Alan Bates

Alan specialises in competition, procurement, public/administrative and EU law. The legal directories rank him as a leading junior in competition, EU and telecoms law.

Alan has particular experience in dealing with complex regulatory disputes involving combinations of public and EU law and economic issues. He has acted both for and against all the main UK competition and sectoral regulators and the European Commission in cases concerning competition law infringements, regulatory investigations and consumer protection.

He is also playing a leading role in the development of the UK’s competition law private damages regime under the changes introduced by the Consumer Rights Act 2015. He recently led the defence team in the Gibson v Pride Mobility case, resisting the first ever application in the UK for a collective proceedings order to permit an ‘opt-out’ class action for recovering consumer losses alleged to have arisen from a competition law infringement.

Alan is also regularly instructed in procurement law proceedings (both for claimants and for contracting authorities/utilities). His experience includes claims arising under the Utilities Contracts, Defence Contracts, and Concessions, Regulations.

He has a particular interest in State aid law, and is the author of the State aid chapter of Bellamy & Child European Union Law of Competition and the ‘compatibility of aid’ chapter in European Union Law of State Aid.

Alan also has extensive experience in Administrative Court proceedings involving EU law issues, including compatibility with EU directives, equal treatment, proportionality and notification under the Technical Standards Directive. He is regularly instructed to appear on behalf of the UK Government in proceedings in the EU Court of Justice.

Reigate Grammar School; University of Cambridge (2000 BA Hons Law First Class; Clive Parry Prize for International Law; De Hart Prize for Public Law); University of Pennsylvania (2002 LLM; Thouron Scholar).