CMS

Partner and Head of Antitrust, Competition and Trade

Brian leads the UK Antitrust, Competition and Trade Team. He is an experienced and trusted competition law adviser, having practised exclusively in the field of EU, UK and international competition law and merger control for over 25 years. He is dual qualified: Solicitor, England and Wales and Advocaat, Dutch Brussels Bar (A-List). He works out of London and Brussels.

Brian’s was named one of the Top 10 Prominent UK Competition Law Lawyers Dominating 2023 (Business Today Lawyer Awards 2023). He led the CMS team that won Legal Business Awards Competition Team of the Year 2020. He has been described as “indefatigable in serving his clients” (Legal 500 Competition Litigation 2022) and “quite exceptional. He is an extremely good lawyer: clever, thoughtful, and he has good business and economic judgement." (Chambers and Partners UK: Competition Law - London 2022). He has long been ranked as a leading individual for competition law in Chambers and Partners and is ranked as a Global Leader in Who’s Who Legal.

Brian advises major international corporates on competition matters in their distribution, pricing, technology licensing and competitor collaboration arrangements. He has deep experience of investigations and inquiries, competition litigation and appeals, and is widely known for his abuse of dominance expertise. He has substantial UK and EU merger control experience, having obtained numerous clearances in Phase 1 and 2 proceedings, both unconditionally and with remedies. He also advises in related areas including foreign direct investment (both the UK National Security & Investment Act and international coordination), digital and utility regulation, EU state aid/UK subsidy control and consumer law. Brian‘s experience spans a wide range of industry sectors including technology and media, life sciences and healthcare, energy and infrastructure, transportation, manufacturing, consumer, retail and financial services.

Brian is co-chair of the Joint Working Party of Bars and Law Societies of the UK on Competition Law and a member of the steering committee of the CMS Global Antitrust, Competition and Trade practice. He gained two years‘ management consultancy experience and training prior to becoming a lawyer.

Solicitor, England and Wales. Advocaat, Dutch Brussels Bar (A-List). Co-chair of the Joint Working Party of the Bars and Law Societies of the UK on Competition Law. Steering Committee Member, Global Antitrust, Competition and Trade Group, CMS. Member of the Law Society's European Group.

1990 - B.C.L., First Class, Merton College, Oxford University, Oxford. 1989 - M.A. (Law), First Class, Merton College, Oxford University, Oxford.