Antitrust Litigation - Associate

Freshfields; Greater London; On-site; GBP 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Freshfields in London is seeking a litigator to join our antitrust litigation team, handling cartel damages, abuse of dominance and related competition matters in UK courts and the Competition Appeal Tribunal, including collective actions and global coordination.

The team is market-leading, acting on high-profile matters such as Mastercard and Volvo, with exposure to international investigations and EU/UK public law work, plus opportunities to mentor juniors and contribute to business

Qualifications

• Qualified lawyer in England & Wales or a common law jurisdiction.
• 2-4 PQE preferred and demonstrated legal excellence.
• Strong technical and commercial abilities.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Proactive approach to business development and team supervision.

Responsibilities

• Draft complex witness statements, expert reports and pleadings.
• Lead project processes on significant cases and work toward lead associate.
• Collaborate with barristers, economists and other experts.
• Mentor junior associates and trainees.
• Attend mediation/settlement discussions and draft settlement agreements.
• Contribute to client development and knowledge management.

Skills

PQE 2-4

Lawyer

Team leadership

Communication

AI tools

Tools

AI tools

Job description

We are currently looking for a litigator to work within our antitrust litigation team in London, which is active in cartel damages, abuse of dominance and other antitrust litigation in the UK courts and Competition Appeal Tribunal, including collective proceedings and class actions, and frequently coordinating competition litigation on a worldwide basis.

The team is widely regarded as the leading practice in the market, active in more of the major competition litigation cases than any other firm, and we have the largest dedicated antitrust litigation team in London. We act on the highest profile, and most cutting edge, antitrust litigation matters in the UK including Mastercard’s defence against a £14bn class action in relation to multilateral interchange fees, and Volvo’s global defence of damages litigation arising out of the EU’s trucks cartel decision. The team has been described as a ‘jewel in the crown’ of Freshfields’ global dispute resolution practice and is at the heart of the firm’s global antitrust litigation group.

In addition to working on competition litigation and investigation matters, the successful candidate would have the opportunity to work with the firm’s wider global investigations and class action practice. The team also undertakes EU and UK domestic public law and related regulatory litigation (including Brexit-related work), human rights cases, as well as broader commercial litigation and competition advisory work.

We are recognised as the market leader in competition litigation, financial disputes, global investigations and management of political, consumer and product risk. Our strong international commercial litigation capabilities have allowed us to act on the most significant cases in the market.

Key Responsibilities and Deliverables

• Draft complex witness statements, expert reports and pleadings
• Run project processes on significant cases and work towards being the lead associate
• Develop litigation skills, both procedural and substantive, and work closely with leading barristers, economists and other expert witnesses
• Draft letters/emails to client/other side
• Run document reviews and disclosure projects
• Attend mediation/settlement discussions and draft settlement agreements
• Enhance financial skills, including by working in close cooperation with expert economists
• Produce business development plans and work with our BD Manager to generate additional ideas
• Delegate to and mentor junior associates and trainees
• Participate in seminars/training to clients and other associates
• Establish profile and relationships with partners and clients, and in the market

Key Requirements

• Qualified lawyer qualified in England & Wales or a common law jurisdiction, ideally 2-4 PQE.
• Strong technical and commercial abilities.
• Intellectually able with top class academics.
• A tenacious and enthusiastic approach to surpass the expectations of our clients.
• Able to work effectively as part of a team and supervise more junior lawyers/trainees.
• Highly effective communicator (both orally and in writing).
• Strong, innovation-centred approach to client work and business development, including confidence in using approved AI tech and supervising the work of others who do so.
• Able to take on a high degree of responsibility and manage a challenging workload.
• Committed to providing an excellent service to our clients.
• Proactive involvement in business development and knowledge management.

Inclusion

Freshfields is an equal opportunities employer and all applications received by the firm will be considered by the firm on the basis of their merit alone and we welcome applications from all suitably qualified individuals regardless of background. All offers of employment will be conditional on the candidate having/securing the right to work in the UK and providing the firm with evidence of that right (as required by the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006) prior to employment commencing.

Freshfields is a Ban the Box employer. We ask applicants to disclose criminal convictions only when a conditional job offer is made. A conviction does not automatically lead to withdrawal of the offer: we make decisions on a case by case basis and take a number of factors into account (eg the role you are applying for and the circumstances of the offence). You would have the opportunity to discuss the matter with us before we make a decision.