With over 25 years’ experience, Robert really enjoys helping clients resolve competition law and consumer investigations, disputes, merger control and UK national security issues.

Robert has advised on multiple sectors, such as sports and construction, but is particularly recognised for his expertise in life sciences, technology and consumer products. He has advised on numerous competition law litigation cases from both a defendant and claimant perspective with a focus on abuse of dominance and the interplay between competition law and IP.

Robert has advised on both EU and UK merger control and has an outstanding track record in terms of securing approval from regulators in difficult cases including securing approval of a monopoly in the Defence sector.

He has attended numerous “dawn raids” by both the European Commission and the CMA in multiple sectors including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, construction, recruitment services and chemicals.

Some of Robert’s work highlights include:

• Acting for Sun Pharma on its appeal to the Court of Justice for the European Union on “pay for delay” agreements and the defence of a Department of Health damages standalone and follow on claim relating to citalopram.
• Representing a construction company in relation to one of the first European Commission investigations into non-poaching arrangements.
• Acting for Teva in its defence of a Department of Health damages standalone and follow on claim relating to perindopril.
• Successfully defended a claim against a medical device manufacturer for abuse of a dominant position.
• Representing Sandoz in its follow on damages claim in relation to Gaviscon and a product hopping abuse.
• Secured approval of a monopoly merger in the Defence sector using the “Exiting Firm” exemption.
• Secured merger control approval from the CMA for the sale of Pfizer’s compounding business to Baxter International.
• Submitted the first ever successful appeal to the Competition Appeals Tribunal under the Competition Act 1998 overturning an adverse OFT Decision.
• Advised Ricoh on its successful defence of a £49m claim defining the application of competition law to non-compete restrictions.
• CMA/EC merger control: Acquisition of talkSPORT by News Corp for £220.3m (included media plurality).
• Submitted the first ever successful leniency application to the OFT under the Competition Law Act 1998.

Robert spent a year on secondment with Reckitt Benckiser where he advised on competition law.

Robert is a member of the Competition Law Association, ABA, and the Law Society Competition Section.