Back to United Kingdom - The Bar

Leading Silks

Daniel Beard KCMonckton Chambers ‘Daniel is a one-man A-Team. No matter how insurmountable the challenge, if you can enlist his services, your chances of success are massively improved.’
Mark Brealey KCMonckton Chambers ‘Mark is a great strategic thinker who brings leadership and insight to the most complex of cases.’
Helen Davies KCBrick Court Chambers 'A very organised and direct silk.'
Marie Demetriou KCBrick Court ChambersOne of the absolute stars of the competition Bar and seen as one of the best of the best for very good reason. Brilliant legal and tactic analysis, only takes good points, cuts through the noise and nonsense and so everyone listens when Marie makes a point in court.’
James Flynn KCBrick Court ChambersJames is an analytical and focussed silk who leads cases with poise. He is exceptionally easy to work with and a pleasure to hear discuss complex matters of law.’
Sarah Ford KCBrick Court ChambersSarah is extremely bright, hard working and absolutely across this area. She is extremely measured in her advice and able to guide clients through the complexities in some of the most technical areas of competition law.’
Paul Harris KCMonckton Chambers ‘Rightly regarded as one of the very few top barristers in this area. Paul is forceful and a formidable opponent but capable of flexing his style so that he is effective in front of all tribunals; an absolute star.’
Josh Holmes KCMonckton Chambers ‘Josh is a first-rate silk. He is everything you want from a senior counsel: fiercely intelligent, commercial in approach, fantastic in front of clients, across the detail, excellent judgement and great on his feet.’
Mark Hoskins KCBrick Court ChambersMark remains one of the very best, if not the best, in his field of expertise. He cuts through complexity and is concise and precise in has written and oral advocacy.’
Daniel Jowell KCBrick Court ChambersLeading competition silk – very user friendly and super easy to deal with.’
Brian Kennelly KCBlackstone Chambers ‘Brian is a superb advocate, he knows competition disputes better than anyone and he is the most user-friendly barrister at the top of the competition Bar.’
Meredith Pickford KCMonckton ChambersHe is superb in every way - he has a sharp mind and is great on the economics of a case.’
Jon Turner KCMonckton Chambers ‘Jon has a calm forcefulness about him and his strategic thinking is second-to-none.’
Tim Ward KCMonckton ChambersA leading silk who is very focussed on obtaining the best outcome for his client, Tim attacks his cases with enthusiasm and vigour, and is highly communicative.’
Kieron Beal KCBlackstone Chambers ‘Kieron is just superb. He is across the detail but never loses sight of the big picture, which is reflected in his advocacy.’
Michael Bowsher KCMonckton Chambers ‘His knowledge of competition law and developments in the law are second to none. Michael is a real intellectual heavyweight.’
Gerry Facenna KCMonckton Chambers ‘Brilliant advocate, great grasp of the detail together with real strategic nous. Gerry is one of the best.’
Philip Moser KCMonckton Chambers ‘Philip reads the room very well, is very persuasive and authoritative.’
Robert O’Donoghue KC – Brick Court ChambersA clear, persuasive and powerful advocate with a mastery of competition law. He is a particularly effective cross-examiner, who had the other side’s witnesses reeling from their experience in the box during trial last year.’
George Peretz KCMonckton Chambers ‘George has an exceptional level of knowledge and insight on competition and EU matters, which he combines with a very easy style.’
Aidan Robertson KCBrick Court Chambers 'Aidan has a great way with clients and his depth of knowledge is extraordinary.'
Kassie Smith KCMonckton Chambers ‘Kassie is a leader in the competition law field with huge legal knowledge, gives extremely careful and considered advice and is a compelling advocate.’
Rhodri Thompson KCMatrix Chambers ‘Rhodri is an advocate of choice before the CMA. He is highly skilled at pitching arguments to a Regulator in a way which they will listen to and accept.’
Richard Handyside KCFountain Court Chambers ‘Richard is one of the pre-eminent silks at the commercial Bar and continues to provide excellent service. He is contactable and strategic in his thinking, and has brought this level of thinking, previously more common to general commercial litigation, to the competition sphere.’
Anneli Howard KCMonckton Chambers ‘Very knowledgeable, thoughtful and intelligent. Anneli is not only thorough but absolutely committed to a case and to working constructively as a team, providing excellent advice and judgement.’
Robert Palmer KC    – Monckton Chambers ‘Robert is excellent. He makes himself readily available at very short notice and is always happy for you to float ideas past him. He is genuinely collaborative and a great communicator who quickly gets to the nub of an issue and takes a strategic outlook.’
Conall Patton KCOne Essex Court ‘A calm and reassuring presence on any matter, Conall is happy to take a view and stand by it.’
Fergus Randolph KCBrick Court ChambersThe barrister is very knowledgeable in antitrust/competition law matters and matters regarding procedural law. He is responsive and can draw from his wide experience when providing advice.’
Nicholas Saunders KC –Brick Court ChambersA very smooth performer.’
David Scannell KCBrick Court ChambersDavid is a delight to work with. His grasp of the law is formidable and his ability to boil down complex points of law to simple propositions is very impressive.’
James Segan KCBlackstone Chambers ‘James brings clarity of advice, research, thoroughness, and an ability to take on board other's ideas.’
Thomas Sharpe KC – One Essex CourtThomas offers a towering intellect and fantastic client-handling skills.’
Tony Singla KCBrick Court ChambersExcellent advocate and extremely hard working.’
Jemima Stratford KCBrick Court ChambersJemima is a very experienced competition silk, with an excellent and well deserved reputation. She is commercially minded and quickly gets to the nub of the matter, with a constantly commercial perspective.’
Victoria Wakefield KCBrick Court ChambersIntellectually a genius. Fantastic rapport in court with judges.’
Rob Williams KCMonckton ChambersVery good at collaborative thinking with a wider lawyer and client group. Rob brings important insights from his wide case experience, including representing the CMA.’

2022 Silks

Sarah Abram KC - Brick Court Chambers 'A brilliant barrister with superb judgement, and a smiling assassin in cross-examination.'
Jessica Boyd KCBlackstone Chambers ‘Jess is an extremely accomplished advocate when it comes to competition law, quickly understanding the markets, the competitive dynamic and the regulatory context. She understands her client’s needs, not only in terms of the law itself but the commercial context in which it is sought; her elevation to silk recently was richly deserved.

2023 Silks

Daniel Piccinin KCBrick Court ChambersDaniel is one of the very cleverest people at the bar and in a league of his own when it comes to complex economic issues. A great team player and we were delighted to see him take silk this year; he will go on to great things.’

Leading Juniors

David BaileyBrick Court Chambers 'A very cerebral junior with unparalleled knowledge of competition law.'
James BourkeMonckton Chambers ‘James is very intelligent and experienced beyond his year of call; perceptive at identifying issues before they come up.’
Christopher BrownMatrix Chambers ‘Prompt and responsive, Kit is always proactive in providing advice to his clients.’
Nicholas GibsonMatrix Chambers ‘Nicholas is incredibly hard working, energetic, creative and drafts very well. His advocacy is very persuasive and he is not afraid to get really stuck in to the detail and to test things thoroughly.’
Tristan JonesBlackstone Chambers ‘A pleasure to work with and highly sought after, Tristan is astute when it comes to strategy, very good with clients and very good on his feet.’
Sarah LoveBrick Court ChambersSarah is extremely bright, responsive and good at delivering clear advice. She gets into the details of cases and ensures that she is able to provide really effective support.’
Jason PobjoyBlackstone Chambers ‘Jason is a superb and incredibly talented barrister who consistently delivers clear and practical advice to clients, often in relation to very complex issues. A go-to barrister for competition law disputes, he is an absolute delight to instruct and already a star of the competition Bar.’
Ben RaymentMonckton Chambers ‘Ben is great. He is sensible, really hard working, thorough and thoughtful. He drafts clearly and his advocacy is persuasive and effective, which is evident from how judges trust him.’
Julian GregoryMonckton Chambers ‘Julian has a brilliantly forensic approach to reviewing evidence and in using that evidence to bring his pleadings to life. He is appropriately forceful when challenging the client to get to the nub of issues and his drafting is measured and insightful.’
Laura Elizabeth JohnMonckton Chambers ‘Laura is very impressive; calm, assured and knows the subject matter inside-out. Her strategic thinking is top tier and the clients have complete confidence in her.’
Hugo LeithBrick Court ChambersHugo is a superstar junior. He combines intellectual brilliance, crisp advocacy, strategic and technical awareness beyond his years of call, and ferocious work ethic.’
Daisy Mackersie – Monckton Chambers ‘Daisy is absolutely exceptional: fiercely bright, incredibly strategic, wonderfully practical and a joy to work with.’
Brendan McGurkMonckton Chambers ‘Brendan is highly knowledgeable in matters relating to judicial review, public procurement and linked competition issues.’
Julianne Kerr MorrisonMonckton Chambers ‘Julianne is adept at cutting through the noise to simplify complex issues into clear submissions. She is a huge asset to any large case, with an efficient, no-nonsense approach to litigation.’
Emily NeillBlackstone Chambers ‘Emily is exceptionally insightful and strategically out of this world.’
Suzanne RabSerle Court ‘Suzanne is a real team player, works very hard and is highly commercial.’
Gerard RothschildBrick Court ChambersGerard is a truly outstanding draftsman and a superb black letter lawyer. His written work is hard to improve upon: succinct, logical and beautifully written. An excellent competition lawyer, with particular expertise in the energy sector and in collective actions.’
Derek SpitzOne Essex Court ‘Cuts to the crux of an issue quickly and skilfully, both in advocacy and in advice to clients. Derek is very strategic, understands his clients’ objectives and is enjoyable to work with.’
Charlotte ThomasBrick Court ChambersCharlotte is smart and has a broad knowledge far beyond the remit of competition law cases.’
Philip WoolfeMonckton Chambers ‘Philip is an outstanding case leader - a strategist, a strong advocate and an engaged team player. He works extremely hard and has an excellent eye for detail, but is also confident and accomplished on his feet and is a devastating cross-examiner.’
Michael ArmitageMonckton Chambers ‘He is super-bright and amongst the best analytical juniors. Michael knows abuse of dominance issues inside-out, also having excellent tactical nous and exceptional drafting.’
Fiona BanksMonckton Chambers ‘Fiona is incredibly organised and efficient. Not many junior counsel are as effective as her in terms of the speed and quality of output.’
Alison BerridgeMonckton Chambers ‘Alison is like Superman but immune to Kryptonite – she has no known weaknesses. She is an incredibly bright and innovative thinker, who is utterly committed to helping you and the client get the result you need, which she invariably delivers in spades.’
Tom Coates Blackstone Chambers ‘A real rising star, Tom combines intellectual brilliance, crisp advocacy, and strategic and tactical awareness beyond his year of call. He has impeccable judgement in a way that is innate and manages to convey clear and short answers to the most difficult issues in the case.’
Owain DraperOne Essex CourtOwain is an excellent junior counsel. His written submissions are persuasive, well structured and impactful.’
Nikolaus GrubeckMonckton ChambersSteeped in competition law, Nik always provides clear and considered advice. He is equally able of seeing the commercial realities and risks for his clients.
David HeatonBrick Court ChambersDavid has an extraordinary capacity for hard work and ability to manage huge amounts of detail.’
Tim JohnstonBrick Court ChambersExcellent, clear, crisp drafting combined with a broad and deep knowledge of competition and public law. Very user-friendly, always willing to pick up the phone to talk through issues.’
Matthew Kennedy Brick Court ChambersMatthew is incredibly hard working and responsive. He is a team player who is happy to roll up his sleeves. His advocacy style is excellent — confident and very easy to follow. Definitely one to watch.’
Stefan Kuppen – Monckton Chambers ‘Stefan has really impressive financial and market knowledge, as well as a head for detail.’
Ben Lewy – One Essex Court ‘Ben is very bright. He is good at analysis and putting a case together, forming a strong link with the counsel team.’
Emily MacKenzieBrick Court ChambersEmily is an all round excellent lawyer, a superb person to have on any team. She produces written work that is of the very highest standard and always on time, even under pressure.’
Jennifer MacLeodBrick Court Chambers 'Jennifer has deep knowledge of competition law. She is a skilled communicator who provides insightful and well-reasoned advice to clients and persuasive arguments in court.'
Ciar McAndrew – Monckton Chambers ‘An excellent team player and willing to get involved in all aspects of the case, Ciar has a good eye for detail and is great to work with.’
Conor McCarthyMonckton Chambers ‘Conor is forensic, highly knowledgeable and always helpful and approachable. He is the go-to senior junior for competition law matters.’
Ravi Mehta Blackstone Chambers ‘Ravi is very bright and has a strength for competition law.’
Emma MockfordBrick Court ChambersEmma is a fantastic junior. Extremely hard-working, practical and responsive, she worked seamlessly with the solicitors throughout.’
Ligia OsepciuMonckton Chambers ‘Ligia is whip-smart, pragmatic, strategic and brings the best of detail into pushing forward strategy levers.’
Tom PascoeBrick Court ChambersTom is very effective in drafting pleadings that are water-tight on the most complex issues of substance whilst remaining clear and easy to understand by readers unfamiliar with the law or the case.’
Jack WilliamsMonckton Chambers ‘Very hard working and approachable, Jack adopts a sensible approach to cases. He has a calm, well-structured and unflappable style of advocacy; he is able to deal with heavyweight cases and more senior barristers without any problems at all.’

Rising Stars

Isabel Buchanan Blackstone Chambers ‘Isabel is extremely bright and very responsive. She produces clear, thorough and well-written analysis and presents well. She is also adept at grasping the key issues on a large piece of competition litigation.’
David GregoryMonckton Chambers ‘David is an absolutely brilliant junior: ferociously intelligent, technically flawless and with superb judgement, indefatigable, and a real team player.’
Alexandra LittlewoodMonckton Chambers ‘Alexandra is diligent, hard working, precise and timely.’

Competition in London Bar

Brick Court Chambers


Brick Court Chambers continues to handle the leading cases in the field of competition law, advising both claimants and defendants across the spectrum of competition areas, from state aid and cartels to abuse of dominant positions and contested mergers. Mark Hoskins KC leads, among others, Sarah Abram KC, who took silk in 2022, in acting for leading mobile operators, including O2 and Telefonica, in a damages claim brought by Phones4U for around £800m; the retailer collapsed into administration in 2014 alleging that the networks conspired to drive it out of business. Marie Demetriou KC continues to lead Victoria Wakefield KC among others in Merricks v Mastercard, the first collection action certified by the CAT, with more proceedings in 2023 following the success in the Court of Appeal in late 2022 – the case seeks damages for virtually every adult in the UK, who allegedly paid inflated prices owing to the payment network’s interchange fees. In Allergen & Ors v CMA, Robert O’Donoghue KC led Emma Mockford when acting Cinven – previous owner of a business now forming part of Advanz Pharmaceuticals – in its appeal against the regulator’s 2021 decision that drug companies overcharged the NHS for hydrocortisone tablets.

Testimonials

‘Jo Francis and Tony Burgess are always very helpful and a pleasure to deal with.’

‘Hannah Rayner is helpful and responsive.’

‘The service provided by Brick court chambers is excellent. The clerks are very responsible and take care of all the administrative tasks very swiftly.’

‘The Clerks Room is efficient and businesslike.’

‘Brick Court are the go-to Chambers for competition law with strength in depth.’

‘Brick Court is of course one of the strongest sets, and the competition counsel are in great demand, a situation shared with the few other sets specialising in this area.’

‘A top set of chambers. They have real strength in depth and are the ‘go to’ set for competition matters.’

‘For competition matters, Brick Court Chambers is one of the strongest sets offering enormously talented advocates at every level.’

Work highlights














Monckton Chambers


Well established as a first-rate competition law set’, Monckton Chambers is renowned for its expertise concerning the gamut of competition issues, advising and representing clients in proceedings across a wide range of contexts including administrative proceedings, appeals and judicial review, and private competition law actions. Daniel Beard KC led Alison Berridge when acting for Compare the Market, successfully appealing a fine from the CMA for allegedly distorting the market for home insurance comparison services. Jon Turner KC and Meredith Pickford KC continue to act for Asda and Morrisons against Mastercard, with the case being sent back to the CAT for a 6-week witness trial on damages in January 2023. The trucks litigation continues through collective proceedings and individual claims, with Paul Harris KC leading the defence for Daimler AG and Mercedes-Benz; permission has now been granted to take further elements of the cases to the Court of Appeal. Josh Holmes KC and Daisy Mackersie represented the CMA in major Competition Act appeals, defending imposed fines totalling more than £260m on pharmaceutical companies.

Testimonials

‘John Keegan is a pleasure to work with – incredibly responsible and always keen to help.’

‘Very professional and very responsive. David Hockney and John Keegan are great guys and very personable and reasonable.’

‘Steve Duffett is the go to clerk at Monckton Chambers. He is efficient, friendly and an all round excellent clerk.’

‘All the clerks in my experience offer a stellar service. They are very responsive and I can rely on them for a swift response and they are all very helpful.’

‘Fantastic strength-in-depth across the antitrust spectrum, as well as other areas.’

‘Leading set for competition work.’

‘Monckton are incredibly strong in competition law generally.’

‘Monckton Chambers has very strong strength and depth in competition law, which makes it the go to chambers for many.’

Work highlights














Blackstone Chambers


Blackstone Chambers offers ‘great strength in depth, at both silk and junior level’ for competition work, operating at the forefront of regulatory and private damages actions in the UK; as well as a recognised reputation for international expertise, representing governments, regulators, defendants and claimants across multiple jurisdictions. Acting under temporary admission to the Hong Kong Bar, Competition Commission of Hong Kong v W Hing Construction, James Segan KC represented the Commission in the first case heard in the that forum about pecuniary penalties for contravention of that jurisdiction’s competition law. In two significant judgments handed down by the CAT, Brian Kennelly KC and Paul Luckhurst represented UBS in a case regarding applications for opt-out collective proceedings under 47B of the Competition Act; while Monica Carss-Frisk KC, Jessica Boyd KC, Isabel Buchanan and Tom Coates appeared in CityFibre Limited v Ofcom, with the tribunal dismissing CityFibre’s appeal under section 192 of the Communications Act 2003.

Testimonials

‘My experience of the clerks has been first rate – they have been responsive and commercial.’

‘Blackstone have a very in depth competition practice that is well renowned.’

‘For competition matters, Blackstone Chambers is one of the strongest sets offering enormously talented advocates at every level.’

‘Blackstone has great strength in depth, at both silk and junior level, for competition and other related areas of public law.’

‘Blackstone Chambers is arguably the best-regarded set at the Bar. They are at or top of each league they play in.’

‘The clerks are good to work with – some of the best around. Adam Sloane is very good.’

‘Among the best sets of chambers. Strength in depth.’

Work highlights














Matrix Chambers


Drawing upon strong expertise in related areas of law such as EU, public, criminal and commercial litigation, Matrix Chambers is well placed to handle complex and high profile competition matters concerning state aid, public procurement, utilities regulation and commercial judicial review. Rhodri Thompson KC and Nicholas Gibson have continued to act for UK Trucks Claim Ltd in UK Trucks Claim v Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V and others, representing the proposed class representative in a collective damages action before the CAT under section 47B of the Competition Act. In R (SSE Generation Ltd) v CMA, the first time a decision of the CMA in its appellate capacity was subjected to judicial review, Christopher Brown achieved a favourable result for the regulator in a three-day hearing before the Court of Appeal.

Testimonials

‘Matrix Chambers are very accommodating and responsive. Training programmes are a gap in their offering compared to those offered by other sets.’ 

‘Excellent service form this set.’

‘The clerks are approachable and available.’

 

Work highlights














One Essex Court


One Essex Court has continued to develop the strength of its competition offering in-hand with the explosive growth the area has experienced in recent times, handling a steady stream of significant mandates proceeding through the CAT, as well as the High Court. Conall Patton KC successfully defeated a claim brought against Ede & Ravenscroft alleging abuse of dominant position, the case raised a novel defence which concerned “greenwashing” claims of the claimant which was held to be a fraudulent misrepresentation. Sonia Tolaney KC defended Mastercard against various UK retailers in a two-month trial before the CAT in January 2023, while Derek Spitz  is representing the class representative in collective proceedings against BT; the first ‘opt-out’ action trial due to take place in early 2024.

Testimonials

‘The clerks at One Essex are very good.’

‘For competition matters, Adam Wheeler is an extremely knowledgeable clerk and good at problem solving. He is always the first clerk we call at One Essex Court.’

‘The clerks room is responsive, professional and friendly. Adam Wheeler is great to work with.’

‘Adam Wheeler is responsive and willing to be flexible.’

‘I have found the Clerks easy to deal with, attentive, and quick to respond to emails. When the particular clerk I have been contacting is away, someone else will respond quickly.’

‘One Essex are getting more and more involved in a range of competition cases. Their presence in the market is always growing.’

‘Making waves in the competition world.’

Work highlights