in challenges to its decisions. He also acts for defendants in high-profile applications for collective proceedings. He is particularly active on matters involving the technology sector.

He is a complete superstar in competition and telecommunications. He is our go-to KC for anything competition-related. He is superb and a delight to work with.

Josh is an exceptional barrister. He has a deep understanding of competition and regulatory law, leading to the highest-quality advice and advocacy.

His ability to keep judges on side is unparalleled. His calm and smooth delivery on his feet makes any argument a winning one.

He has excellent strategic vision and an understated advocacy style which wins respect from the court.

I love working with Josh. He cuts straight to the core of every issue and has a special ability to read the room, which makes him nimble on his feet but also lends itself to great client service.

Meredith Pickford
Meredith Pickford
Star Individuals

Meredith Pickford KC is a celebrated silk who regularly represents important technology sector clients in challenges to competition law decisions before the CJEU, as well as the UK Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. He also defends clients in high-profile cartel follow-on damages cases in the telecommunications and transport sectors.

He's very good on economic or technical evidence. He's good at presenting and cross-examining on it, which isn't true for all advocates.

He is incredibly smart and his advocacy is excellent. In a courtroom filled with leading silks, I have seen Meredith stand out by far, delivering clarity and insight which moved the court.

Meredith has a brilliant and flexible mind. He is innovative and practical, and consistently goes above and beyond. It is no surprise he is favoured for the largest tech cases.

Alan Bates
1
Alan Bates
1
Band 1

Alan Bates has a strong track record in representing claimants in allegations of abuse of dominance. He also acts for class representatives and defendants in cartel follow-on damages claims.

It would be a mistake to underestimate Alan's keen intellect and advocacy skills, as the other side have doubtless discovered to their detriment on many occasions.

Alan provides us with a consistently high level of expertise and support, and is receptive in all our communications.

Daisy Mackersie
1
Daisy Mackersie
1
Band 1

Daisy Mackersie has extensive experience defending the CMA against high-profile appeals of its decisions. She also acts for defendants in large-scale follow-on damages claims and represents complainants in possible abuse of dominance cases.

Daisy is an outstanding junior. She has wonderful client-handling skills, a formidable intellect and a capacity for hard work.

She's superb, a real star. She's incredibly intelligent, turns stuff around really quickly and masters the details superbly.

She is a very thoughtful, intelligent junior with very good judgement. She puts together documents that are very well expressed.

Fiona Banks
1
Fiona Banks
1
Band 1

Fiona Banks represents both claimants and defendants in high-profile cartel and abuse of dominance follow-on damages actions and collective proceedings.

I would fangirl all day about her, I find her incredible. She has a brain the size of a planet but is really accessible. She is really down to earth and very good at facing things head on.

Fiona is very smart, one of the leading juniors in this area. Her drafting is really strong and she has an excellent manner with clients; she cuts to what they care about.

She is fantastic, super responsive, hard-working, really sharp and proactive. She puts thought into what's far in front of us.

Fiona is a very hard-working advocate who is all over the detail of complex cases.

She is bright, hard-working and always on top of the detail. She is fantastic to work with.

1
James Bourke
1
Band 1

James Bourke is an in-demand barrister who often acts for defendants in cartel follow-on damages claims in the transport sector. He has further experience acting for class representatives in proposed collective actions and assisting clients with appeals against European Commission decisions.

He's a very strong drafter, concise and really gets into the detail very quickly. He understands the market very quickly and is a very skilled lawyer.

James thinks about the questions from all angles and has a really good risk antenna. He is a really strong junior who has great potential at the Bar.

Julian Gregory
1
Julian Gregory
1
Band 1

Julian Gregory offers a broad competition law practice, advising class representatives on collective damages proceedings, judicial reviews under subsidy control regulations and appeals against decisions in merger control cases.

My advice to clients would be to get him as a junior while you can. He's on top of everything and a really good competition lawyer.

He is incredibly adept at handling the most challenging situations, unflappable and able to approach matters commercially, putting clients at ease in the process.

He's consistently really excellent, hard-working and creative with helping identify and spot issues. He is also methodical and clear on his feet.

Julian is a smart, detail-focused and patient. He always takes the time to stress-test arguments and anticipate potential pitfalls.

Not only does he have a deep level of expertise in competition matters but he also has the ability to distil this into clear, commercial and strategic advice, even in the most complex of cases.

Laura Elizabeth John
1
Laura Elizabeth John
1
Band 1

Laura Elizabeth John has a strong reputation for her experience in major follow-on and standalone damages claims, as well as acting in appeals of CMA decisions. She acts for private and public sector claimants in high-value cases and has clients from a number of sectors, including pharmaceuticals, healthcare and retail.

Laura is exceptionally clever and good at distilling complexity into simplicity.

Mark Brealey
1
Mark Brealey
1
Band 1

Mark Brealey KC is a leading competition law silk who acts for both claimants and defendants in cartel follow-on claims. He has attracted recent attention for his success in overturning CMA decisions in cases in the pharmaceutical sector.

I think he's great - he's easy to work with, very concise and strategic. He will decide which points are worth making.

Mark is very commercial. He thinks through what clients are facing and what is in their best interest.

Michael Armitage
1
Michael Armitage
1
Band 1

Michael Armitage attracts attention for his contributions to follow-on and standalone damages claims, as well as collective proceedings. He predominantly acts for defendants, but also has experience advising class representatives. He has additional experience defending the CMA in appeals against its decisions. He has impressive activity on matters in the transport and technology sectors.

He is brilliant, absolutely fantastic. He does wonderful written submissions, and very powerful and helpful work with experts. He is a personable team member and an incredibly hard worker.

His cross-examination has been legendary.

He has got the full toolkit that a really good competition lawyer has. He really understands the economics and has detailed knowledge of case law.

Michael is responsive, pragmatic and commercial. He's extremely experienced, thoughtful but also very collaborative; he's an excellent team player.

Paul Harris
1
Paul Harris
1
Band 1

Paul Harris KC is widely regarded as an excellent choice for competition litigation, appearing for both claimants and defendants in standalone and follow-on claims concerning both abuse of dominance and cartel matters. He also has experience acting in class actions and challenges to regulatory bodies.

Philip Moser
1
Philip Moser
1
Band 1

Philip Moser KC acts for both claimants and defendants in cartel damages claims, including class actions, follow-on claims and standalone proceedings. His recent activity has included a number of cases in the transport sector.

Philip is a very impressive advocate and has a real ability to read a court or tribunal and tailor his arguments to what they want to hear about.

He is really superb and has a lovely, gentle but authoritative approach to advocacy.

Philip is an enormously experienced advocate whose gravitas and authority is highly effective in the courtroom.

Rob Williams
1
Rob Williams
1
Band 1

Rob Williams KC remains a favourite of the CMA for difficult appeals against decisions in merger control and abuse of dominance matters. He has also represented defendant companies in large damages claims resulting from cartels and abuse of dominance.

In all respects he demonstrates great knowledge of competition law, but he is also whip-smart across the board. Beyond all else, he's approachable and strategic - a must-have for any competition team.

Rob is really excellent. He has an outstanding ability to see to the heart of an issue and where the CAT will go, and to process work and information at an incredible rate.

Rob brings amazing value as a competition and regulatory silk because he is willing to get into the detail. The combination of his work ethic and talent means that you end up with the best argument.

Rob is extremely user-friendly and draws on his vast experience from working for companies and the regulator to give a rounded perspective.

I think very highly of him. He is very attentive to the case and you feel he's on your side. He will deliver the best outcomes possible.

Ronit Kreisberger
1
Ronit Kreisberger
1
Band 1

Ronit Kreisberger KC is a sought-after competition silk who frequently represents class representatives in high-profile collective damages actions. She has a particular recent focus on abuse of dominance matters, including before the CAT and often involving the TMT sector.

Ronit is really excellent, she's one of the cleverest competition silks out there. She is able to take on difficult cases, and she really understands the economic issues underpinning them.

1
Tim Ward
1
Band 1

Tim Ward KC is sought after for a number of different competition law matters, assisting both claimants and defendants with follow-on damages claims and class action proceedings. He often represents clients in appeals against regulator decisions and judicial reviews.

Tim is exceptionally brilliant, hard-working and a pleasure to work with. He can be trusted to analyse and respond on complex issues quickly, accurately and innovatively.

He is highly skilled at identifying the most persuasive way to present a case to the court. He finds the winning argument and ensures it's placed at the forefront of the court's mind.

He never stops thinking about a question. He really carries on turning an issue in his mind and thinking of new perspectives. That makes an incredibly valuable contribution.

Alison Berridge
2
Alison Berridge
2
Band 2

Alison Berridge attracts instructions from defendants in class actions and from claimants in follow-on damages cases. She also represents appellants and interested third parties in high-profile challenges to CMA decisions. She additionally represents clients in CMA investigations and is well regarded for her work on merger clearance matters.

I am a fan of hers. I enjoy working with her; she is very charismatic, good with clients and an approachable team player who is commercially minded.

Alison has an unparalleled knowledge of merger control.

Anneli Howard
2
Anneli Howard
2
Band 2

Anneli Howard KC is often chosen to work for either the claimants or interveners in important follow-on class actions or standalone damages claims. She has recent experience in a number of high-profile cases in the technology sector.

Anneli's level of professionalism is extraordinary.

She's got so much depth of competition law experience.

Anneli is an incredibly commercially minded, creative and smart barrister. She's also a really lovely person and very easy to work with.

Anneli is personable, commercial and a pleasure to work with on matters with complex counterfactuals.

Anneliese Blackwood
2
Anneliese Blackwood
2
Band 2

Anneliese Blackwood acts for both claimants and defendants in high-profile collective proceedings, including acting in Merricks v Mastercard. She has recently been advising on a number of matters in the transport sector.

She is a wonderful lawyer, very attentive, smart and really easy to work with. She is really strong and would make an excellent KC.

Anneliese makes points effectively but also listens and builds relationships. She drafts well and is to the point. She's a very effective barrister.

Ben Lask
2
Ben Lask
2
Band 2

Ben Lask defends competition regulators in CAT or CJEU appeals against their decisions and assists them as interveners with other competition cases. He has recent experience in cases relating to blocked mergers and abuse of dominance cases.

He is absolutely excellent, there aren't superlatives enough to describe him. He knows the law inside out, and his advocacy style is very attractive. He's all over the detail.

His real strength is distilling complex matters and bringing out the main themes very clearly and presenting them very convincingly.

2
David Gregory
2
Band 2

David Gregory is an emerging competition-focused barrister who has attracted acclaim for his work in various high-profile claims and appeals. He tends to represent defendant companies in matters concerning claims for damages arising from cartel and abuse of dominance investigations. He also has experience acting for clients in appeals against European Commission decisions.

He is really hands-on and forward-thinking; he's operating beyond his call level.

I am a huge fan of David's. He is stunningly bright, gets into the detail and is a great communicator. It is a constant source of comfort that he is for, not against us.

He has really sound judgement, with not only a good legal understanding but also a good commercial understanding. His presence is very reassuring; he never gets flustered by anything.

David is supremely smart, effortlessly processing vast amounts of information and arriving at creative answers. He cuts through problems incisively and with great clarity.

David is a star! He has a huge brain, is a fearless advocate and is a pleasure to work with.

George Peretz
2
George Peretz
2
Band 2

George Peretz KC has a broad EU and competition law practice that focuses on challenges to authority decisions, acting both for the appellants and for the authorities on disputes regarding state aid, abuse of dominance, market sharing and information exchange.

George is an outstanding practitioner who approaches complex issues with both excellent legal and strategic insight.

Jack Williams
2
Jack Williams
2
Band 2

Jack Williams has been selected to represent an enviable line-up of clients from the global technology sector in competition cases. He has notable experience of appeals against CMA decisions and of damages claims, including follow-on proceedings and collective actions.

Jack's oral advocacy is well beyond his years of call. He's very hard-working and highly respected.

Jack has broad experience and is an enthusiastic advocate. He's one to watch!

One of the very best juniors out there. He is very bright, extremely hard-working and a very engaging advocate.

Julianne Kerr Morrison
2
Julianne Kerr Morrison
2
Band 2

Julianne Kerr Morrison offers notable experience defending CMA decisions against appeals, as well as acting for other regulators on challenges to their decisions. She also acts in disputes concerning allegations of abuse of dominance in the technology sector.

Julianne is very diligent, hard-working, really strong and takes the time to invest in the detail. She is really immersed in a way that really adds value.

Kassie Smith
2
Kassie Smith
2
Band 2

Kassie Smith KC is particularly active in abuse of dominance disputes arising from FRAND licences. She also represents claimants in disputes concerning possible cartels in the financial services sector.

She is a very detail-oriented advocate. She is obviously very experienced and knowledgeable in all things related to competition.

If you find yourself in a difficult situation, you can ask for no one better. She is absolutely amazing.

Ligia Osepciu
2
Ligia Osepciu
2
Band 2

Ligia Osepciu is a highly regarded competition law barrister who has copious experience acting for claimants in damages claims. She has also developed strong expertise in contentious state aid matters and in the overlap between intellectual property matters and competition law, particularly in FRAND disputes.

She is right across all the detail in FRAND law aspects. She really knows her stuff and is making a mark for herself.

Ligia is an extremely talented barrister who provides prompt, clear and clever advice.

She's very hard-working, incredibly good at getting to grips with detail and very meticulous in her drafting.

Nikolaus Grubeck
2
Nikolaus Grubeck
2
Band 2

Nikolaus Grubeck is well regarded for advising class representatives on collective proceedings and for advising defendants on potential claims of abuse of dominance, often in the technology sector. He has notable experience defending the CMA and other regulatory bodies in competition law challenges to their decisions.

Nikolaus is the complete package. He is smart, technically strong and does brilliant advocacy. It cheers me up to work with him - you feel you have someone in the trenches with you.

He is a very impressive strategist with an invaluable ability to predict how complex issues will play out. He has a calm manner, making him an unflappable advocate.

Nikolaus is able to turn his hand to a broad range of complex competition matters and has a wealth of expertise in pleading difficult cases.

Ben Rayment
3
Ben Rayment
3
Band 3

Ben Rayment acts for defendants in high-profile follow-on damages claims and class actions. He also has experience advising clients on challenges to CMA decisions in abuse of dominance investigations.

Ciar McAndrew
3
Ciar McAndrew
3
Band 3

Ciar McAndrew has a very strong profile in follow-on and standalone competition claims, and her experience in the field includes work in a number of collective actions. She also advises clients on challenges to regulatory decisions.

It's like having two people on the team, she is so able and hard-working. She has not made anything approaching half a mistake in her work. She is always committed and ready to roll up her sleeves.

Ciar is fantastic. She is quick, focused and exceptionally bright. She is also a very calm and measured advocate.

Conor McCarthy
3
Conor McCarthy
3
Band 3

Conor McCarthy has an impressive competition practice and is instructed in some of the largest cases in the field. He has particular expertise in the intersection between competition and public law, which is especially valuable in the context of mergers and state aid matters.

Conor is incredibly gifted and lovely to deal with. He is able to articulate things very clearly, in plain English. He is technically excellent and knows his stuff inside out.

Kristina Lukacova
3
Kristina Lukacova
3
Band 3

Kristina Lukacova has experience acting in a wide range of competition cases, including FRAND disputes, follow-on damages claims and standalone as well as collective proceedings.

She is a phenomenal competition lawyer who really knows the law. She is also a great tactical thinker, very strategic and thinks three steps ahead.

She is highly technical, thoughtful and methodical.

She is an outstanding advocate, I have seen her firmly beat silks. She reads the courtroom extremely well, lays the groundwork well in advance and thinks of different permutations.

Kristina is incredibly reliable, really proactive and super smart.

Philip Woolfe
3
Philip Woolfe
3
Band 3

Philip Woolfe KC acts in follow-on damages claims on behalf of both claimants and defendants, including major claims in the pharmaceutical and automotive sectors.

A brain on legs, very bright and extremely good at economic analysis. He's an exceptionally good team player and a lovely guy.

He's a brilliant tactician with genuine client-handling skills, which makes him a pleasure to work with.

Philip is very bright, very proactive and injects energy into a legal team.

He's a brilliant and ruthless cross-examiner. He has a mastery of detail, great energy and a determination to fight the client's corner. He's a real top operator and a real courtroom lawyer.

Robert Palmer
3
Robert Palmer
3
Band 3

Robert Palmer KC has a robust competition practice arising from his work within the commercial and regulatory law sectors. Palmer works within a variety of sectors including energy, financial services, health, pharma and telecoms.

He's a very sensible and wise adviser. He has a broad knowledge and understanding of competition law.

Robert is a standout silk who acts on many of the most high-profile cases. He consistently achieves great results for his clients and is a pleasure to work with.

He's a gem of an advocate with eloquence and talent in abundance. He brings strong public law and competition law experience.

Robert brings cutting-edge knowledge of public law to the antitrust arena.

Stefan Kuppen
3
Stefan Kuppen
3
Band 3

Stefan Kuppen is a talented competition barrister who advises claimants and defendants. He shows particular expertise in damages actions in a variety of areas and boasts deep financial and economic understanding.

I really admire him, he's very calm and very cool. He's collegiate and works well across the Bar; that goes down well with the courts. His advocacy is very smooth, he's good at what he does.

Stefan is technically excellent, easy to work with, very good on the numbers in particular, and has a great manner with the clients.

Stefan is an excellent junior. He produces excellent quality work rapidly, he is a pleasure to work with and he is very user-friendly.

Antonia Fitzpatrick
U
Antonia Fitzpatrick
U
Up and Coming

Antonia Fitzpatrick is a junior with a growing competition practice, having acted in standalone and follow-on cases, as well as high-profile collective proceedings before the Competition Appeal Tribunal.

I've never worked with someone at her level who's so good. She is amazingly mature, her advocacy is really fantastic and she's exceptionally hard-working. I would like her on everything.

Antonia is really sensational. She comes across as more senior than she is, her advocacy is super advanced and she is strategically switched on.

She is very able, and has a very good drafting style and excellent judgement. She did a fantastic job of cross-examining, like she’d been doing it her whole life.

I really rate her, she is going to be brilliant. She's an absolute force of nature.

Antonia is absolutely excellent - enthusiastic, very sharp legally, with great judgement and wisdom. She's very perceptive in terms of case dynamics and particularly good on her feet for a junior.

Natalie Nguyen
U
Natalie Nguyen
U
Up and Coming

Natalie Nguyen is swiftly building an impressive competition practice, through her instructions on various high-profile collective action proceedings, including Le Patourel v BT and McLaren v MOL.

Natalie is very diligent and is getting good results. She's only about a year or two's call but is doing well already. I rate her very highly.

Natalie is an impressive addition to the Monckton Chambers competition law team. She is diligent, responsive, and provides clear and concise advice.

Natalie is fantastic - I have seen her appear at hearings and she's definitely a future star. She's performing way above what you'd expect, she's one to watch.

Ranked Barristers at
Monckton Chambers

Provided by Chambers
Filter by
Band

Silks (KC)

London (Bar)

Competition Law

Daniel Beard KC
Daniel Beard KC
Star Individuals
Jon Turner KC
Jon Turner KC
Star Individuals
Josh Holmes KC
Josh Holmes KC
Star Individuals
Meredith Pickford KC
Meredith Pickford KC
Star Individuals
Mark Brealey KC
1
Mark Brealey KC
1
Band 1
Paul Harris KC
1
Paul Harris KC
1
Band 1
Philip Moser KC
1
Philip Moser KC
1
Band 1
Rob Williams KC
1
Rob Williams KC
1
Band 1
Ronit Kreisberger KC
1
Ronit Kreisberger KC
1
Band 1
1
Tim Ward KC
1
Band 1
Anneli Howard KC
2
Anneli Howard KC
2
Band 2
Ben Lask KC
2
Ben Lask KC
2
Band 2
George Peretz KC
2
George Peretz KC
2
Band 2
Kassie Smith KC
2
Kassie Smith KC
2
Band 2
Philip Woolfe KC
3
Philip Woolfe KC
3
Band 3
Robert Palmer KC
3
Robert Palmer KC
3
Band 3

Juniors

London (Bar)

Competition Law

Alan Bates
1
Alan Bates
1
Band 1
Daisy Mackersie
1
Daisy Mackersie
1
Band 1
Fiona Banks
1
Fiona Banks
1
Band 1
1
James Bourke
1
Band 1
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