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BA, MA
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Tim Ward KC, joint Head of Chambers, is widely recognised as a leading litigator and advocate in the fields of competition, telecommunications, public law, EU law and sport. Legal directories list him as a leading individual in legal directories in each of those fields, and describe him as “a very adept and able strategist”, “a genuinely talented advocate with the intellectual firepower to deal with complex cases” , “technically outstanding, a fantastic advocate, great with clients”, “responsive and always accessible,” “a persuasive advocate who gives everything to the cause” and a “natural choice for regulatory judicial review.”
Tim has particular expertise in commercial and regulatory matters, acting in disputes across the full range of regulated industries, including energy, water, telecoms, aviation, financial services, gambling and sport. He has expertise in cases with a technical or economic dimension. His EU litigation practice covers a wide range of matters including procurement, sanctions, tax, free movement, conflicts of laws, single market, external relations and the environment. His practice is increasingly international. He has appeared in more than 50 cases before the European Courts (including the EFTA Court) and has over 30 reported cases in the field of public law, including before the Supreme Court.
Prior to taking silk, Tim was a member of the Attorney General’s A Panel.
Tim sits as an adjudicator on the judicial panels of both the Rugby Football Union and the Football Association. He is a member of the Sports Resolutions Panel of arbitrators and mediators.
Tim was awarded ‘Barrister of the Year’ at The Lawyer Awards 2013 and was Chairman of the Bar European Group, 2013-2015.
He is a Bencher of Gray’s Inn and Master of Finance.
Tim has been called to the Bar of Ireland.
Tim is an experienced competition litigator, who has acted in the full breadth of competition matters. He appears frequently in the courts and Competition Appeal Tribunal in cases including class action certification, cartel penalty appeals, competition damages actions (both follow on and standalone), injunction applications and claims for judicial review under the Enterprise Act 2002. He has also appeared before the Competition and Markets Authority and has experience in regard to applications for leniency and early resolution.
Damages:
Mergers and market reviews:
Competition penalties:
Examples of advisory work:
“He is an absolute delight to work with: a real team player, who makes himself available and is very client-friendly.” “He obviously knows cartel damages inside out, is very good on his feet and gives sound advice.” “Tim is focused, super sharp and a pleasure to work with.” – Chambers UK and Chambers Global, 2021
‘‘Tim is a hands on, hard working silk, who is an attractive, reasonable and persuasive advocate. He would be my first choice for pretty much everything competition related.’’– Legal 500, 2021
“Looks to deal with issues head on, before the other side raises the point.” “He’s extremely personable, gets stuck in to the nitty-gritty of the day-to-day drafting,” has “good strategic judgement and never loses sight of the client’s broader commercial perspective.” “Tim is pragmatic and understands what is needed from senior counsel in terms of giving advice that can be fed to the board; he’s very much to the point and clear.” – Chambers UK and Chambers Global, 2020
‘‘Extremely good with senior stakeholders.’’– Legal 500, 2019-2020
“He gets down to the nub of the case very quickly, giving clear and concise advice, and communicating in a clear and simple way. His advocacy is also excellent.” –
Chambers UK and Chambers Global, 2019‘‘The best competition silk in the business; always responsive, on top of the detail and extremely user friendly – a fantastic team player.’’– Legal 500, 2018
“He has lots of experience and is easy to work with. He is very flexible and brings new ideas to the party all the time.” – Chambers UK, 2017 and Chambers Global 2017
“A persuasive advocate who gives everything to the cause; he fights his client’s corner hard.” – Legal 500, 2016
“Praised by instructing solicitors as a “top-quality advocate, who is a real pleasure to work with”. – WHO’S WHO LEGAL (WWL) UK BAR 2016
Tim has been a market leader in telecommunications for many years. His practice draws upon a detailed knowledge of the industry and his strengths in competition law and public law. He has been instructed in most of the significant telecoms issues in the UK in the last decade, as well acting for a number of international clients. His litigation experience includes judicial reviews, appeals to the Competition Appeal Tribunal, competition investigations and dispute resolution.
Tim has acted for fixed, mobile and cable operators, a variety of broadcasters and (occasionally) for regulators, in matters such as those listed below.
“Excellent, user-friendly, bright, and a good advocate.” “He really gets into the detail of a case.” – Chambers UK, 2021
‘‘A very good team player who is a pleasure to work with. He is very thorough in his analysis and is excellent at anticipating lines of argument.’’ – Legal 500. 2021
“Hailed as a leading name at the UK Bar for complex commercial and competition-related disputes in the telecoms arena.” –
Telecoms, Who’s Who Legal UK Bar 2020“A barrister who is clearly highly thought of by the big players in the market, he’s a very reassuring, nice guy who goes down well with the clients and the court.” “He has a wonderful, down-to-earth, straightforward and natural manner which is very appealing to judges.” “Strong on the technical aspects of the law, he gives clear and accurate advice and is good at working with the lay clients.” – Chambers UK, 2020
‘‘Combined strength in public law and telecoms cases.’’ – Legal 500, 2019-2020
“From a client perspective he’s just fantastic.” – Chambers UK, 2019
“Thorough, knowledgeable and highly personable” advocate who excels on cartel, damages and judicial review proceedings” –
Competition, Who’s Who Legal UK Bar 2019“Has tremendous sector knowledge.” “He is really great to work with, highly approachable and very enthusiastic about cases.” – Chambers UK, 2018
“Counsel of choice for a variety of mobile and fixed-line telecoms operators. He draws upon his expertise in EU and public law to provide a comprehensive assessment of telecoms matters for clients … A very adept and able strategist who is decisive and who consistently delivers sound and forthright advice …A very accessible barrister, he is fantastic at getting into the detail and is very good in front of clients.” – Chambers UK, 2017
An “outstanding track record of excellence” with a reputation for being “one of the leading figures in the industry.” – Who’s Who Legal UK Bar 2016
Tim has exceptionally broad experience of litigation and advocacy before the European Courts. He has wide experience of litigating EU law issues in the domestic courts including the Supreme Court, and has acted in a large number of references from the English courts to the CJEU. He has acted in over 50 cases before the European Courts including the EFTA Court.
‘‘Technically outstanding, very user friendly with clients. Tim is also a fantastic advocate – very clear and assertive when necessary.’’ – Legal 500, 2021
“Tim is technically very impressive, and an excellent advocate and also extremely client-friendly.” – Chambers UK, 2021
‘‘Extremely good with senior stakeholders and always practical in his advice.’’ – Legal 500, 2019-2020
“A top performer. Clear and robust in marrying EU law with UK law.” – Chambers UK, 2020
“The top EU lawyer in the set.” – Chambers UK, 2019
‘Fantastic – clever, hard-working and not afraid to get his hands dirty digging into the detail.’’ – Legal 500, 2018
“Ward is very down-to-earth, straightforward and the court trusts him.” – Chambers UK, 2018
“Tim is a very adept and able strategist who is decisive and consistently delivers sound and forthright advice.” – Chambers UK, 2017
“A persuasive advocate who gives everything to the cause; he fights his client’s corner hard.” – Legal 500, 2016
Tim’s public law practice is predominantly concerned with commercial, European, and regulatory challenges, including tax matters. He has, however, acted in almost every conceivable kind of public matter in both domestic and in the CJEU and ECtHR. He has particular expertise in cases where public law and EU law overlap.
A fantastic advocate with great strategic skills. He is our go-to silk every time.” “He has a great range and is excellent on the law. He’s also very client-friendly, and really good at answering the question the client actually wants answered.” – Chambers UK, 2021
‘‘Technically outstanding, a fantastic advocate. Great with clients – very user friendly. He is our first choice silk for public law work’’ –
Legal 500, 2021Tim Ward is a first choice for competition cases with a public law crossover; he’s very user-friendly and great with clients.” “He’s strong on the technical law and will give clear and accurate advice. He keeps it logical and keeps the attention of the judge.” “He always holds his ground and is willing to put in the extra effort to learn the client’s business. He’s very commercial in terms of strategy.” – Chambers UK, 2020
‘‘Technically able and an articulate advocate.’’ – Legal 500, 2019-2020
“He is easy to work with; his advocacy is very clear and he has good judgement. He gets on well with clients.” “Direct, sensible, and a good team player who treats the team he’s working with as his intellectual equals. He’s shrewd and capable.” – Chambers UK, 2019
“A really good advocate, good with clients and really knows the law.” “He has excellent judgement and is a great team player.” – Chambers UK, 2018
‘‘He is fantastic, a persuasive advocate, and connects easily and effectively with clients.’’ – Legal 500, 2018
‘‘A natural choice for regulatory judicial review.’’ – Legal 500. 2017
“A genuinely talented advocate with the intellectual firepower to deal with complex cases. He delivers attractive and easily understood submissions.” – Chambers UK, 2017
Tim has wide experience of the competition and regulatory aspects of Sport. He is a member of the RFU and FA Judicial Panels and a member of Sports Resolution’s panel of arbitrators and mediators. As panellist, he has heard cases concerning:
Tim has acted as counsel in a number of matters concerning sports broadcasting rights:
Tim has also advised on a number of occasions regarding confidential sports matters:
Administrative & Public Law: “A fantastic advocate with great strategic skills. He is our go-to silk every time.” “He has a great range and is excellent on the law. He’s also very client-friendly, and really good at answering the question the client actually wants answered.” – Chambers UK, 2021
Telecommunications: “Excellent, user-friendly, bright, and a good advocate.” “He really gets into the detail of a case.” – Chambers UK, 2021
European Law: “Tim is technically very impressive, and an excellent advocate and also extremely client-friendly.” – Chambers UK, 2021
Competition Law: “He is an absolute delight to work with: a real team player, who makes himself available and is very client-friendly.” “He obviously knows cartel damages inside out, is very good on his feet and gives sound advice.” “Tim is focused, super sharp and a pleasure to work with.” – Chambers UK and Chambers Global, 2021
Leading silk in Administrative and public law (including elections): ‘‘Technically outstanding, a fantastic advocate. Great with clients – very user friendly. He is our first choice silk for public law work’’ – Legal 500, 2021
Leading silk in Competition: ‘‘Tim is a hands on, hard working silk, who is an attractive, reasonable and persuasive advocate. He would be my first choice for pretty much everything competition related.’’– Legal 500, 2021
Leading silk in EU Law: ‘‘Technically outstanding, very user friendly with clients. Tim is also a fantastic advocate – very clear and assertive when necessary.’’ – Legal 500. 2021
Leading silk in Telecoms (regulatory): ‘‘A very good team player who is a pleasure to work with. He is very thorough in his analysis and is excellent at anticipating lines of argument.’’ – Legal 500. 2021
“Hailed as a leading name at the UK Bar for complex commercial and competition-related disputes in the telecoms arena.” – Telecoms, Who’s Who Legal UK Bar 2020
Administrative & Public Law: “Tim Ward is a first choice for competition cases with a public law crossover; he’s very user-friendly and great with clients.” “He’s strong on the technical law and will give clear and accurate advice. He keeps it logical and keeps the attention of the judge.” “He always holds his ground and is willing to put in the extra effort to learn the client’s business. He’s very commercial in terms of strategy.” – Chambers UK, 2020
Telecommunications: “A barrister who is clearly highly thought of by the big players in the market, he’s a very reassuring, nice guy who goes down well with the clients and the court.” “He has a wonderful, down-to-earth, straightforward and natural manner which is very appealing to judges.” “Strong on the technical aspects of the law, he gives clear and accurate advice and is good at working with the lay clients.” – Chambers UK, 2020
European Law: “A top performer. Clear and robust in marrying EU law with UK law.” – Chambers UK, 2020
Competition Law: “Looks to deal with issues head on, before the other side raises the point.” “He’s extremely personable, gets stuck in to the nitty-gritty of the day-to-day drafting,” has “good strategic judgement and never loses sight of the client’s broader commercial perspective.” “Tim is pragmatic and understands what is needed from senior counsel in terms of giving advice that can be fed to the board; he’s very much to the point and clear.” – Chambers UK and Chambers Global, 2020
Leading silk in Administrative and public law (including local government): ‘‘Technically able and an articulate advocate.’’ – Legal 500, 2020
Leading silk in Competition: ‘‘Extremely good with senior stakeholders.’’– Legal 500, 2020
Leading silk in EU Law: ‘‘Extremely good with senior stakeholders and always practical in his advice.’’ – Legal 500. 2020
Leading silk in Telecoms (regulatory): ‘‘Combined strength in public law and telecoms cases.’’ – Legal 500. 2020
“Thorough, knowledgeable and highly personable” advocate who excels on cartel, damages and judicial review proceedings” – Competition, Who’s Who Legal UK Bar 2019
Administrative & Public Law: “He is easy to work with; his advocacy is very clear and he has good judgement. He gets on well with clients.” “Direct, sensible, and a good team player who treats the team he’s working with as his intellectual equals. He’s shrewd and capable.” – Chambers UK, 2019
Competition Law: “He gets down to the nub of the case very quickly, giving clear and concise advice, and communicating in a clear and simple way. His advocacy is also excellent.” – Chambers UK and Chambers Global, 2019
European Law: “The top EU lawyer in the set.” – Chambers UK, 2019
Telecommunications: “Really smart, level-headed and pragmatic. He is down to earth and his advice is always very much grounded in practical considerations.” “He immediately spots good points and he works in a very user-friendly manner.” “From a client perspective he’s just fantastic.” – Chambers UK, 2019
Leading silk in Administrative and public law (including local government): ‘‘He is fantastic, a persuasive advocate, and connects easily and effectively with clients.’’ – Legal 500, 2018
Leading silk in Competition: ‘‘The best competition silk in the business; always responsive, on top of the detail and extremely user friendly – a fantastic team player.’’– Legal 500, 2018
Leading silk in EU Law: ‘‘Fantastic – clever, hard-working and not afraid to get his hands dirty digging into the detail.’’ – Legal 500. 2018
Leading silk in Telecoms (regulatory): ‘‘He is a persuasive advocate and connects easily and effectively with clients.’’ – Legal 500. 2018
Administrative & Public Law: “A really good advocate, good with clients and really knows the law.” “He has excellent judgement and is a great team player.” – Chambers UK, 2018
Competition Law: “He offers a good balance of analytical and commercial skills, and has a clear and economical advocacy style.” – Chambers UK, 2018
European Law: “Ward is very down-to-earth, straightforward and the court trusts him.” – Chambers UK, 2018
Telecommunications: “Has tremendous sector knowledge.” “He is really great to work with, highly approachable and very enthusiastic about cases.” – Chambers UK, 2018
Leading silk in Administrative and public law (including local government): ‘‘A natural choice for regulatory judicial review.’’ – Legal 500. 2017
Leading silk in Competition: ‘‘Hardworking, accessible and not afraid to get into the detail.’’– Legal 500. 2017
Leading silk in EU Law: ‘‘A terrific counsel and a persuasive advocate.’’ – Legal 500. 2017
Leading silk in Telecoms (regulatory): ‘‘A very clear advocate, who is good on technical points of law.’’ – Legal 500. 2017
Administrative & Public Law: “A genuinely talented advocate with the intellectual firepower to deal with complex cases. He delivers attractive and easily understood submissions. Even when arguments are technical or dull, he brings them to life.” “Excellent judgement and a great team player.” – Chambers UK, 2017
Competition Law: “He has lots of experience and is easy to work with. He is very flexible and brings new ideas to the party all the time.” – Chambers UK, 2017
European Law: “Tim is a very adept and able strategist who is decisive and consistently delivers sound and forthright advice.” – Chambers UK, 2017
Telecommunications: “A very adept and able strategist who is decisive and who consistently delivers sound and forthright advice.” “A very accessible barrister, he is fantastic at getting into the detail and is very good in front of clients.” – Chambers UK, 2017
Leading silk in Administrative and public law: “He has excellent judgement and is a great team player.” – Legal 500, 2016
Leading silk in EU and Competition: “A persuasive advocate who gives everything to the cause; he fights his client’s corner hard.” – Legal 500, 2016
Leading silk in Telecoms (regulatory) Tim has a “combined strength in public law and telecoms cases.” – Legal 500, 2016
Competition Law (The Bar) – UK: “He is extremely responsive and always accessible. It is clear that he works very hard.” – Chambers Global, 2016
Competition: “Praised by instructing solicitors as a “top-quality advocate, who is a real pleasure to work with”. – WHO’S WHO LEGAL (WWL) UK BAR 2016
Telecommunications: An “outstanding track record of excellence” with a reputation for being “one of the leading figures in the industry.” – WHO’S WHO LEGAL (WWL) UK BAR 2016
‘‘Excellent in his understanding of procedure and how a matter is likely to play out.’’ Tim Ward was ranked by Legal 500, 2015 in Administrative and Public Law, EU and Competition Law and Telecoms Law as a Leading Silk.
Administrative & Public Law: “He is exceptional. He has a very good manner with clients and is passionate and enthusiastic. He is excellent at distilling a morass of information down to the nub of the issue.” “A first choice for work concerning the crossover between public and competition law.” – Chambers UK, 2015
Competition Law: “He is incredibly quick and someone who gets to the point.” “Very approachable, accessible and hands-on, he’s both a sensible and a persuasive advocate.” – Chambers UK & Chambers Global, 2015
European Law: “He is fantastic and definitely one of my top choices for EU law.” “Approachable, accessible, sensible, hands-on and a persuasive advocate.” – Chambers UK, 2015
Telecommunications: “I use him on cases which raise a public law issue – he’s a very strong juridical review lawyer.” – Chambers UK, 2015
‘Excels in commercial judicial reviews.’ is listed as a leading Silk in Public & Administrative Law. Legal 500, 2014
‘Quick minded, experienced and presents well in court.’ is listed as a leading Silk in EU & Competition Law . Legal 500, 2014
Under Administrative & Public: “A bright and attractive advocate who has the ability to galvanise the interest of the court.” “He is immensely intelligent, hard-working and knowledgeable.” Chambers UK, 2014
Under Competition Law: “He is excellent at thinking four or five steps ahead of the process.” “He inspires great confidence in clients – his advice is commercial and to the point.” Chambers UK, 2014
Under European Law: Praised for his effective litigation skills, he is viewed by peers as a formidable opponent when it comes to EU cases. He is often sought out by clients faced with complex and contentious cases, and has particular experience of appearing before the EFTA and ECJ. “He is very good at finding the right balance between being technical and practical.” “He is very pragmatic and gives high-quality advice.” Chambers UK, 2014
Under Telecommunications Law: His telecoms expertise stems from his in-depth knowledge of public and European law. “Known for the clarity of his submissions and the precision of his mind.” Chambers UK, 2014
“The ‘bright and capable’ Tim Ward QC“, is listed as a leading Silk in EU & Competition Law and Public & Administrative Law. Legal 500, 2013
Competition / European Law: “Sources comment that he “addresses issues from all angles and instils immediate confidence in clients.” His “excellent pragmatic advice” is much valued by instructing solicitors.” Chambers UK, 2013
Under Administrative and Public: “He is “a go-to silk for regulatory-based judicial review,” according to the market.” Chambers UK, 2013
“Interviewees agree that the “first-class” Tim Ward QC well deserved his promotion to silk. He has lately acted for Vodafone in a successful challenge to the jurisdiction of the Competition Appeal Tribunal, and also successfully handled a judicial review for ShopDirect in a challenge to the Competition Commission’s findings on payment protection.” – Chambers UK, 2012
Competition/European Law: “Tim Ward QC is seen as a “class operator” by those that use him. He was instructed by Freesat in BSkyB & Others v Ofcom, a dispute as to wholesale access to Sky’s premium sports channels. – Chambers UK, 2012
Telecommunications: Winning “strong market approval … new silk Tim Ward QC, who is “calm, measured and plays his hand well.” recently defended the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform in an ECJ challenge by Vodafone and O2 to the validity of the EU-wide roaming regulation, which imposes a cap on the prices mobile telephone operators can charge for cross-border services”. – Chambers UK, 2012
Tim Ward QC is a recommended leading silk in Public & Administrative Law. Legal 500, 2011
New silk Tim Ward QC is recommended in Civil liberties and human rights (including public inquiry law and actions against the police). Legal 500, 2011
EU & Competition Law recommend Tim Ward QC as a leading silk. Legal 500, 2011
“Sources speak highly of Tim Ward as an “excellent pure public lawyer.” He has been attracting attention on a number of significant judicial reviews challenges, including acting for Ofsted in the Sharon Shoesmith judicial review and for BAA in a challenge to the exercise of power to detain aircraft for non-payment of airport charges.” Public & Administrative Law, Chambers UK, 2011
Under Telecommunications Law Tim Ward is recognised as” “a coherent and well-reasoned advocate.” He impressed with his work for the Secretary of State on the roaming charges case, Vodafone & O2 v Secretary of State” – Chambers UK, 2011
Recommended in Chambers UK, 2011 “Tim Ward practises both competition and EU law to a high standard. His “solid performances and carefully considered advocacy” ensure he maintains a good profile in both areas. His recent sorties include appearing for ASDA in a judicial review before the CAT.”
Education / Prizes
BA, MA
Tim was awarded ‘Barrister of the Year’ at The Lawyer Awards 2013.
Professional Memberships
Tim was elected as Chairman of the Bar European Group, 2013-2015.
In 2013, Tim was appointed to the Rugby Football Union panel to sit as an adjudicator hearing appeals concerning competition issues. In 2018 he was appointed to the Football Association judicial panel.
His publications include three books: Competition Litigation in the UK (with Kassie Smith, Sweet & Maxwell 2005), Judicial Review and the Human Rights Act (2000) and The Strasbourg Case Law – Leading Cases from the European Human Rights Reports (2001). He is Editor in Chief of the Human Rights Law Reports – UK Cases (Sweet & Maxwell) and Contributor to The European Union Law of Competition (Bellamy & Child).
