Displaying ‘outstanding technical strength’, Freshfields supports a wide array of international clients in their contentious competition matters, including in the recent trend of competition disputes in the tech sector. The firm handles cartel-related follow-on proceedings as well as opt-out class action defence matters brought on behalf of consumers. Its members regularly appear before the CAT and are experienced before the Court of Appeal and in challenges to European Commission decisions. ’An intellectual giant’, Bea Tormey manages the practice and assists clients in class certification applications as well as cartel claims across Europe. Mark Sansom is an experienced defence adviser in collective proceedings across sectors. Nicholas Frey acts in stand-alone abuse of dominance claims and in tech class actions. Deba Das advises on Court of Appeal classification cases and appeals before the European Court of Justice. Ramya Arnold and Jessica Steele were made partners in May 2025.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- This team has incredible strength throughout, from the partners down to the associates. They have a first-rate understanding of competition law and litigation tactics. They are the most impressive team that I have worked with.
- Very strong team across the board. Excellent at linking up across multiple offices and jurisdictions.
- Ramya Arnold - new partner, great organizer, thorough. Bea Tormey - wise, canny litigator. Mark Sansom - experienced litigator, very thorough. James Aitken - wise advisor, good litigator - deals with everything with great good humor. Simon Orton - previously dealing with financial services, now becoming a master of EU regulation. Brilliant manner. Clients love him. Understated and very wise. Ricky Versteeg - proper critical thinker, always valuable.
- The Freshfields competition litigation team has a combination of unrivaled strategic sense, excellent technical legal abilities, and highly collaborative teamwork.
- Mark Sansom is an unparalleled strategic thinker and an outstanding leader. He brings out the best in the people around him. Ricky Versteeg has a truly creative legal mind, combined with lateral thinking. Alex Holroyd is an excellent leader and a gifted tactician.
- Freshfields stands out for its unparalleled experience in UK competition litigation and its ability to handle the most complex, high-stakes matters. The team combines exceptional technical expertise with sharp strategic insight, consistently staying several steps ahead. It is particularly strong at coordinating large, multi-stakeholder cases, supported by a truly global network that brings deep expertise across jurisdictions and ensures seamless handling of cross-border issues. Clients can expect consistently top-quality outputs from a highly responsive and hardworking team. The firm is also investing in innovation, including the use of AI and technology to support increasingly complex litigation.
- The Freshfields team stands out for the caliber of its individuals and the consistency with which they deliver. Mark Sansom is exceptional – truly unparalleled in his expertise and experience in UK competition litigation, with outstanding judgment and a very strong client-facing approach. He combines deep technical knowledge with an ability to navigate complex issues strategically and with reassurance. Ricky Versteeg is also a standout partner, bringing a highly thoughtful and considered approach. He is meticulous in his analysis, always thinking through all angles and providing clear, strategically sound advice on the most complex matters. Among the associates, Alex Holroyd is a particularly strong senior associate with significant litigation experience, while Jonny Oldfield and Oscar Battell-Wallace are impressive mid-level lawyers who handle substantial portions of complex cases with diligence, skill, and strong attention to detail.
- Freshfields is absolutely at the top of the London market for competition litigation. What really marks them out is their strength in depth - i.e. they have the best lawyers from the most junior to the most senior. Every team member is a really stand-out team player. Bea Tormey, a senior partner, is a total class act - she has impeccable judgment and an uncanny ability to read a room and predict the future. She is an incredibly safe pair of hands. Nick Frey, head of group litigation, is amazingly hard-working even by the standards of City law. He is incredibly calm and unflappable no matter what happens. Emma Probyn, a group litigation partner who occasionally handles competition disputes, is one of the sharpest legal minds I've come across. Harriet Hanks, of counsel, is extremely user-friendly and super-practical - she has a brilliant can-do attitude. Haris Ismail, a senior associate, is really clever and can handle anything - he's a complete star of the future.
- Freshfields is probably the preeminent firm in the field of competition litigation in the London market.
- James Aitken is a true maestro, able to turn his hand to anything from an EU merger to UK behavioral work; most recently, he has gained a reputation for work on the DMA and Big Tech. Bea Tormey is an intellectual giant and well deserves her position as head of the London antitrust team. Deba Das is a young superstar, particularly strong on the public law side. Mark Samson runs the overall disputes business brilliantly, while somehow managing to juggle that with continuing involvement supervising major cases. Ricky Versteeg, Jess Steel, and Rikki Haria are all rising stars.
Key clients
- Mastercard Incorporated
- AB Volvo
- BT Group Plc
- The Go-Ahead Group Limited
- Grieg Seafood ASA
- Manchester City Football Club
- Meta Platforms, Inc.
- Noble Foods Group Limited
- Roadget Business Pte. Ltd.
- Yorkshire Water Services Limited
- International Tennis Integrity Agency
- Continental Teves UK Ltd
Work highlights
Acted for Mastercard in the UK’s largest opt-out antitrust class action and parallel interchange fee group litigation brought by thousands of merchants.
Successfully represented LSER and GTR in the boundary fares collective action, securing a unanimous ruling of no abuse of dominance.
Successfully represented UK water companies in resisting certification of an opt-out consumer class action.
Lawyers
Hall of Fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Mark Sansom
Practice head
Bea Tormey
Other key lawyers
William Robinson; Nicholas Frey; Deba Das; Ricky Versteeg; Alexandra Holroyd; Mark Sansom