LAWYER PROFILE
Stephen Smith

Stephen Smith

Europe 2026

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Ranked in 1 practice area

About

Provided by Bristows LLP

Practice Areas

Stephen has 20 years’ experience advising across a range of EU and UK competition law matters. Stephen’s practice includes distribution agreements, merger control, cartels and anti-trust investigations, abuse of dominance and competition litigation.

Stephen has represented clients before the European Commission and the Competition and Markets Authority in the UK and on appeals both to the European courts in Luxembourg and to the UK Competition Appeals Tribunal. He advised the Société Co-opérative de Production (SCOP), the company operating Eurotunnel’s MyFerryLink business, in its landmark appeal. The case was the first ever jurisdictional challenge under the merger provisions of the Enterprise Act to reach the Supreme Court in the UK.

More recently, Stephen has been advising Dutch listed home furnishings group Hunter Douglas in respect of the CMA’s Phase 1 and Phase 2 reviews of the completed acquisition of 247 Home Furnishings.

He has also has experience of working inside a regulator, having worked at OFCOM, the UK’s communication regulator, earlier in his career.

Career

MA Modern and Medieval languages, University of Cambridge

Advocaat bij de Balie te Brussel

Admitted in Republic of Ireland (non-practising)

Qualified 2001

Partner 2011

Chambers Review

Provided by Chambers

Chambers European Guide

Competition Law - UK

Band 3
Band 3

Individual Editorial

Stephen Smith has a broad competition law practice encompassing market investigations and merger control filings. He also has experience in matters involving the National Security and Investment Act and frequently advises clients from the TMT and life sciences sectors on competition law issues.

Strengths

Provided by Chambers

  • Stephen Smith has incredible commercial awareness in a variety of sectors and is very pragmatic in his advice.

    Competition LawChambers European Guide
  • Stephen Smith brings serious intellectual rigour to his work and combines this with significant advisory experience across a range of sectors.

    Competition LawChambers European Guide
  • He is always responsive and adept at getting to the key issues quickly.

    Competition LawChambers European Guide
  • We are very impressed by his knowledge of competition and merger law, combined with his strong commercial focus.

    Competition LawChambers European Guide
  • Stephen Smith has an exceptional understanding of the real-world realities facing his clients and his advice is always presented as a clear solution to the question asked.

    Competition LawChambers European Guide

Ranked Individuals at Bristows LLP (2)

UK

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