Sarah Houghton > Mishcon de Reya LLP > London, England > Lawyer Profile
Mishcon de Reya LLP Offices
AFRICA HOUSE
70 KINGSWAY
LONDON
WC2B 6AH
England
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Sarah Houghton
Work Department
Dispute Resolution - Competition Law
Position
Sarah is a partner in the firm’s dispute resolution department, specialising in UK & EU competition law.
She is experienced in acting for both claimants and defendants in complex, high-profile cases involving competition law based claims or defences. She advises on both strategic and legal issues associated with litigation, such as choice of forum and reputational issues.
Sarah represented Microsoft in its cartel damages claims against Sony, Samsung, Panasonic, Sanyo and LG Chem. Sarah also represented Sainsbury’s in its successful claim against MasterCard, the highest damages recovered in a European competition damages claim.
Sarah has also been advising two former directors of companies involved in separate investigations by the Competition and Markets in the construction and pharmaceuticals sector, for breach of competition warranties and aspects of individual liability. She assists businesses that find themselves under investigation by Competition Regulators, and those concerned about the way their affairs may have been conducted, e.g. attending dawn raids, advising on defence strategies and assessing potential civil liabilities.
Sarah regularly undertakes competition law audits and provides training and compliance materials to businesses. She also advises on the competition law aspects of transactions and commercial agreements, including ways to structure agreements and alter commercial behaviour to minimise competition law risks.
Career
Partner, Mishcon de Reya LLP; Managing Associate, Mishcon de Reya LLP; Associate, DLA Piper UK LLP; Solicitor, Bell Gully
Education
Kings College London (MA, EC Competition Law; University of Auckland, New Zealand (LLB (Hons), B.Com (Economics))
Lawyer Rankings
London > Dispute resolution > Competition litigation
(Leading partners)Mishcon de Reya LLP is a leading advocate for large corporate claimants embroiled in challenging competition litigation. The team’s claimant-side focus has facilitated a key role in the burgeoning areas of collective actions and abuse of dominance claims. Sarah Houghton regularly secures results for her clients at trial and through the settling of high-value disputes for large corporations. Ben Lasserson advises extensively on competition matters in the digital tech space, including substantial abuse of dominance claims. Zachery O’Brien advises a range of prominent retailers concerning claims against the European truck cartels.
London > Corporate and commercial > EU and competition
Well-regarded for being at ‘the cutting edge of new developments’, the competition group at Mishcon de Reya LLP is well-versed in cross-jurisdictional merger control filings and investigations, with a specific focus on the online markets and emerging technologies sectors. Practice head Sarah Houghton is lauded for her ‘great judgment and strategic vision.’ She is supported by ‘seasoned pro’ Ben Lasserson, and of counsel Gwen Ballin-Reeler, who has extensive competition litigation experience.
London > Dispute resolution > Group litigation: Claimant
Mishcon de Reya LLP‘s broad group litigation practice spans insurance, securities and opt-out collective claims. The team boasts experience representing claimants in business-interruption claims arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. Insurance specialist Richard Leedham
leads the team. Sarah Houghton is head of the competition group, advising on opt-out collective action in the CAT, follow-on damages claims related to the trucks cartel and MIF proceedings. Ben Lasserson focuses on the Big Tech space, representing claimants in abuse of dominance and privacy cases. In January 2024, the firm was bolstered by the arrival of Pedro Martins and Tomas Mousinho, both of whom joined from Pogust Goodhead.
Lawyer Rankings
- Leading partners London > Dispute resolution > Competition litigation
- Competition litigation London > Dispute resolution
- Group litigation: Claimant London > Dispute resolution
- EU and competition London > Corporate and commercial
Top Tier Firm Rankings
- Private client > Art and cultural property
- Private client > Contentious trusts and probate
- Employment > Employers
- Crime, fraud and licensing > Fraud: civil
- Crime, fraud and licensing > Gaming and betting
- Employment > Immigration
- Employment > Immigration: personal
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Intellectual property: trade marks, copyright and design
- Private client > Personal tax, trusts and probate
- Real estate > Property litigation
- Real estate > Residential property
- Employment > Senior executives
Firm Rankings
- Public sector > Administrative and public law
- Real estate > Commercial property: investment
- Real estate > Construction: non-contentious
- Private client > Family
- Corporate and commercial > Financial services: contentious
- Crime, fraud and licensing > Fraud: white-collar crime (advice to individuals)
- Employment > Immigration: human rights
- Insurance > Insurance litigation: for policyholders
- Corporate and commercial > Partnership
- Crime, fraud and licensing > Private prosecutions
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Reputation management
- Industry focus > Retail and consumer
- Industry focus > TMT
- Corporate and commercial > Venture capital
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Artificial intelligence
- Real estate > Commercial property: development
- Dispute resolution > Competition litigation
- Crime, fraud and licensing > Crime: general
- Risk advisory > Data protection, privacy and cybersecurity
- Public sector > Education: individuals
- Employment > Employee share schemes
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Franchising
- Industry focus > Hospitality and leisure
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Intellectual property: patents (contentious and non-contentious)
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > IT and telecoms
- Real estate > Planning
- Risk advisory > Regulatory investigations and corporate crime (advice to corporates)
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Sport
- Private client > Charities and not-for-profit
- Corporate and commercial > Commercial contracts
- Dispute resolution > Commercial litigation: premium
- Corporate and commercial > Corporate tax
- Dispute resolution > Group litigation: Claimant
- Employment > Health and safety
- Industry focus > Life sciences and healthcare
- Corporate and commercial > M&A: Lower Mid-Market Deals, £100m-£750m
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Media: Advertising & marketing
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Media: Film & TV
- Corporate and commercial > Private equity: transactions - mid-market deals (up to £500m)
- Real estate > Property finance
- Dispute resolution > Tax litigation and investigations
- Dispute resolution > Banking litigation: investment and retail
- Real estate > Construction: contentious
- Dispute resolution > International arbitration
- Corporate and commercial > EU and competition
- Finance > Corporate restructuring & insolvency
- Private client > Agriculture and estates