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  1. EU and competition
  2. EU and competition: Trade, WTO, anti-dumping, customs
  3. Leading individuals

Leading individuals

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP is ‘as good as it gets’, with ‘excellent technical knowledge’ and a ‘proactive approach’. The 16-partner team acts for clients including BP, BT, and Tesco. On the non-contentious side, it advised London Stock Exchange, as a third party, on the anti-trust and merger controls issues arising from the proposed Deutsche Börse-NYSE/Euronext merger. In contentious matters, it acted for ABB in its defence of a £230m claim by National Grid Electricity Transmission. Recommended individuals include team head Rod Carlton; David Aitman; the ‘technically sound and pragmatic’ Simon Priddis; Nicholas French; Alex Potter; and contentious specialist Bea Tormey. James Aitken, Alastair Chapman and Mark Sansom were promoted to the partnership in 2011, while Nicholas Spearing left for Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP.

Slaughter and May team of ‘bright, competent, and excellent communicators’ set the ‘gold standard’ in the practice area. The firm acts for a host of blue-chip clients including Eriksson, GlaxoSmithKline and ITV, and advised Unilever on its offer to acquire the worldwide body care and European detergents businesses of Sara Lee Corporation. It also acted for British Airways on the European Commission investigation into alleged cartel activity involving a number of airlines and cargo operators active in the provision of air freight services. Group head Philippe Chappatte, Michael Rowe, state aid expert Isabel Taylor and Bertrand Louveaux are all recommended.

Ashurst ‘impresses with its responsiveness, knowledge and commercial acumen’. The eight-partner practice is very broad, with a strong economics input. It acted for Imperial Tobacco in its successful appeal to the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) against the OFT’s decision to impose a fine of £112m in respect of its trading agreements with retailers; and for Virgin Media before the CAT in appeals against Ofcom’s Pay TV statement. In mergers, the firm acted for Danisco on the successful $6.3bn takeover of the company by DuPont. Team head Nigel Parr ‘offers a wealth of experience and knowledge across all aspects of competition and EU law and guides clients through these complex areas of law with inviting confidence’. Ross Mackenzie gives ‘expert and pragmatic’ advice, and Duncan Liddell is also recommended.

Clifford Chance’s six-partner team benefits from the firm’s excellent global coverage, and has strength in the media, mining and transport sectors. On the merger side, it acted for Princes on its acquisition of Premier Foods’ canning business, and in market investigations it acted for NBC Universal on the Competition Commission market investigation into movies on pay TV. It is increasingly active in the area of anti-trust litigation, where Elizabeth Morony and Luke Tolaini represented Siemens in National Grid’s claim for damages against the gas-insulated switchgear cartel in the High Court. Recommended individuals include practice head Alex Nourry, Oliver Bretz, OFT expert Alastair Mordaunt, and Greg Olsen.

Herbert Smith LLP has an excellent name in contentious matters, where it acts for clients including BSkyB, Virgin Atlantic, Pilkington, and BAA; its litigation capabilities are ‘second to none’. In investigations, it acted for Arriva in the Competition Commission’s investigation into local bus services. In mergers, it acted for Lagardère Group on multi-jurisdictional merger control issues arising from the sale of its international magazine publishing business to Hearst. Practice head James Quinney, Stephen Wisking and Susan Black are recommended.

Linklaters LLP is an ‘excellent firm with a broad range of expertise’, and is ‘always one step ahead of the opposition’. It acted for Glencore its all-share merger of equals with Xstrata; and for Johnson & Johnson on its acquisition of Synthes. In investigations, it advised Tarmac on an OFT market study into aggregates which began in September 2010. On the cartels side, it continues its representation of subsidiaries of Dow Chemical in the rubber cartel case. Eamonn Doran heads the team; Christian Ahlborn has a ‘particularly strong economic background and stands out due to his hands-on and clear advice’; Nicole Kar is ‘commercial, front foot, and very responsive’; and Paula Riedel is a ‘very safe pair of hands’.

Allen & Overy LLP’s four-partner team acts for clients including Alliance Boots, Thomson Reuters, and Heineken. In mergers, it acted for News Corporation on the highly contested competition and regulatory aspects of its proposed acquisition of the shares in BSkyB. In investigations, it acted for two international banks on the European Commission investigations into credit default swap clearing and the parallel investigation into CDS information. Antonio Bavasso, Philip Mansfield, Simon Pritchard* and the ‘thorough and experienced’ Mark Friend are recommended. *Simon Pritchard is now at Linklaters LLP

Baker & McKenzie LLP has a ‘strong’ and well-rounded practice, with ‘excellent global reach and co-operation’. Clients include AXA Private Equity, British American Tobacco, Carlsberg, and Cable & Wireless Worldwide. It acted for Mitsubishi Electric in an appeal before the European Union’s General Court to overturn fines of €118.5m related to a cartel investigation. In merger control, it acted for Rio Tinto on the sale of its talc business to Imerys. Department head Samantha Mobley is recommended along with the ‘assured, suitably reassuring and focused’ Luiz Gomez, and of counsel Lynda Martin Alegi, who ‘instinctively understands the commercial issues’.

Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP’s team is ‘expert in the field of competition law, with fine attention to detail and a very good grasp of the overall strategic requirements of cases’. It has particular strength in cartels, mergers and abuse of dominance, and acts for clients including Sports Direct International, the Olympic Delivery Authority, and the Financial Times Group. It acted for a client on the investigation by the European Commission into the supply of automotive electrical and electronic components launched in February 2010. David Harrison and Adrian Magnus are ‘exceptionally able, with a thorough grasp of both strategy and detail’. Litigator Elaine Whiteford joined from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP.

Hogan Lovells International LLP’s practice has a strong international dimension and spans major deals, general competition advice, and contentious matters. The seven-partner team is ‘very good, with great industry knowledge, strength in depth, and a pragmatic approach’. It acted for Wm Morris Supermarkets in a successful appeal to the CAT regarding the sale of tobacco products, and for Alberto Culver in its acquisition by Unilever. Alstom, ITV, Kingfisher and John Lewis/Waitrose are also clients. Recommended individuals include group head Susan Bright; Lesley Ainsworth, who is ‘excellent in every way’; Suyong Kim; and Nicholas Heaton. Angus Coulter was promoted to partner in 2012.

SJ Berwin LLP’s seven-partner team has expertise across EU and national merger clearances, market investigations, cartels, competition inquiries and monopoly cases, and has notable litigation and regulatory expertise in sectors such as pharmaceuticals and life sciences, CMT and energy. It counts Diageo among its clients, and advised WRAP in obtaining further EU clearance for its UK recycling initiative. Simon Holmes, Stephen Kon and Philipp Girardet are recommended.

Addleshaw Goddard LLP’s ‘excellent, value-for-money’ three-partner team acts on a wide variety of matters, including competition litigation, OFT investigations and CAT work, and merger control. It acted for Quarmby Construction and its parent company on their successful appeal to CAT against an OFT fine. It also advised Compucredit on the merger control aspects of the sale of Purpose/MEM to Dollar. Phil McDonnell leads the team from Manchester, with Bruce Kilpatrick and Rona Bar-Isaac in London also recommended.

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP’s practice has grown considerably in recent years, and the ‘cutting-edge’ team is ‘very high quality across the board’, with ‘very quick response times, detailed knowledge of procedure, legislation and individuals, and appropriate and well-thought-through advice’. It advised The Walt Disney Company on investigations by Ofcom and the Competition Commission into the UK pay TV sector; and Google on its $12.5bn acquisition of Motorola Mobility following complaints by Microsoft and other EU competitors. Maurits Dolmans and Nicholas Levy are both ‘highly impressive’.

DLA Piper UK LLP’s team is ‘experienced, highly knowledgeable and very competent’, and is ‘well placed to act on any matter with a multi-jurisdictional dimension’. Clients including the FA Premier League and Pure Circle. Mike Pullen has expertise across international trade disputes and investigations, anti-subsidy matters, countervailing duties, trade safeguards, and WTO law.

Eversheds LLP’s four-partner team gives ‘accurate, practical and focused’ advice, and has strength in contentious matters, particularly cartel cases and dawn raids. The team recently acted for Recolight and others in a High Court competition and injunction damages claim. Department head Ros Kellaway is recommended, and Nicola Holmes provides ‘commercial, pragmatic’ advice.

Jones Day’s six-partner team acts for clients including AstraZeneca and the London Metal Exchange, and has strength in cross-border matters, behavioural issues, cartel risk management, and mergers. It acted for Apple in relation to the European Commission’s eBooks investigation. Frances Murphy and Vincent Brophy are recommended.

Latham & Watkins LLP’s four-partner team is active in London and Brussels, notably in cartel matters. It also advised Global Crossing on the clearance of its merger with Level 3. Recommended figures include John Colahan, Marc Hansen and Omar Shah.

Norton Rose LLP has a balanced four-partner practice covering merger control, behavioural and contentious matters, and acts for clients such as Stena Line, RWE, and BMW. It advised Asda in a successful appeal against the OFT decision in the high-profile tobacco case, quashing an adverse decision and £14m fine. It also acted for PwC in the Competition Commission market investigation into the UK’s ‘Big Four’ audit firms. Practice head Martin Coleman, Michael Grenfell, and Mark Jones are recommended.

Simmons & Simmons LLP is ‘technically sound, responsive and pragmatic, and solutions focused’, and has expertise in investigations and complaints, multi-jurisdictional cartel work, merger control, public procurement, and state aid. It acted for Nippon Electric Glass of Japan on the settlement of the European Commission’s investigation into an alleged CRT glass cartel. Key names include team head Martin Smith, Tony Woodgate, and Oliver Heinisch, who is ‘very professional, with a deep understanding of EU competition law as well as the client’s industry’.

CMS Cameron McKenna LLP gives ‘timely and appropriate’ advice. The team has particular strength in behavioural work, and sector expertise in life sciences, consumer products, energy, upstream oil and gas and electricity, and infrastructure. It acted for Takeda on EUMR and multi-jurisdictional merger control of its €9.6bn acquisition of Swiss-based pharma company Nycomed. Susan Hankey and David Marks are recommended, and Caroline Hobson was promoted to partner in May.

Macfarlanes LLP ‘really gets to grips with the business, the industry and the issues facing clients’. It acted for BATS Global Markets on the competition aspects of its acquisition of Chi-X Europe, and for Pinewood Healthcare on a complaint to the OFT about the conduct of Reckitt Benckiser. The ‘calm and unflappable’ Marc Israel heads the team. Malcolm Walton was promoted to partner and has expertise in the pharmaceutical sector, and in matters involving mixed competition and IP issues.

Nabarro LLP’s team ‘will go the extra mile in terms of understanding its clients and investing time in building relationships’. The broad practice covers merger controls cartel cases, behavioural matters, market inquiries, state aid, and EU single market issues. It acted for KM Group in seeking OFT clearance for its proposed acquisition of seven local newspapers from Northcliffe Media. Brian Sher is ‘highly responsive, has excellent experience and shows great judgement’, and team head Cyrus Mehta is ‘commercial and solutions-oriented’.

Pinsent Masons LLP’s ‘solid’ and wide-ranging two-partner practice has experience in sectors such as construction, financial services, life sciences, manufacturing, media and transport. The firm acted for Galliford Try in the OFT’s construction cartel investigation, and assisted DCC Energy UK in relation to its involvement in the Off-Grid Energy Market Study. Group head Guy Lougher and Alan Davis are recommended.

The ‘really quality offering’ at Shearman & Sterling LLP is highly rated by both clients and peers, and has a broad range of experience, with strength in behavioural and contentious work, including cartel investigations by the European Commission and appeals to the Court of First Instance. It also has expertise in international mergers and OFT work. Matthew Readings is a popular figure.

Arnold & Porter (UK) LLP has sector expertise in consumer goods, retail, tobacco, pharmaceuticals and chemicals, biotech and telecoms, and acts for clients including Kraft Foods, Monsanto and Philip Morris International. It advised GE Oil & Gas on its $1.3bn acquisition of Wellstream. Team head Tim Frazer and Susan Hinchliffe are recommended.

Bird & Bird has a broad practice and expertise in sectors including electronic communications and sport. Recent work includes a range of matters for BT, including a pending appeal in the Court of Appeal. Richard Eccles is recommended. Highly regarded associate Jeremy Robinson left for Gates and Partners, while Nina Cummins joined from Matheson Ormsby Prentice.

Bristows is a ‘very strong practice, in particular in disputes concerning the overlap between competition law and IP, and in the technology and telecommunications sectors’. It acted for Samsung Electronics Co on the competition law aspects of its litigation with Apple. Pat Treacy has ‘experience, insight and guts, and provides a reassuring but ungilded view’.

Burges Salmon LLP has expertise in sectors such as retail, transport, energy, food, defence and nuclear, and covers the full range of competition law matters. It acted for Co-operative Group in its tobacco cartel appeal. Laura Claydon ‘has good commercial sense, maintains close control over a case, and manages her clients ’ wishes and expectations calmly and effectively’. Matthew O’Regan arrived from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer’s Brussels office.

Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP provides ‘practical advice’ that ‘can be understood and used easily’. The three-partner team is well known for its capabilities in behavioural competition law, having advised in a number of high-profile cartel cases, and appeals and litigation in the Competition Appeal Tribunal, High Court and EU Courts. It advised All Nippon Airways in relation to the European Commission investigation into an alleged air freight cartel. John Cassels is ‘very astute, approachable and adaptable’.

Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson (London) LLP’s key expertise lies in merger and cartel work. It recently advised Malaysia Airlines in several competition matters, involving cartel investigations and litigation, while other clients include Royal Caribbean and Rio Tinto. Alasdair Balfour is ‘outstanding’.

Holman Fenwick Willan LLP has expertise in general competition law, multi-jurisdictional merger control, general EU law, regulation, public procurement, and state aid. Recommended individuals include Anthony Woolich and Eliza Petritsi, who is a high-profile partner in anti-trust matters at European level.

K&L Gates LLP has grown its practice over recent years, and has strengthened its capabilities in areas such as merger control. It advised Eurochem International Holdings on merger control issues and strategic matters, and also advises Formula One Management and Lockheed Martin. Scott Megregian and Neil Baylis are recommended.

Mayer Brown International LLP is known principally for defending media and construction clients in international cartel investigations, representing energy and financial services clients in abuse of dominance investigations, and obtaining clearances for complex international mergers. It acted for Sisk Group in its appeal to the CAT against an OFT cartel fine. Gillian Sproul leads the team.

Olswang team is ‘client focused and possesses the commercial acumen to secure a competitive advantage’. It has specialisms in the technology and telecoms sectors, with a focus on contentious matters. Active clients include Cineworld, and ITV. It acted for Microsoft in litigation over unauthorised Xbox 360 accessories. Howard Cartlidge is a ‘straight-talking, personable lawyer who does not baffle with unnecessary details, meaning clients are quickly able to get to grips with the crux of the issue’.

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe (Europe) LLP’s two-partner team acts on a broad range of matters, but has seen particular growth in the TMT sector of late. It acted for Exxaro Resources Ltd in the combination of its mineral sands business with Tronox. Douglas Lahnborg is recommended.

Reed Smith’s team ‘operates as a whole, the client service is very responsive, and the lawyers understand the industry in which their clients operate’. It is known for its expertise in the shipping, trade, and media sectors, and recently acted for a shipping line in a European cartel investigation. Edward Miller is ‘knowledgeable and provides relevant advice on short notice’, and Marjorie Holmes has ‘unique expertise in EU shipping competition law, combined with commercial awareness’.

SNR Denton acted for Total in obtaining clearance from the OFT for the sale of Total’s entire downstream business to Rontec. Sam Szlezinger is recommended.

Shepherd and Wedderburn handles both non-contentious and contentious competition matters, and acts for clients such as Heineken UK, and RBS. It acted for TEVA UK in relation to UK and EU patent settlement investigations, and for Bowmer & Kirkland in the OFT investigation into cover pricing in the construction industry. John Schmidt is recommended.

‘Fantastic’ firm Sidley Austin LLP has ‘great knowledge, and a great ability to work with people all over the world and co-ordinate effectively with them’. It acts for clients including Airbus, Hachette, Microsoft, and AT&T. It acted for Western Union on its $1bn acquisition of Travelex Global Business Payments. David Went is recommended, and Tim Cowen is ‘intelligent but also practical, and capable of thinking in terms of broader strategy for a corporate client’.

Taylor Wessing LLP’s ‘very effective’ team has a good name in the technology, telecoms, life sciences, and energy sectors, and in behavioural work. It recently defended Ricoh against a £49m claim in the High Court. ‘Outstanding professional’ Robert Vidal - is ‘not afraid to take a risk and will challenge perceived wisdom’.

Travers Smith LLP has a strong reputation in mergers, but has also seen an increase in behavioural work. It advised Pinewood Shepperton on a takeover offer by Peel Acquisitions and the subsequent OFT clearance process, while other clients include Bridgepoint Capital and Gala Coral. Key partner Margaret Moore is recommended, and Nigel Seay ‘invests significant time understanding the business and the industry to ensure that the advice he is giving is both relevant and commercially focused’.

Wragge & Co LLP’s team is spread between London and Birmingham. It has traditional strength in merger work, but regulatory investigations, litigation and compliance have all been areas of focus. It acted for Thomas Vale Group in its appeal to the CAT against the fine imposed by the OFT as a result of its investigation into cover pricing in the construction industry. Bernardine Adkins is recommended.

Also of note are Peters & Peters Solicitors LLP, where Michael O’Kane has an excellent reputation as one of the leading criminal cartel lawyers in the UK; and Hausfeld & Co LLP, which specialises in claimant damages actions with a particular focus on competition law.

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