Monckton Chambers awarded ‘Wellbeing at the Bar’ certificate

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As part of #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek this week, the The Bar Council of England and Wales have relaunched the ‘Wellbeing at the Bar’ certificates and Monckton Chambers are delighted to have been recognised and awarded a certificate.

Sam Mercer, Head of Equality at the Bar Council, said: “We are delighted to award the new Wellbeing Certificates in recognition for outstanding work to improve wellbeing at the Bar. The certificates are valid for three years and we are still encouraging other organisations to apply. It is great to see so many organisations are willing to put in so much effort to support barristers and staff.”

Read more here.

Webinars on the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill

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In a two-part webinar series, members of Monckton Chambers will discuss the competition and consumer law aspects of the new Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill, as introduced in Parliament on 25 April 2023. The first webinar (Wed 3 May at 1pm) will explore competition law aspects of the Bill, and the second webinar (Wed 10 May at 1pm) will explore consumer law aspects. You can sign up to these respective webinars here and here. Further information is below.

Part 1: Competition aspects of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill

Date: Wednesday 3 May 2023 at 1pm – 2pm

In the first rapid response webinar, the panel will address the competition law aspects of the Bill, namely Part 1 on Digital Markets and Part 2 on Competition. Part 1 of the Bill puts the Digital Markets Unit in the CMA on statutory footing and introduces a new regulatory regime for digital markets. Part 2 of the Bill introduces a number of reforms to UK competition law more generally, including in relation to: investigative and enforcement powers; the powers of the CAT; mergers; and the scope of the Chapter 1 prohibition. The panel will discuss the genesis for these new substantive and procedural provisions; their relationship with the EU’s Digital Markets Act; and how they will work in practice, once enacted.

Speakers include: Tim Ward KC; Robert Palmer KC; Alison Berridge; and Daisy Mackersie.

The recording is available here

Part 2: Consumer aspects of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill

Date: Wednesday 10 May 2023 at 1pm – 2pm

In the second rapid response webinar, the panel will address the consumer law aspects of the Bill, namely Part 3 on enforcement of consumer law and Part 4 on consumer rights and disputes. The Bill introduces new, substantive consumer protection measures (including on subscription traps and fake reviews), as well as providing the CMA with new tools to enforce consumer law directly and new remedies e.g. the CMA and the Courts will have the power to impose penalties of up to 10% of global turnover for breaching consumer law. The panel will discuss the genesis for these new substantive and procedural provisions, and how they will work in practice, once enacted

Speakers include: George Peretz KC; Rob Williams KC;  Jonathan Lewis; Jack Williams; and Khatija Hafesji.

The recording is available here.

The Lawyer Awards 2023

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Monckton Chambers is delighted to have been recognised and shortlisted for the 2023 Lawyer Awards in the category of ‘Chambers of the Year’.

The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on Tuesday 20 June 2023 at JW Marriott Grosvenor House London.

The full shortlist can be seen here.

Ben Lask – New Silk

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The members and staff of Monckton Chambers warmly congratulate Ben Lask on ‘taking silk’ today.

Ben will be sworn-in along with other new KCs, at the official King’s Counsel Appointments Ceremony at Westminster.

Ben specialises in Competition, Public and EU Law. He is Standing Counsel to the Competition and Markets Authority and currently a member of the Attorney General’s A Panel. He is recommended in Chambers UK in the fields of Competition Law, EU Law and Telecommunications, and in Legal 500 for Administrative & Public and Data Protection.

The full list of appointments, announced on 23rd December 2022, can be viewed here.

Jeremy McBride speaks at United for Justice conference in Ukraine

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Jeremy McBride contributed to the high-level conference “United for Justice”, organised on 3-5 March by the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine in Lviv, Ukraine. The conference facilitated discussions on the accountability for the Russian Federation´s aggression against Ukraine. The event brought together key national and international actors, including the Presidents and First Ladies of Ukraine and Latvia, all high-level political and justice sector establishment of Ukraine, Ministers and Prosecutors General of several countries, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, judges of international courts, high-level representatives of several international organisations as well as international and national NGOs. Jeremy McBride addressed issues relating to ensuring compliance with the European Convention on Human Rights when prosecuting international crimes committed in relation to the aggression against Ukraine by the Russian Federation.

Chambers Global 2023 – Set recognition in Competition Law (UK) and 39 individuals ranked across three practice areas: Competition Law (UK), Public International Law: The English Bar and Dispute Resolution: Commercial (UK)

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Chambers Global 2023 has just been published, ranking the top lawyers and law firms in over 200 jurisdictions across the world.

Monckton Chambers is once again one of five sets to be recognised for Competition Law in UK. In addition, individual barristers, 40 in all, are ranked across three practice areas: Competition Law (UK), Public International Law: The English Bar and Dispute Resolution: Commercial (UK).

Competition Law in UK
Individual Monckton members ranked for this category are:
SILKS: Tim Ward KC, Philip Moser KC, Mark Brealey KC, Jon Turner KC, Paul Harris KC, Daniel Beard KC, Kassie Smith KC, George Peretz KC, Meredith Pickford KC, Josh Holmes KC, Ronit Kreisberger KC, Rob Williams KC and Anneli Howard KC.

JUNIORS: Alistair Lindsay, Ben Rayment, Julian Gregory, Alan Bates, Ben Lask, Philip Woolfe, Fiona Banks, Anneliese Blackwood, Laura Elizabeth John, Ligia Osepciu, Julianne Kerr Morrison, Nikolaus Grubeck, Alison Berridge, Michael Armitage, Thomas Sebastian, Daisy Mackersie, James Bourke, David Gregory, Jack Williams and Alexandra LIttlewood.

Ciar McAndrew is ranked in the Global Guide for the first time this year.

Public International Law in UK
Thomas Sebastian also appears in the Global Guide under Public International Law: The English Bar.

Dispute Resolution: Commercial (UK)
Steven Gee KC, Gregory Pipe, William Buck, Drew Holiner for the category of Dispute Resolution: Commercial (UK) in the Global Guide.

Kristina Lukacova is ranked in the Global Guide for the first time this year.

Monckton features prominently in The Lawyer’s Top 20 Cases between 2014 and 2023

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The Lawyer have published a report on its Top 20 Cases between 2014 and 2023, the report contains an in depth look into the data behind the past 10 years of The Lawyer’s Top 20 Cases, it presents an analysis which includes the top chambers and barristers involved in the 200 cases between 2014 and 2023.

The report shows Monckton has had 28 cases and 65 team appearances listed in the past 10 years.

Monckton members featured in the “top barristers” table, made up of those featured most within the top cases, include Daniel Beard KC with 9 cases, Jon Turner KC, Josh Holmes KC,  Rob Williams KC, all with 7 cases each and Mark Brealey KC with 6 cases.

To read the full report please click here.

David Gregory features in The Lawyer’s top 10 appeals of 2023

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The Lawyer has highlighted 10 disputes set to be heard in both the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court in 2023. Monckton Chambers’ David Gregory is instructed in the following case:

R (on the application of PACCAR Inc and others) (Appellants) v Competition Appeal Tribunal and others (Respondents)

For the appellants, DAF Trucks

David Gregory is instructed by Travers Smith.

Subscribers to The Lawyer can read the full article here.

Kassie Smith KC and Ronit Kreisberger KC recognised in W@Competition Five Star Competition Professionals list in private practice

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Congratulations to Kassie Smith KC and Ronit Kreisberger KC who are celebrated as notable women competition professionals in private practice by W@.

Kassie Smith KC is listed as a ‘Guide Star – trailblazers who have reached lead roles or have otherwise inspired you with their professional expertise beyond the last five years, and who will typically count some 20 years’ experience in the competition field’ and Ronit Kreisberger KC as a ‘Shining Star– women competition professionals who stood out and/or who have made notable professional accomplishments (e.g. promotions to senior roles) in the last five years; these women will typically have at least a dozen of years’ experience in the competition field.’

The Five Star Professionals Survey celebrates notable women competition professionals of different levels of experience and seniority, to view the full list please click here.

Jonathan Lewis joins Monckton Chambers

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Members of Chambers are delighted to announce that Jonathan Lewis has joined Monckton Chambers as of today, Monday 6th February 2023.

Jonathan has a broad practice with particular focus upon public procurement, public and administrative law, consumer law and commercial law. He has a highly regarded procurement practice, representing both claimants and contracting authorities in a variety of substantial procurement challenges. He has been involved in some of the most notable recent procurement claims (such as the Covid-19 PPE challenges).

Jonathan has substantial experience across a broad spectrum of public law work and is on the Attorney General’s “A” Panel of counsel. He is instructed in a number of judicial review claims, many of which have an underlying regulatory thread, involving challenges to the decisions of a wide array of regulators. He also has experience acting in claims under the Human Rights Act 1998 and acting in various statutory appeals.

Jonathan’s commercial practice primarily covers contractual disputes in a variety of different industry sectors and often intersects with his government and procurement work. He has recently been instructed on various technology related disputes. Jonathan has substantial consumer law experience, having acted for the Competition and Markets Authority in a number of high profile enforcement actions as well has having advised consumers on a variety of issues.

Philip Moser KC, Joint Head of Chambers, welcomes Jonathan to Chambers, ‘Monckton Chambers are delighted to welcome Jonathan Lewis. An A Panellist and first class litigator, he will add further strength across a number of Monckton’s practice areas, especially in Public Procurement and in Public law.’

Jonathan says, “I am delighted to be joining Monckton Chambers where there are clearly so many strong synergies with my existing practice. It will be a huge asset to be surrounded by such a formidable set of talented barristers with expertise in my primary areas of practice”.

Jonathan is recommended in the leading directories, and in 2023 as been described as:

“An excellent and accessible counsel, who provides commercially astute advice” (Chambers UK, 2023)

“He is an excellent junior, who’s relaxed, collaborative, responsive and open to input” (Chambers UK, 2023)

“Approachability, knowledge and ability to explain legal matters in a commercial context to a lay client” (Legal 500, 2023)

To view Jonathan’s full profile, please click here.