Director, Economist
CurrentI am Head of Economics in Ashurst's Competition team. I have significant expertise in leading teams and advising clients on all aspects of UK and EU competition law. This includes:• advising on the economic analysis of mergers and acquisitions. Recent cases include: two Phase 2 investigations - Cardtronics/DC Payments, and UHS/Cambian Adult Services, Caretech's acquisition of Cambian, Arla's acquisition of Yeo Valley, and advising Morrisons in relation to the proposed Asda/Sainsbury's merger; • advising clients in relation to market studies and investigations (including the retail banking, private healthcare, audit, local bus services and groceries market investigations, and advising Worldpay in the PSR's review of card acquiring services);• advising dominant undertakings on the regulatory risk of engaging in certain types of conduct (i.e. abuse of dominance cases);• advising on anti-competitive practices and agreements (i.e. cartels); • calculating damages in competition litigation cases (a recent case includes advising a large claimant in relation to the European Commission's truck cartel decision), and I co-authored a report for the European Commission that helped shape competition litigation policy in Europe; and• providing competition law compliance training.My role largely involves the following: • drafting and preparing written submissions to competition authorities and sector regulators, including carrying out quantitative economic analysis;• responding to regulatory questionnaires, requests for information, working papers, statement of objections, and provisional decisions;• providing regulatory risk assessments (e.g. in relation to proposed mergers);• working closely with clients, often with personnel in senior managerial and board positions;• drafting articles for publication on topical issues in competition law;• managing and leading multi-disciplinary case teams; and• providing economic and strategic advice.
