Understanding and Managing Competition Law Compliance

Rebecca Attree (27 Sep 2019, 24 Mar 2020, 29 Sep 2020)

Rebecca Attree, Company Commercial Solicitor at Attree & Co, her own international commercial law practice that she set up in 1995. She is also an experienced mediator and trainer based in London. Previously she worked for City law firms Richards Butler (now Reed Smith) and Laytons. Rebecca has more than 25 years’ experience in negotiating and drafting commercial contracts and resolving disputes. She has particular expertise in advising on high value cross-border agreements that raise issues of competition law, applicable law and jurisdiction. She has expertise in drafting compliance policies and has advised numerous clients operating within the EU on competition law aspects of their commercial agreements such as joint ventures, agency, distribution, licences, transfer of technology and research and development agreements. As a mediator, Rebecca has been involved in resolving a number of disputes that raise competition law issues, including one between 25 parties resulting from a CMA enquiry into a market sector.
Rebecca devises courses and provides training to business executives and solicitors in Europe on corporate and commercial law topics. Her style is interactive and engaging, using examples from her own experience, with opportunities for discussion and questions and answers.
As an Accredited Mediator, Rebecca assists parties to find successful long-term solutions to complex disputes, without the cost of going to court or arbitration.
Her main sectors of expertise are mediating commercial contracts, aviation, property, construction and family office. She is fully accredited to mediate in the UK, the US, and online, and has considerable experience of international disputes.

Sophie Lawrance (27 Sep 2019)

Sophie Lawrance, partner at Bristows, specialises in competition law. She has a particular interest in working with businesses in technology and pharmaceutical sectors, and in relation to the competition issues that arise in connection with standardised technology. Sophie regularly advises on the competition issues which arise from licensing, distribution and agency arrangements, and has significant experience of advising on the behavioural issues which affect companies with larger market shares. Her experience extends to the contentious aspects of competition law and she has been involved in substantial cases before competition regulators at EU and national level. Issues on which she has advised include both substantive competition law and procedural issues, such as legal professional privilege. She has also acted in litigation before the High Court and the Court of Appeal.

Ali Nikpay (27 Sep 2019)

Ali Nikpay, partner and head of the competition practice group, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, London, has been described by the Daily Telegraph as “one of the world’s pre-eminent experts in European competition law” and by Chambers 2018 as “brilliant strategically and tactically, and is a great advocate”. In 2017, The Financial Times named Ali among the Top 10 Innovators in Europe at the 2017 FT European Innovative Lawyer Awards. Since joining Gibson Dunn in 2013, he has counseled clients such as UBS, Gala Coral, Schlumberger, Facebook, Marriott Hotels and Debenhams plc. Prior to that he served at both the European Commission’s DG for Competition (DG COMP) and the UK competition authority. He also worked at a Magic Circle firm for clients such as GE, NTT DoCoMo, KKR, and CVC. He is co-editor of ‘Faull & Nikpay: The EU Law of Competition’. He teaches at the University of Oxford and was a Visiting Fellow at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).