Hall Of Fame

Next Generation Partners

EU and competition in South West

Burges Salmon LLP

At Burges Salmon LLP, the competition practice remains a popular choice from a wide range of clients stemming from the retail, transport, healthcare, and technology sectors. The firm is able to advise on the full breadth of EU and competition matters and counts areas such as merger control work, compliance issues and antitrust litigation among its strengths. Practice head Chris Worrall has a strong track record with regard to antitrust issues, while John Houlden focuses on state aid and subsidy control work. Anti-competitive agreements, economic regulatory matters, and merger controls form part of director Noel Beale‘s advisory work portfolio.

Practice head(s):

Chris Worrall


Other key lawyers:

John Houlden; Noel Beale; Shachi Nathdwarawala; Sandra Mapara


Testimonials

‘Hands on, experienced and knowledgeable.’

‘Shachi Nathdwarawala: experienced and knowledgeable, good to work with. Chris Worrall: very experienced and efficient.’

‘Very knowledgeable and experienced in this area. Practical advice.’

‘The team is excellent. They come with my strongest recommendation. Always excellent advice.’

‘They’re just a fantastic group of individuals. One of the things I like the most is that the quality is always excellent no matter who I deal with.’

‘Partner Chris Worrall is excellent. He has a huge amount of experience across a range of sectors and issues. His approach is always measured and calm. Senior associate Shachi Nathdwarawala is also excellent. She has a great understanding of client needs and maintains strong relationships with in-house counsel and other senior client stakeholders.’

‘Clear, practical competition law advice. A real understanding of what the client is trying to achieve commercially and how competition law fits in with that.’

Key clients

DHL


Co-operative Group Limited


Spire Healthcare


Department for Transport – Office for Zero Emissions Vehicles


ComfortDelGro and Braddell Limited


Alten


UK Research and Innovation


Fido Tech


Loop Interiors


Embark Group


Work highlights


  • Secured CMA clearance for DHL in relation to its €1.5bn acquisition of global freight forwarding group Hillebrand.
  • Advised ComfortDelGro (owners of Metroline and Scottish Citylink) in relation to its acquisition from Stagecoach Group plc of inter-city coach businesses including Megabus.
  • Advised Spire Healthcare on its acquisition of Claremont Hospital

TLT

With a ‘great sense of teamwork, deep knowledge and good judgment’, the competition and EU law practice at TLT advises clients on CMA investigations, where the team is frequently called upon to manage investigations and handle disputes. Merger control issues, competition law compliance work and commercial agreements are further elements of the firm’s advisory portfolio. ‘Exceptional competition lawyerMiles Trower helms the group and has vast experience across a range of competition matters including compliance mandates as well as UK and EU merger control matters. Clean energy is a particular area of expertise for Bill Hull, who heads up the commercial practice and is also a popular choice for clients in the public sector.

Practice head(s):

Miles Trower


Other key lawyers:

Bill Hull; Richard Collie


Testimonials

‘Friendly, helpful and clear. Their capacity for sifting through copious amounts of material is quite incredible.’

‘The team gives excellent, pragmatic legal advice, and always provides a high quality, responsive service that is tailored to our particular needs.’

‘Miles Trower offers the sort of calm, reassuring and commercially-focused advice that all in-house teams crave.’

Richard Collie impresses with his ability to grasp all aspects of a case and give clear and practical advice.’

‘The team at TLT really take the time to understand a client’s business and this means that their advice is particularly insightful and commercially astute.’

‘Miles Trower is an exceptional competition lawyer who really understands his clients and the commercial drivers behind their business. His deep knowledge translates into truly pragmatic solutions to the challenges clients face.’

‘TLT is an incredibly high quality small practice. They handle some very innovative and high profile cases, and bring a great sense of teamwork, deep knowledge and good judgment to their work.’

‘Miles Trower has unerringly excellent judgment. He can see the potential pitfalls and navigate around them, gives spot-on advice and obtains results that would evade many larger practices.’

Key clients

BGL Group Limited/Comparethemarket.com


Ecotricity Group Limited


Boohoo.com


The Retail Motor Industry Federation Limited/National


Franchised Dealers Association


TUI UK Limited


Imperial Brands PLC


Inchcape plc


Mineral Products Association


Energy Saving Trust Ltd


Merlin Entertainment


Work highlights


  • Representing Comparethemarket.com (CTM) in its successful appeal before the Competition Appeal Tribunal of the CMA’s decision in respect of alleged breaches of the Chapter I prohibition of the Competition Act 1998 and Article 101 TFEU arising from the agreement of retail most favoured nation clauses (wide MFNs) by CTM and certain home insurance providers.
  • Advising Ecotricity Group Limited on a CMA investigation into suspected breaches of competition law in respect of the supply of electric vehicle charge points on or near motorways.
  • Advised a number of UK retail networks on the competition and commercial aspects of agency arrangements relating to 10 global motor vehicle brands.

Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP

The team at Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP has significant expertise in the financial services, retail, energy and transport sectors and handles both contentious and non-contentious matters for its EU and competition clients. Recently, it has acted on a number of disputes including those relating to CMA enforcement actions, and advised regional and international clients on merger control and subsidy control matters. Plymouth-based Andrij Jurkiw acts as practice head and is well versed in investigations brought by different competition regulators at a UK and EU level.

Practice head(s):

Andrij Jurkiw


Key clients

Brigante Properties Limited


Reece Group


Kuehne + Nagel UK Limited


Deo Volente


Work highlights


  • Advised Brigante Properties Limited on its successful resolution of the CMA’s enforcement action against it in the Leasehold case.
  • Advised Reece Group on the CMA merger control aspects of its disposal.
  • Advised a transport hub owner and operator in the context of a threatened damages claim brought by a service provider alleging abuse of a dominant position.

Ashfords LLP

Ashfords LLP fields a specialist subsidy control and procurement team that caters to clients within the public, private and third sectors on a variety of topics ranging from housing and regeneration projects to telecoms and infrastructure developments. Based in Exeter, the team is headed up by Lucy Woods, whose advisory portfolio includes assisting public sector clients with public procurement and state aid matters. Senior associate Ruth Yates, praised for being ‘incredibly commercially minded’, is another key member of the practice and handles a large volume of subsidy control and procurement work. Angela Watson left the firm in July 2022.

Practice head(s):

Lucy Woods


Other key lawyers:

Ruth Yates


Testimonials

‘Ashfords offers a great service that I cannot fault. Every member of their team has been knowledgeable and able to provide me with answers and support through the process.’

‘Ruth Yates is exceptionally knowledgeable and a pleasure to work with, and creates and allows confidence in any project.’

‘I find their advice extremely commercial. They work to a range of complex areas.’

‘I have worked mainly with Ruth Yates, who I find to be incredibly commercially minded. She is efficient and gets the way that we work. She is an absolute pleasure to work with.’

Key clients

Herefordshire Council


Torbay Council


Ashford Borough Council


North Devon District Council


Council of the Isles of Scilly


Mid Devon District Council


Wandsworth Borough Council and the London Borough of Richmond Upon Thames


The Royal Parks


Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea


Exeter City Council


West Devon Borough Council


Post Office Limited


North Yorkshire County Council


Somerset County Council


Kent County Council


Shropshire Council


Advance Northumberland Commercial Limited


Sedgemoor District Council


Populo Living Limited


South Somerset County Council


London Borough of Lambeth


Watford Borough Council


Gloucestershire County Council


Work highlights


  • Advising Wandsworth Borough Council and the London Borough of Richmond Upon Thames on all complex procurements as sole legal advisers.
  • Advising Ashford Borough Council on subsidy control and procurement work for the development of a new film studio.
  • Advising Exeter City Council on the procurement implications of the Guildhall Shopping Centre sale.

Osborne Clarke LLP

Osborne Clarke LLP sports a vibrant competition law practice which is known for its ability to handle merger control in relation to large international deals as well as CMA investigations and state aid matters. The team, which is led by Simon Neill in London, counts technology, retail, and life sciences among its key sectors. In Bristol, Marc Shrimpling has in-depth experience advising on competition, state aid and regulatory matters, while associate director Rebecca Malone is noted for her expertise in subsidy control compliance, merger control, and FDI regulation mandates.

Practice head(s):

Simon Neill


Other key lawyers:

Marc Shrimpling; Rebecca Malone


Key clients

Yahoo


The Publishers Association


Grifols S.A.


Next Fifteen Communications Group plc


Caldwell Manufacturing


Tenzing Private Equity


The British Land Company plc


Danone Group


Compass Group PLC


RM plc


Work highlights


  • Advising Yahoo on the strategy for engaging with both the CMA and the European Commission to influence the shaping of this new area of regulation.
  • Advising the Publishers’ Association on strategic competition law matters.
  • Acting as advisers of the Grifols Group, across a number of jurisdictions worldwide.

Maitland Walker LLP

Maitland Walker LLP advises on the full spectrum of competition law and is known for its expertise in group actions and CMA infringement investigations. Under the leadership of founding partner Julian Maitland-Walker, the firm is adept at handling matters relating to mergers, public procurement issues and state aid work. Adrian Render is experienced in opt-out collective action cases.

Practice head(s):

Julian Maitland-Walker


Other key lawyers:

Sheree-Ann Virgin; Adrian Render


Testimonials

‘Julian Maitland-Walker has unparalleled experience in EU and UK competition litigation. He has acted in a number of landmark cases in the English courts. He is particularly experienced in acting for SMEs and individuals in disputes with much larger businesses.’

‘Adrian Render is an experienced and talented partner.’

‘Professional and competent.’

Key clients

British Association of European Pharmaceutical Distributors (BAEPD)


Shearwell Data Limited


Lexon UK Limited


OPD Pharmaceuticals Limited


Chemilines Limited


Golf Wales Limited


Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club Limited


Strathclyde Pharmaceuticals Limited


Affordable Medicines Europe SA


Rest & Play Footwear Limited


Work highlights


  • Advised Kuehne & Nagel on merger control issues arising out of the disposal of its UK drinks distribution business.
  • Advised Boyle on a competition law collective action relating to a rail ticketing case.