DWF‘s stellar reputation in the competition law space spans the public and private sectors, as evidenced by the firm’s notable roster of blue-chip international businesses and leading public sector organisations, including both the Scottish and Welsh governments. Practice head Jonathan Branton‘s ‘really good instinct‘ has been instrumental in developing the team’s stand-out capabilities in the areas of state aid and, more recently, subsidy control; senior associate Jay Mehta and director Alexander Rose are also recommended for such work. Colin Murray, who leads the national local government offering, is another key group member.
EU and competition in North West
DWF
Practice head(s):
Jonathan Branton; Colin Murray
Other key lawyers:
Jay Mehta; Alexander Rose
Testimonials
‘Outside of London, the best state aid and subsidy control practice in the country. Better than 95% of London practices as well.’
‘Jonathan Branton – very experienced, very knowledgeable and really good instinct.’
‘Alexander Rose – fantastically on top of his subject.’
Key clients
Homes England
Advanced Propulsion Centre
Autocab
Serco
Maven Capital Partners LLP
The Arts Council
National Lottery Heritage Fund/National Lottery Community Fund
Liverpool City Council & Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
Wigan Council
Wirral Borough Council
Greater Manchester Combined Authority
Manchester City Council
Glennon Brothers (Timber)
Cheshire & Warrington LEP
Morrisons
Manchester Metropolitan University
Medicines Discovery Catapult
Medina Dairies
Durham Council
Work highlights
- Advised PepsiCo on securing CMA clearance for its acquisition of Pipers Crisps.
- Advised the Irish Government on a State aid audit carried out by the European Commission, including putting in place measures to demonstrate the compliance of subsidies during the delivery of the funding programme.
- Advising Homes England on the compliance aspects of multiple funding programmes.
Weightmans LLP
Under the experienced leadership of Laurence Pritchard, the team at Weightmans LLP continues to be widely recognised for its expertise in competition law damages claims. The firm’s representation of UK Trucks Claim in its application to the Competition Appeal Tribunal on behalf of 600,000 UK purchasers and lessees of trucks who suffered loss as a result of cartel activities is just one recent example of such work. The firm is also noted for its depth of industry knowledge in the airline, energy, food and drink, and insurance sectors. Gary Jones regularly advises local authorities and universities on subsidy control issues.
Practice head(s):
Laurence Pritchard
Other key lawyers:
Gary Jones; Vincent King
Testimonials
‘Very good industry knowledge.’
‘Laurence Pritchard is super.’
‘The work involved such a breadth of legal areas that I needed a major firm with the necessary level of experience to assist. Weightmans were the first choice and have not disappointed. The project is led by Vincent King who calls on a further team of experts within Weightmans who together have helped to seamlessly deliver the necessary agreement which simply would not have been possible if we attempted to do it in-house.’
‘Vincent King has an encyclopedic knowledge of procurement and contract law, pays very clear attention to the important details, and distills complex legal points to the client in a very accessible way.’
Key clients
UK Trucks Claim Limited
S. Norton & Co. Limited
Chiesi Limited
Swissport
John West Limited
Esken Limited
Wi-Manx Limited
Washington Mills Limited
The Integrity Foundation (HIES)
British Insurance Brokers Association
Lotus Bakeries Limited
The Double Glazing & Quality Assurance Ombudsman Scheme
Gazprom
Sonoco
All About Food
Peel Ports Group/Mersey Docks and Harbour Company
Wizzair
Doncaster Sheffield Airport Limited
Crafter’s Companion Limited
North Lincolnshire Council
Emko Capital LLC
Composite Ones LLC
Costcutter
ZO Skin Health Inc
Anixter Limited
NHS Southport & Formby CCG
The Quality Assurance Co Limited
Cumbria County Council/University of Cumbria
Wigan Council
Flintshire County Council
Work highlights
- Representing UK Trucks Claim, which has issued 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 ZO Skin Health – a US-based manufacturer and supplier of skincare beauty products – on the European and UK merger control aspects of its proposed acquisition of the distributors of its products in the UK, Ireland and France.
- Advised All About Food on its distribution arrangements in the UK and the Republic of Ireland, particularly post-Brexit, ensuring that those relationships operate in compliance with EU and UK competition laws.
Addleshaw Goddard
Addleshaw Goddard‘s reputation as a go-to advisor for the full gamut of antitrust mandates ensures that a roster of major corporates instructs the team to assist with the most complex competition enforcement and merger control matters. The firm is particularly well regarded for its cutting edge work on regulated cases; in a recent example, the group was involved with the judicial review of a CMA decision made in its tribunal capacity. The London-based Bruce Kilpatrick
and Mark Molyneux take the lead on advisory and litigious work, respectively. Over in Manchester, Samantha Haigh and managing associate Mark Crane are recommended.
Practice head(s):
Bruce Kilpatrick; Mark Molyneux
Other key lawyers:
Samantha Haigh; Mark Crane; Rona Bar-Isaac
Testimonials
‘Rona Bar-Isaac runs a very proficient competition team.’
Key clients
SSE Plc
Finlays (James Finlay Ltd)
Greater Manchester Combined Authority
Elysian Capital
Aberdeen City Council
Tata Chemicals Europe
Asda Stores Limited
Work highlights
- Represented SSE in the first ever judicial review of the CMA in its capacity as a tribunal.
- Advised Finlays on global merger control issues, in particular those concerning the client’s disposal of its flowers business to Black Tulip.
- Advising a range of public sector organisations on subsidy control issues.
Shoosmiths LLP
Competition law expertise forms the cornerstone of the practice at Shoosmiths LLP. Principal associate Angela Gregson leads the team; she has a stellar track record representing clients in CMA and European Commission cases, including merger reviews, financial penalty negotiations, and price maintenance investigations. The firm also assists clients with the day-to-day management of their competition-related risks.
Practice head(s):
Angela Gregson
Key clients
Marshall Amplification plc
CooperOstlund Limited
Work highlights
- Represented a leading retailer in a CMA resale price maintenance case relating to the supply of guitars, ensuring that the client was not fined or identified in the CMA’s published decision.
- Represented one of the eye consultants found to have infringed competition law in the CMA’s investigation into privately funded ophthalmology services, securing a reduction in financial penalty and minimising announcements identifying the client’s involvement.
- Advised SIG on the CMA’s Phase 1 merger control investigation into its £37.5 million disposal of Building Solutions to Kingspan.
Squire Patton Boggs
With ‘highly practical‘ group lead Diarmuid Ryan splitting his time between the firm’s Manchester, London and Brussels offices, the team is well placed to handle the gamut of contentious and advisory EU and UK competition and state aid matters. Assisting with international merger control reviews is a particular area of strength, as is acting in CMA market investigations.
Practice head(s):
Diarmuid Ryan
Testimonials
‘Diarmuid Ryan provides highly practical and commercial advice delivered straight.’
Key clients
A.C. Nielsen
Amcor
Bayer UK
Calon
EDF
Grafton plc
HomeServe Plc
Kongsberg Automotive ASA
Primo Water Corporation (previously Cott Corporation)
Princes Foods
Rimac
Roche
S.A. Industrias Celulosa Aragonesa CIF (SAICA)
Selecta Group
SRCL Limited
Studio Retail Group PLC
Telegraph Media Group
Vp PLC
World Sailing
Work highlights
- Defending Vp in the CMA’s groundworks cartel investigation.
- Advising Kongsberg Automotive on the merger control aspects of the €175m sale of its interior comfort systems business unit to Lear Corporation, including the Phase 1 review by the European Commission.
- Advising Grafton Group on the CMA’s Phase 1 review and conditional clearance of the proposed sale of six of its businesses within the general builders merchants industry to Huws Gray.