Competition Lawyer (from 4 years+ PQE)

COMPETITION LAWYER - LONDON

Introduction

Pinsent Masons is an international law firm with 280 partners and over 1000 lawyers world-wide, providing a full range of corporate and commercial services. The firm ranks amongst the top 100 global law firms.

With head-quarters in the City of London, Pinsent Masons' operation spans the UK, Europe, the Middle-East and Asia Pacific. In the UK, the firm also has offices in Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Bristol. Internationally, Pinsent Masons is based in Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong and Dubai. Through the Pinsent Masons Luther Group (PMLG), the firm is allied to independent law firms in Germany, France, Austria, Hungary and the Baltic States.

Brief

We are currently looking to recruit a lawyer specialising in Competition Law to join the EU & Competition team in our London office. We are looking for a candidate who has from 4 years PQE.

The Group

Pinsent Masons is committed to excellence in this vital practice area and has invested significantly in expanding our EU & Competition team in recent years. The team comprises 15 lawyers who work exclusively on competition law matters.

Based in London, Birmingham, Leeds and Brussels, the team has five partners, three senior associates, two associates, one senior consultant and four other lawyers, as well as four trainees. The team is part of the firm's wider Dispute Resolution and Litigation Group with whom it works regularly on competition litigation cases. Through PMLG, the team also has a network of competition specialists across the PMLG member firms in Europe.

The partners in the team are independently recognised nationally for their expertise and quality of service: technically strong, responsive and very personable and so sound, with an outstanding grasp of the issues, he excels in UK merger and behavioural work, as well as state aid [Alan Davis], incredibly good with clients [Guy Lougher], Chambers 2007; sensible, quick and efficient [Giles Warrington], Chambers 2007; top notch for public procurement [Kate Rees], Chambers 2006. The entire Group is lauded for being very client focused and well aware of how to speak to the business community (Chambers, 2003-2004).

Led by Alan Davis, the London team (one partner, one associate, one solicitor, one trainee) works closely with the other lawyers in the national Competition team and the national head of the team, Guy Lougher, also works from London two days a week. The team is involved in an interesting variety of competition work with high-profile cases and clients, for example:

•Advising a leading UK credit card issuer on the OFT's investigation of credit card interchange fees under the Competition Act 1998
•Advising a major construction company and the main trade association for the construction industry on the OFT's investigation of bid rigging in the UK construction sector
•Acting for a leading insurance company in relation to the Competition Commission's market investigation of payment protection insurance
•Advising an independent primary and secondary equity market on a State aid complaint to the European Commission
The team's principal areas of expertise are:
•EU & UK merger control;
•Anti-competitive agreements including cartels;
•Abuse of a dominant position;
•Market studies and market investigations;
•Competition litigation;
•Competition compliance and training;
•Public procurement; and
•State aids.

The team's clients include Aviva, AXA, Bombardier, Dawson News, English Partnerships, Glanbia, Hanson, IMI plc, MBNA Europe Bank Limited, National Exhibition Centre, National Grid, NHBC, OFWAT, PLUS Markets Group plc, Premier Foods and Smith & Nephew.

The Candidate

The candidate will ideally have gained experience in a City firm or large regional practice. We would also be interested in candidates from the Brussels offices of City firms or in-house lawyers from industry or any of the competition regulators.
Candidates must be technically excellent and have experience in the fields of merger control, anti-competitive agreements especially cartels, abuse of a dominant position and preferably market studies and investigations. They should be willing to handle a mix of competition work in these areas. Experience of procurement and State aid work is not a requirement, although it would be an advantage.

We are looking for a candidate who is confident and willing to take a lead role on matters and client relationships, with appropriate partner support.
We are also looking for someone who is commercially aware and enthusiastic about internal and external business development. They will be a team player with a strong client focussed approach. They will also have a strong academic background and excellent communication and organisational skills.

Please contact Pinsent Masons at Pinsent Masons,

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