Practical LawConferences

Ann Pope is Senior Director, Antitrust, at the UK Competition and Markets Authority where she is responsible for the CMA’s non-cartel Competition Act portfolio. She also worked for the CMA’s predecessor organization, the Office of Fair Trading, where she performed a variety of roles including Senior Director of the Services, Infrastructure and Public Markets Group.  Ann is an economist by background and started her career in the Government Economic Service before becoming an Economic Adviser at the OFT.  Ann has worked on a wide range of CMA and OFT cases across many sectors of the economy.

Christopher is a Senior Consultant at Economic Insight.  Chris has extensive experience of advising clients involved in a wide range of contentious and uncontentious competition and regulation matters over the last decade, including in healthcare and financial services.  He has published and presented on a wide range of topics, including the behavioural economics of regulatory compliance.

Prior to joining Economic Insight, Chris worked for the Chief Economist’s Department at the Financial Conduct Authority.  Before that, he worked for another economics consultancy, where he was seconded to the CMA and involved in several merger investigations.

Chris holds BA in PPE from Oxford and an MSc in economics from the LSE.

Emily Cox is the Head of Strategic Litigation at Which?, the largest consumer body in the United Kingdom. Which? operates as a social enterprise with one overriding purpose: to tackle consumer detriment. Profits from its publishing business and other commercial operations are used to fund its charitable research, policy and campaigning activities. Emily joined Which? last year to advise the policy, campaigning and communications divisions on areas such as consumer rights, collective redress and public law. Her role includes looking at how best to challenge poor or unlawful market practice and enforce consumer rights and protections in the context of the organisation’s super-complainant and enforcement powers. Prior to Which?, Emily spent 14 years in a Magic Circle law firm specializing in commercial litigation with, latterly, a focus on privacy claims.

Gaucho Rasmussen joined Ofcom as its Director of Investigations and Enforcement in November 2016 after a number of years as an enforcement director at the OFT/CMA. Before that Gaucho worked as a competition and regulatory lawyer in private practice and in-house as Tesco’s Group Competition Counsel.

Josephine Davies is a barrister specializing in complex and technical litigation.  In addition to bringing over ten years of High Court and CAT litigation and arbitration experience to any case, she adds a scientific background, having studied chemistry (obtaining a masters’ degree) before turning to the law.

Josephine has wide-ranging experience in competition litigation, including regulatory appeals (Tesco v OFT), private damages actions (Foam Cartel) and GSCOP work.  Her work covers various sectors, including IT/telecoms, oil and gas exploration, global distribution, pharmaceuticals and defence.

Josephine is also particularly experienced in jurisdictional and injunction-related work and regularly appears unled in court and at arbitration hearings.

Kenny Henderson is a commercial litigator with particular expertise in competition litigation, having represented clients on some of the highest profile claims filed in Europe to date.  Clients instruct Kenny repeatedly, recognizing his strategic thinking and the practical solutions that he delivers.

Stuart Carson is a competition litigation Partner at Stewarts Law, specializing in complex and high-value claims. He has advised on some of the largest cartel damages claims to be litigated in the UK courts, including cartels involving CRTs, LCDs, trucks, DRAMs and, refrigeration compressors. Stuart also acted against MasterCard in the pivotal interchange fee litigation, including at appeal level.

Stuart also has wide-ranging commercial litigation experience, both in-house and in private practice, having previously worked as Litigation Counsel for one of the world’s largest energy companies where he led various claims worth tens of millions of pounds.

Sara Masters QC is a commercial litigator with a strong practice in EU and competition law as well as conflicts of law and jurisdictional disputes. She appears frequently in court and arbitration in the UK and abroad.  Sara also has a growing practice as an arbitrator.

In the competition and EU law field, Sara’s recent work includes leading a substantial EU follow-on damages claim in relation to a foam cartel, advising litigation funders on competition damages claims, and a number of anti-suit and freezing injunctions. She currently serves on the Lord Chief Justice’s Advisory Committee on Brexit and Civil Jurisdiction.

Named among Global Competition Review’s ‘Top Women in Antitrust’ 2017, Nicola Northway is a partner at Baker McKenzie in London. Nicola is a highly experienced lawyer, with particular focus on competition/antitrust, governance, and risk management for large organizations. Throughout her career she has worked in-house, in private practice, and for regulators, so has an in-depth understanding of the regulatory agencies as well as the commercial objectives and challenges for multinationals. As well as having advised on complex global and national investigations in the financial and other sectors, Nicola has extensive merger control experience.

Before joining Baker McKenzie, Nicola spent more than 12 years in Barclays Bank in London where she was Managing Director of the global competition team, co-ordinating advice and strategy for all competition matters in 50 jurisdictions. Nicola was formerly the General Counsel of Ofgem, the Energy Regulator in GB, for almost four years, where she was the adviser to the Board of the regulator and ran a legal team that handled day-to-day governance and advice, regulatory enforcement and competition cases against energy companies, environmental permit trading and defence of litigation including Judicial Review proceedings.

Peter Davis leads Cornerstone’s European competition practice. Dr Davis has extensive experience in competition investigations undertaken by the Directorate-General for Competition and the UK authorities, including the Competition and Markets Authority and the Financial Conduct Authority. He specializes in supporting clients involved in merger inquiries, market investigations, and in follow-on damages actions. Dr Davis formerly held the post of deputy chairman of the UK Competition Commission.

Timothy McIver is an international counsel at Debevoise & Plimpton, and leads the firm’s competition practice in Europe.

He focuses on EU and UK competition law and regulatory matters, including obtaining clearance for complex merger investigations before the European Commission and UK competition authorities, as well as co-ordinating merger approvals across multiple jurisdictions worldwide.

On the contentious side, he has broad experience advising on behavioural matters, including EU and UK investigations of alleged abuses of dominance, market investigations and studies, as well as representing clients before various UK sectoral regulators. Much of his work is international in nature and involves counselling clients on their global antitrust strategy.

Mr. McIver is recommended by Legal 500 UK. The guide has quoted clients describing him as a “top-quality lawyer” with a “methodical approach.”

Susan Hinchliffe is Global Executive Counsel, Competition Law & Policy, at General Electric Company (GE). Sue is based in London and Brussels and is part of a core team of several lawyers globally who advise GE on competition issues. That advice focuses to a large extent on merger control but also includes advice on a full range of Article 101 and 102 type issues in Europe as well as across GE’s business globally.

Anthony Pygram became Director for Conduct and Enforcement at Ofgem in April 2018. He is responsible for oversight of retail and wholesale markets, including taking action to address or prevent problems arising – and for all of Ofgem’s enforcement activity, to ensure strong signals are sent to the market about the standards that are expected. Anthony joined Ofgem in 2011 and has, at different times since then, been Partner for Enforcement & Competition Policy and for Consumers. From July to December 2015 Anthony headed up Ofgem’s Sustainable Development Division.

Before joining Ofgem, Anthony was an Inquiry Director at the Competition Commission, leading, amongst other things, investigations into payment protection insurance and whether BAA should be required to sell Stansted Airport. Prior to this, Anthony held various posts at the (then) Department of Trade & Industry. Anthony’s early career was in research and development of industrial materials.

Dr. Tobias Caspary heads Fried Frank’s EU Competition & International Trade practice. Tobias’ practice focuses on European, UK and German competition law.

Tobias heads the Firm’s “exemplary” (Legal 500 UK) EU/London competition & trade team, which is ranked in Legal 500 UK and praised by clients for having “superb merger control lawyers” with “absolute subject matter expertise” who are “easy to work with and always keen to find pragmatic solutions” and provide “responsive practical advice”. Additionally, Tobias is individually recognised by Chambers Global, Chambers Europe, Chambers UK, Legal 500 UK and Legal 500 US as a leading individual (noted as being “very strategic” and “highly experienced, impressive and pragmatic”).

Tobias has worked on some of the largest and most complex cross-border mergers worldwide before the European Commission, the CMA (including Phase II cases), and the German Federal Cartel Office. He also advised on cartel investigations in sectors such as window mountings, car components, fuel surcharge and financial services. Tobias has advised numerous companies active in the digital sector, ranging from Fintech startups, online platforms, algorithmic solution providers, and established global leaders.

Mr. Justice Marcus Smith was appointed to the Chancery Division of the High Court, and additionally sits as a Chairman in the Competition Appeal Tribunal (“CAT”) and the Upper Tribunal (Tax and Chancery). As a barrister (call 1991, silk 2010), he specialized in commercial and commercial chancery work, including an extensive arbitration and regulatory practice.

Marcus has been a Chairman of the CAT since 2009, and has presided over cases spanning the entire range of the CAT’s jurisdiction, including appeals from the OFT/CMA/OFCOM, mergers (notably, Eurotunnel 1), follow-on claims (notably, Cardiff Bus and Deutsche Bahn) and stand-alone actions (notably, Sainsbury’s v. MasterCard and BritNed v. ABB).

Marcus has written extensively on legal topics, and is the co-author of The Law of Assignment (3rd ed 2018).

Edward Coulson is a Partner at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner and leads the competition litigation practice. He advises on complex competition litigation and regularly conducts multi-party litigation before the courts.  His practice is focused on cartel damages actions and other competition and regulatory disputes. His experience includes acting for the claimants in three of the most significant UK competition litigation cases of the last 10 years: he played a lead role acting for National Grid, helping it to pursue one of Europe’s largest cartel damages claims (GIS cartel); acted for claimants in the Air Cargo litigation; and is currently prosecuting three leading cases against members of the Trucks cartel.  Ed is listed as a Future Leader in Global Competition Review’s Who’s Who Legal 2018. He is also active in using technology and innovation to enhance client service delivery and promotes this in his role as Partner lead for Litigation and Corporate Risk Client Technology.

Thomas Sharpe QC is a barrister in practice at One Essex Court, Temple.  He is a specialist in all aspects of EU and UK competition law, state aids and mergers and has an extensive practice in telecommunications and utility regulation, especially energy, distribution and water.  Leading cases include the MasterCard litigation in the CAT and European Courts and in some of the follow-on claims in damages: ENS v Commission; Albion Water v Dwr Cymru; Betwys v RAG.

Tom took a degree in economics and then in law, graduating from Trinity Hall, Cambridge. He taught competition law at Oxford and was called to the Bar by Lincoln’s Inn (Bencher, 2004). Tom chairs the Centre for Competition Policy at UEA and is on the editorial boards of the European Competition Journal and Concurrences.

Tom is a Director in the Forensic Services team at BDO and has significant experience of expert witness and advisory work across a wide range of cases and sectors. He is an economist with detailed knowledge of the econometric techniques and economic and financial theory relevant to quantification of losses and the valuation of businesses.

Tom’s experience includes analysis of claims for loss of profits and consequential loss, business valuation and contractual disputes, but he has particular interest in follow-on and stand-alone damages arising from anti-competitive conduct, regulatory disputes and providing advice on the regulation of network industries to clients. He has advised clients on regulatory finance matters, including assessing charge controls and profitability, regulatory accounting and cost of capital.

Tom has given written and oral expert testimony at Tribunal in London.

Oliver leads Google’s EMEA competition team.  He joined Google in 2008, working first in London before a 4 year tour in the US.  He returned to London in 2017.  Oliver was the Competition Individual of the Year, 2018 (Global Counsel Awards and European Counsel Awards) and Corporate Counsel of the Year, 2012 (Global Competition Review).

Wessen Jazrawi is a Partner with Hausfeld, in London, practicing both competition and human rights law. She acted in the first follow-on action to have reached trial in the UK, Enron Coal Services Limited v. English Welsh & Scottish Railway and is currently advising a group of international retailers in proceedings against MasterCard and VISA relating to multilateral interchange fees. Previously, Wessen represented a group of multinational companies in a private damages action in relation to the global marine hose cartel.

Susanna Rogers is an antitrust, competition and regulatory lawyer based in London. She focuses her practice on contentious competition and regulatory matters, cartels and investigations and competition compliance. Susanna is a trusted advisor to clients in a wide variety of industries, including energy, financial institutions, life sciences and healthcare, technology and innovation and transport.

Susanna previously worked for a UK sector regulator where she was responsible for a wide range of competition and regulatory matters, from CA98 investigations to price controls, licence enforcement and judicial review. She offers a broad range of services to clients including advising on investigations and dawn raid readiness and developing and implementing effective compliance programmes. Susanna is also responsible for the creation and management of knowledge for the global antitrust and competition group.

Mark Simpson is an antitrust and competition lawyer based in London.  He specializes in advising on contentious matters such as investigations by UK and EU authorities, competition litigation before the English High Court and Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT), regulatory appeals (e.g. in relation to price control determinations for utilities) and judicial review proceedings. Mark has also advised clients in defending high-profile cartel investigations by the European Commission and the UK competition authorities, including the Competition and Markets Authority and its predecessor the OFT.  He has also been involved in a number of significant cartel damages actions before the English courts, including cases relating to methionine, synthetic rubber, paraffin waxes, gas-insulated switchgear and smart chips.

Mark advises corporates, trade associations, government agencies and regulators. His perspective is informed by periods spent outside of private practice as an in-house adviser at a mobile telecommunications company and at a (music) recording industry trade association and as a government adviser in the New Zealand business ministry. He has particular regulatory experience in telecommunications, electricity networks and broadcasting.

Mark is named in Who’s Who Legal for competition law, recommended in Legal 500 (Competition and Competition Litigation and TMT: IT and Telecoms) and recognized as an Acritas “Star” lawyer.

Yuval Eliaz provides economic consulting to companies, boards of directors, associations, trade unions and government agencies regarding all aspects of competition & antitrust issues including: M&A; JV; pricing and discount policy; restricted trade agreements; investigations conducted by the IAA; legislative and regulatory proposals; and legal proceedings. He has sixteen years of professional experience in carrying out complex economic studies that include competitive analysis, along with market trends analysis and government policy in a wide variety of industries, including: chemicals; infrastructure; healthcare and pharmaceuticals; aviation; telecommunications; FMCG and more.

Yuval has vast experience in dealing with government authorities, representing companies and organizations in the course of legislative and regulatory changes and appearing as an expert witness in legal proceedings. Prior to joining BDO, he served as a team leader at the IAA and was the founder and manager of a boutique economic consulting practice. He holds an MA in economics from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

Matthew Johnson specializes in competition economics. His areas of expertise include merger analysis, abuse of dominance and the effects of vertical and horizontal agreements between firms. He has provided analysis for clients involved in litigation, as well as those facing investigations by competition authorities in a number of jurisdictions. Before joining Oxera, Matthew worked as an economic adviser at the UK Office of Fair Trading (OFT), now part of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), and at the European Commission. He has over 15 years’ experience as a professional economist and has been appointed as expert in the context of UK litigation proceedings. Matthew’s extensive experience in UK and European Commission merger cases includes analysis of local markets, vertical mergers and co-ordinated effects. He has also advised on market investigations in a range of industries.