EU and competition in North West
DWF
At DWF, practice head Jonathan Branton splits his time between Leeds and Manchester, handling high-profile work such as advising PepsiCo and subsidiary Walkers Crisps on the acquisition of Pipers Crisps. In addition to acting on merger control, the department is distinguished for its handling of EU state aid matters, EU procurement matters and EU funding regulatory issues. Cartels are a further area strength for the team, which also includes Colin Murray, an expert on public law, procurement and governance. Senior associate Jay Mehta’s strengths lie in representing education sector clients, local authorities and combined authorities.
Practice head(s):
Jonathan Branton
Other key lawyers:
Colin Murray; Jay Mehta; James Lupton
Key clients
Homes England
Irish Government
OSRAM Licht Group
Birmingham City Council & Finance Birmingham
Serco
Maven Capital Partners LLP
University of Liverpool
PepsiCo
National Lottery Heritage Fund / National Lottery Community Fund
Liverpool City Council & Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
Manchester City Council
Stockport Council
Greater Manchester Combined Authority
Cheshire & Warrington LEP
Barnfield Group
Welsh Government
Marshall Construction
Northern Trust Limited
Lancashire County Council (& LEP)
Work highlights
- Acted for OSRAM in securing CMA clearance for its acquisition of Ring Automotive.
- Advised Liverpool City Region Combined Authority in a series of grant funding scenarios in administering its SIF (Strategic Investment Fund).
- Advised Maven on the administration of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund and the Midlands Engine Investment Fund.
Weightmans LLP
Weightmans LLP has expertise in cartel damages, state aid and procurement law. Under the leadership of Laurence Pritchard, a merger control and anti-competitive practice expert, the team is particularly knowledgeable in the airline, airport, food and drink and insurance industries. It also represents a number of local authorities, listed companies, universities, developers and venture funds in relation to state aid issues with grants, deal structures and loans.
Practice head(s):
Laurence Pritchard
Other key lawyers:
Tristan Feunteun; Gary Jones
Key clients
UK Trucks Claim Limited
S. Norton & Co. Limited
Chiesi Limited
Swissport
John West Limited
Stobart Group
Wi-Manx Limited
Washington Mills Limited
Motor Insurers’ Bureau
British Insurance Brokers Association
Lotus Bakeries Limited
Diversey
Gazprom
Sonoco
All About Food
Peel Ports Group
Wizzair
Doncaster Sheffield Airport Limited
Mondi Group
North Hertfordshire D.C.
Work highlights
- Acted for UK Trucks Claim Limited on issuing proceedings on behalf of owners and lessees of over 600,000 trucks which were sold by way of unlawful anti-competitive practices undertaken and admitted by a cartel of European truck manufacturers over a 14 year period.
- Advised Swissport in obtaining unconditional clearance from the Competition and Markets Authority of its acquisition from Air France of the remaining 50% of Heathrow Cargo Handling Limited.
- Advising Rutland County Council on State aid compliance in obtaining grant funding through the DCMS Local Full Fibre Networks Challenge Fund under the Public Sector Building Upgrades programme.
Addleshaw Goddard
The ‘very commercial-thinking team’ at Addleshaw Goddard is entrusted for antitrust investigations, competition enforcement, merger control, state aid implications and advisory matters. In addition, the department is active in respect of competition litigation, led by Mark Molyneux, particularly in respect of matters concerning the retail and financial services sectors. Clients single out managing associate Mark Crane, who recently joined from Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP.
Practice head(s):
Bruce Kilpatrick; Mark Molyneux
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘A very commercial-thinking team that is competent, quick and swift to reply‘.
‘I have worked specifically with Mark Crane. He struck me as really excellent with great judgement and a get-things-done attitude.’
Key clients
Inspired Entertainment Inc
JD Sports Fashion Plc
Road Haulage Association
Co-operative Group Limited
PZ Cussons
Office Depot Europe
NKT group of companies
British American Tobacco
KCom Group Ltd
Scotia Gas Networks
Terra Firma
Department for Transport
Brenntag UK
Work highlights
- Instructed by Office Depot (ODE) in relation to two claims in the English High Court for follow and stand-alone damages against addressees of a decision of the European Commission in relation to the Envelopes Cartel and/or companies in their respective corporate groups, for losses arising from the purchase by ODE of envelopes caused by the Envelopes Cartel.
- Instructed by six companies in the NKT group across two claims. Some of the first follow-on claims from the Power Cables decision were brought in the UK by National Grid Electricity Transmission plc (NGET) and, separately, companies within the Scottish Power group of companies.
Squire Patton Boggs
The Manchester team at Squire Patton Boggs is part of a broader practice spread across London and Brussels; key partner Diarmuid Ryan divides his time between all three offices. Director Nicola Elam, who is based in the Manchester office, benefits from previous experience at the European Commission, and advises many of the team's key clients on UK and EU competition law.
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Providing legal competition argument to required narrative in a punchy style.’
‘Diarmuid Ryan cuts to the chase and sees the bigger picture and points of detail extremely quickly.’
Key clients
Britned
Cathay Pacific
Citron Hygiene UK
Funeral Partners
Studio Retail Group PLC
Vp PLC
Work highlights
- Defending Vp PLC in the CMA’s ongoing Groundworks cartel investigation.
- Advising Funeral Partners on the CMA’s funerals market investigation.
- Advising Studio Retail Group PLC in securing CMA approval for its sale of Findel Education Limited to YPO.