Senior Competition Litigation Associate - London
We are working on an exclusive and highly selective basis with one of London's pre-eminent competition litigation practices to identify a senior associate at the 6–7 PQE level. This is a genuine growth hire driven by sustained expansion in workflow not a replacement and reflects the continued rise of this practice as one of the most distinguished contentious competition teams in the market.
The Team
This London-based competition litigation practice has established itself as a premier player, particularly noted for its strength acting for both claimants and defendants, as well as its leading collective action expertise. The team operates within a lean associate structure that places exceptional responsibility on its lawyers from an early stage, with direct and consistent partner exposure from day one.
The practice is led by one of the most highly regarded competition litigators in Europe — a solicitor advocate practising in complex commercial litigation, recognised and highly ranked by Chambers UK, Chambers Europe and Chambers Global for Competition Law, as well as ranked a leading individual in Competition Litigation by The Legal 500. Peers and clients describe him as "one of the cleverest competition lawyers around" who is "very tactical, very creative and always has good ideas," and as "an incredibly hard-working, commercially-minded litigator.
The broader partner group brings deep expertise across follow-on damages litigation, regulatory challenges, cartel investigations, and multijurisdictional competition matters. Elaine Whiteford's active practice focuses on follow-on damages litigation, regulatory challenges, and cartel investigations, while Michelle Clark brings strategic insight into multijurisdictional competition litigation.
The team's recent work speaks for itself. In February 2025, the team secured approval from the CAT for a £200 million settlement in the Mastercard v Merricks claim, marking the largest collective litigation settlement in UK history. The practice has also acted for a leading UK consumer association in bringing collective proceedings against Apple on behalf of a class of consumers seeking approximately £3 billion in damages. The team has been recognised as Competition/Regulatory Team of the Year at the British Legal Awards and continues to work on some of the most significant and market-defining contentious competition mandates in the UK.
The London team does not operate with a traditional Counsel tier. Associates progress directly toward Non-Equity and Equity Partnership, making this a genuinely compelling long-term platform for those with partnership ambition.
Why This Role?
This is a rare opportunity to join one of the most respected and high-performing competition litigation practices in the City at a senior associate level, within a firm that actively invests in the development and promotion of its talent. The lean team model means senior associates carry real responsibility — running matters, supervising juniors and operating at the forefront of strategically important and often market-leading competition disputes. The platform, the partner quality, and the trajectory on offer are exceptional.
Cravath scale compensation (NQ equivalent £180k) with a competitive discretionary bonus structure.
What They Are Looking For
This is a quality-focused search. The team is targeting candidates at 6–7 PQE, with some flexibility for an exceptional candidate slightly above this range.
You should be able to demonstrate:
- Training and retention at a Magic Circle, Silver Circle, or elite US/comparable litigation platform
- A genuine and substantive competition litigation background — this is non-negotiable
- Experience across contentious competition matters such as cartel damages claims, follow-on litigation, collective actions, abuse of dominance disputes, or behavioural investigations
- The ability to run matters, supervise junior associates and operate independently within a lean team
- Strong academics and a solid technical litigation foundation
Commercial litigators with meaningful competition exposure may be considered. Merger control-only and advisory-only antitrust profiles are unlikely to be suitable. Applications from litigation boutiques will be assessed carefully against the target peer group.
International candidates particularly those qualified in Australia or New Zealand will be considered where they have relevant London market experience.
If you are a senior competition litigation associate from a top-tier practice and are open to a confidential conversation, please reach out directly. This is a highly selective search and we are engaging only with candidates who meet the profile closely.