Recent experience
- Substantial damages recovery under Competition Act 1998 (following OFT decision – Construction Recruitment Forum)
- Secured first UK damages payment under the Public Procurement Remedies Directive (£600,000 plus costs Mouchel v Westminster City Council)
- Acquisition of Emblem by Towers Watson (OFT clearance decision 2011)
- £150 million acquisition of PGHL by Cinven cleared by EU Commission under Merger Regulation 139/2004
- Advice under EU motor vehicles block exemption on Nissan dealerships
- Global antitrust compliance advice, including advice under Article 101 TFEU on information exchange and cooperation with other producers, to leading industrial chemicals producer
- Making submissions to EU Commission on behalf of insurers on review of Insurance Block Exemption replaced March 2010
- Advising construction company awarded a contract overturned by injunction on EU procurement rules
- Secured interim measures in European Court of first instance revoking commission decision (T-212/06R Bowland v Commission)
- Advising US exploration company on access to North Sea gasfields
- Acquisition by ED&F Man of Safic Alcan and Theobroma (European Commission clearance decisions) (2005 & 2007)
- Acquisition by QBE Insurance of Minibus Plus Limited, OFT clearance decision (2005)
- Acquisition by Hachette Livre SA of Hodder Headline from WH Smith, OFT clearance decision (2004)
- Advising a leading technology company on EU and UK competition and procurement rules in relation to distribution
- Advice to leading players in IT/Telecoms (including a National Telecommunications Operator), and energy sectors on EU competition and procurement issues
- Advice to insurers in London market and other EU countries on competition issues arising from 'Spitzer complaint' in US and EU investigation of insurance
- Adviser to leading construction company and trade associations on UK competition law compliance
- Successful challenge before UK court of appeal to UK failure to implement EU ban on export of British beef on behalf of UK exporter
- John is a member of the Solicitors European Group, the SEG Competition Pro Bono Scheme and of the European Food Law Association