Introduction
Lord Bellamy focusses on arbitration, consultancy and expert witness work in commercial disputes, including (but not limited to) matters relating to competition, regulation and the intersection of law and economics.
His career encompasses the English Bar, judicial office in both the EU and the UK, a senior position in an international law firm, and government service.
His experience as an English barrister practising for 20 years in commercial, competition, and public law was an invaluable grounding for his appointment in 1992 as a Judge of the General Court of the European Union, specifically established to improve the standard of judicial review in the EU context. Lord Bellamy is thus one of the few former judges with direct experience of working in both the civil and common law systems, in both French and English.
Lord Bellamy served In the General Court until 1999, when he was asked to return to the UK to become the first President of the UK Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT). He served in that role until 2007, setting the structure and direction of that new jurisdiction, with innovative case management and modern procedures. Building on this foundation, the work of the CAT has since expanded considerably, particularly in relation to class actions.
During this period, Lord Bellamy also sat as a judge in the High Court, Crown Court, and Employment Appeal Tribunal.
Once the CAT was firmly established, in 2007 Lord Bellamy joined Linklaters LLP. He served as Chair of that firm’s Global Antitrust and Foreign Investment practice from 2011 until 2020, advising on major M & A transactions and regulatory investigations across multiple jurisdictions. Many of these matters raised questions of EU or US law, as well as issues arising under the laws of France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Denmark, Switzerland, India, South Africa, and Hong Kong, among others.
In 2020 he was nominated by the UK Government to the panel of arbitrators under the UK/EU Withdrawal Agreement.
In 2021, he undertook an Independent Review of Criminal Legal Aid, at the request of the UK Ministry of Justice.
From 2022 to 2024 he served as Justice Minister in the House of Lords, where his responsibilities for civil justice included what is now the Arbitration Act 2025, and UK ratification of the 2019 Hague Convention on the Recognition of Foreign Judgments in Civil or Commercial Matters.
Over time he has worked in many different areas, and has particular experience of the technology, telecoms, banking, financial services and transport sectors. He co-authored the early editions of European Union Law of Competition (OUP) now in its eight edition.
Lord Bellamy accepts nomination as an arbitrator, or as a mediator (CEDR qualified) in commercial matters. He also undertakes consultancy and expert witness work.
