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  • What the Directories Say

"The well-respected Sir Jeremy Lever QC "is the godfather of competition law," according to market commentators. Recent work of his includes acting in an appeal against the CFI ruling that the Commission had a duty to investigate evidence as to the existence and amount of state aid provided by a recipient of alleged state aid." - Chambers UK, 2012

"Longstanding expert at the Bar" Sir Jeremy Lever QC, is recommended in EU & Competition Law. Legal 500, 2011

"Sir Jeremy Lever QC, one of the most senior and respected figures at the Competition Bar. Still active after half a century in practice, he is someone who "really has nothing left to learn in this business." " Competition/European Law - Chambers UK, 2011

Under EU and competition the Legal 500, 2010 states that "seasoned figure Sir Jeremy Lever KCMG QC is described as the father of modern competition law."

Chambers UK, 2010 describes Sir Jeremy as "Brilliant and seemingly around forever," he is "a legendary figure who helped establish competition law as it exists today." Lever has been practising in the area for more than 50 years and continues to undertake high-profile competition and state aid work."

Legal 500, 2009 recommends Sir Jeremy Lever QC as a Leading Silk on EU and competition law. 

Chambers UK, 2009 under Competition and EU law; "Regarded as "one of the greats," the "amazing and accomplished" Sir Jeremy Lever QC recently celebrated 50 years at the Bar. Interviewees say "he is one of the most senior and able competition barristers there is," with particular knowledge of competition and state aid law."

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SIR JEREMY LEVER KCMG QC

KCMG QC MA
CALL DATE: 1957 SILK: 1972

SUMMARY

Sir Jeremy Lever QC is one of the leading and most respected EU and competition lawyers at the Bar. In October 2007 he received the special award for 'Lifetime Achievement' at the Chambers Bar Awards where the spotlight was put on his half century of practice at the Bar, an accomplishment we honoured at a special dinner to mark the occasion in November.

He is a Fellow and Senior Dean of All Souls College, Oxford; Consulting Editor of Butterworth's Competition Law; one of the editors of the comparative law textbook on Tort Law (Metro Institute for Transnational Legal Research, Maastricht); a member of the Council of Management and the Executive Committee of the British Institute of International and Comparative Law. He was Chairman of Oftel's Advisory Body on Fair Trading in Telecommunications until the supersession of that Body in 2000; Consulting Editor of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd editions of Bellamy & Child on the Competition Law of the Common Market; and one of the assistant editors of Chitty on Contract. He has also written extensively on the topic of State Aids. On a regular basis he is being asked to intervene as an arbitrator.

 

MAJOR RECENT CASES

  • Scott SA v Commission in the CFI ~ State Aid
  • Courage Crehan at the House of Lords, intervening for OFT ~ competition 
  • Mastercard v OFT in the CAT ~ competition
  • Arbitration in International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (World Bank)
  • Arbitration in London Court of International Arbitration

Fellow and Senior Dean of All Souls College, Oxford
Consulting Editor of Butterworth's Competition Law
One of the editors of the comparative law textbook on Tort Law (Metro Institute for Transnational Legal Research, Maastricht)
A member of the Council of Management and the Executive Committee of the British Institute of International and Comparative Law

 

OTHER COMMERCIAL EXPERIENCE

Sir Jeremy was a Director (non executive) of Dunlop Holdings Ltd from 1973 through to 1980 and of Wellcome plc from 1983 through to 1994. He chaired the Appeals Panel of the UK Performing Right Society from 1997 to 2001.

 

COMPETITION/EU LAW & STATE AID

Sir Jeremy Lever QC has acted in many of the leading cases in the fields of anti-trust law, European Community law, utilities regulation and public law. His connections with the UK Government, in addition to those already referred to, include the facts that: he was professionally consulted by the Department of Trade and Industry about the drafting of the UK Competition Act 1998; he was the Chairman of the UK Office of Telecommunications Advisory Body on Fair Trading in Telecommunications throughout the life of that Body; he has given evidence to the UK House of Lords Select Committee on European Community Affairs and a Committee on Anti-Dumping of the European Parliament; and he was invited to comment extensively on the UK Office of Fair Trading Guidelines under the UK Competition Act 1998.

Most recent cases of particular note include:

  • Courage Crehan at the House of Lords, intervening for OFT ~ competition
  • Mastercard v OFT in the CAT ~ competition
  • Ferries Golfo de Viscaya in the CFI and ECJ ~ State Aid
  • Scott v European Communities Commission in the CFI and ECJ ~ State Aid

He also enjoys good relations with the European Communities Commission (despite having acted against the Commission in numerous antitrust and antidumping appeals in the European Court of Justice (“the ECJ”).

A list of some of the major matters in which Sir Jeremy has been engaged over the years can be supplied, if required. His clients have included:

British Airways; British Aerospace, British Broadcasting Corporation; Brewers Society; Blue Circle, Chanel; Dixons; Energis; German Hard Coal Industry Association; Guinness; IBM; Ladbroke; Mars Group; George Michael; Midland Bank; Nippon Seiko KK; Office for Gas Supply (Director General); P&I Clubs; P&O; Plessey; PowerGen; Publishers Association of Great Britain; Railtrack; R.J. Reynolds, Rover Group; Shell; W.H. Smith; Stena; Staveley; T&I Group; Unilever.

He retired from the Bar in April 1996 but returned in November 1998. Since his return he has received instructions across a wide range of competition and public law issues including advising on the Manchester United and BSkyB merger.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

He acts as an arbitrator in arbitrations before the World Bank's International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes and the London Court of International Arbitration.

A list of some of the major matters in which Jeremy Lever has been engaged over the years can be supplied, if required. His clients have included:

Sir Jeremy Lever QC has acted in many of the major cases before many courts in the last 25 years including:-

  • Case T-366/00 Scott SA v. Commission and in Case T-116/01 P&O European Ferries (Vizcaya) SA v. Commission, both of which raise major issues in State aid law.
  • Society of Lloyds v Clementson [1996] CLC 1590 (High Court; EC competition law; Lloyd's)
  • Publishers Association v EC Commission [1995] ECR I 23
  • George Michael v Sony [1994] WLR 241
  • Coloroll Litigation [1994] ECR I 4389
  • Unilever v Roberts [1993] ECR I 5579
  • British Aerospace and Rover v EC Commission [1992] ECR I 493
  • Adams v Commission [1985] ECR 3539 Ladbrokes v Commission [1995] ECR II 2537 (state aids)
  • Advised major German quoted company on the implications of EU law on the intellectual property rights in the UK of a newly acquired subsidiary.
  • Advised major UK collecting society on EC Directive.
  • Advising a major UK company in relation to a State aids case before the EC Commission. Advising a public body in relation to an environmental claim.