Michael Bowsher QC spoke at the annual Thomson Reuters Year in Review 2020 conference in Washington DC. His paper was written over the Christmas/New Year break so only dealt with the position on Brexit as it applied then. Covid was a problem for the future. The paper nonetheless includes quite a lot of comment on the future of UK procurement law which might still be relevant.
The Lawyer magazine has published its “Top 20 cases of 2020” highlighting the move from 2019’s “public interest” showcase and Brexit to this year, disputes from further afield.
In all, eight QCs and 16 Juniors at Monckton Chambers were instructed, many of them in multiple cases, across three of the cases highlighted by The Lawyer magazine as the “top cases” for 2020:
1. West Coast Trains Partnership Limited & Ors v Department for Transport & Ors, High Court, Technology and Construction Court, Jan 2020, three weeks
The 2019 Rail Franchising Litigation is four separate claims against the Department for Transport, which has been rolled up into one massive claim. The claims arise out of three separate rail franchise procurement competitions run by the DfT between 2017 and 2019: the East Midlands franchise, the South East franchise and the West Coast franchise. The claimants challenge their respective disqualification from the competitions for their failure to submit compliant tender bids.
For the claimant, Stagecoach East Midlands Trains Limited, Stagecoach South Eastern Trains Limited & Ors
For the claimant, Arriva Rail East Midlands Limited
For the defendants, the Department for Transport
For claims arising from West Coast competition
For claims arising from East Midlands competition
For claims arising from South Eastern Competition
For the interested party, First Trenitalia West Coast Rail Limited
For the interested party, London and South East Passenger Rail Services Limited
2. Michael O’Higgins FX Class Representative Ltd; Phillip Evans FX Claim UK; Allianz Global Investors GmbH & Ors v Barclays Bank plc, Citibank N.A, JPMorgan Chase & Co & Ors, Competition Appeal Tribunal, February 13, TBC
Three separate claims against a raft of banks will reach the courts this year, as Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, Scott+Scott and Hausfeld bring proceedings
accusing the banks of rigging forex rates in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis.
The High Court proceedings will run separately, covering the same issues.
I. Michael O’Higgins FX Class Representative Ltd v Barclays Bank plc, Citibank N.A, JPMorgan Chase & Co & Ors, Competition Appeal Tribunal, February 13, TBC
For the seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth defendant, JP Morgan Chase & Co, JP Morgan Chase Bank National Association, JP Morgan Ltd and JP Morgan Europe Ltd and JP Morgan Ltd :
For the eleventh and twelfth defendant, NatWest Markets plc and The Royal Bank of Scotland Group
For the fourteenth and fifteenth defendant, MUFG
II. Phillip Evans FX Claim UK v Barclays Bank plc, Citibank N.A, JPMorgan Chase & Co & Ors, Competition Appeal Tribunal, February 13, TBC
For the seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth defendant, JP Morgan Chase & Co, JP Morgan Chase Bank National Association, JP Morgan Ltd and JP Morgan Europe Ltd and JP Morgan Ltd
For the eleventh and twelfth defendant, NatWest Markets plc and The Royal Bank of Scotland Group
For the fourteenth and fifteenth defendant, MUFG
III. Allianz Global Investors GmbH & Ors v Barclays Bank plc, Citibank NA, Citigroup Inc & Ors, High Court, Commercial Court, 25 February, TBC
For the eighth, ninth, tenth and eleventh defendant, JP Morgan Chase & Co, JP Morgan Chase Bank National Association, JP Morgan Ltd and JP Morgan Europe Ltd and JP Morgan Ltd
For the twelfth defendant, The Royal Bank of Scotland Group
3. National Grid and Scottish Power v ABB, Prysmian, NKT, Safran & Ors, High Court, Queen’s Bench Division, November 2020, 12 weeks
National Grid and Scottish Power claim they were overcharged on cable supplies they purchased between 1999 and 2009, alleging that the defendants were part of a cartel involving the main producers of high-voltage power cables in Europe, Japan and Korea.
For the claimant, National Grid
For the claimant, Scottish Power
For the defendant, NKT
For the defendant, Prysmian
For the defendant, Safran
Subscribers to The Lawyer premium content can read the full article here.
Monckton Chambers is delighted to announce that Rob Williams will take silk this year.
Rob is a highly experienced barrister and advocate practicing in competition law, procurement law and other public law and regulatory litigation. He won Competition Junior of the Year at the Chambers Bar Awards 2019.
The members and staff of Chambers warmly congratulate Rob on his appointment to Queen’s Counsel.
The official swearing-in ceremony of the 114 new QCs will take place on Monday 16 March.
The full list of QC appointments, announced on the 16 January, can be viewed on the QCA website.
On the 15th January, George Peretz QC spoke with Iain Dale on his LBC 7.00pm programme about the State Aid issues around the Government’s plan to rescue Flybe.
To listen to the programme click here. George Peretz comments just after the news at 7.00pm.
Earlier George Peretz had been interviewed by Evan Davies, on the same topic, for PM at 5.00pm on Radio 4. To listen to the programme click here. George Peretz comments approximately 18 minutes into the programme.
The Legal 500 has announced the winners of its UK 2020 awards and Monckton Chambers has been successful in the following areas:
EU AND COMPETITION: Set of the year
EU AND COMPETITION: Junior of the year – Ben Lask
Monckton Chambers and its members were nominated for awards in three of the practice areas: EU & Competition, Public Law and Tax. The Set was nominated for all three practice areas and six members were shortlisted for individual awards.
The winners will be presented with their awards at an exclusive ceremony in London on 27th February 2020.
The Legal 500 Series, now in its 32nd year, recognises the very best law firms, chambers, silks, in-house lawyers, business leaders and general counsel operating within the UK market through its annual awards.
Based on months of research, which includes 70,000 interviews with in-house counsel, law firms and sets, the shortlist for the 2020 awards has just been announced.
Monckton Chambers and its members have been nominated for awards in three of the practice areas: EU & Competition, Public Law and Tax. The Set is nominated for all three practice areas and six members are shortlisted for individual awards:
EU and Competition
Public Law
Tax
The winners of will be announced on the Legal 500 website in the first week of December and invited to attend a ceremony on the 27th February 2020.
On the 23rd November, the European Lawyers’ Union (U.A.E.) made Professor Carl Baudenbacher an honorary member. This is the first time that this status has been bestowed on a non-EU lawyer.
The European Lawyers’ Union (U.A.E.) brings together the practicing lawyers in all the Member States of the European Union, with the primary aim of promoting the professional practice of law in Europe, as well as furthering the practice of European Union Law and of the European Convention on Human Rights.
At last night’s awards ceremony at The London Hilton on Park Lane, Monckton Chambers members came away with two awards – Melanie Hall QC won Silk of the Year for Tax and Rob Williams won Competition Junior of the Year.
The awards are based on research for the 2020 edition of Chambers UK Bar. These awards reflect a set’s pre-eminence in key practice areas. They also reflect notable achievements over the past 12 months including outstanding work, impressive strategic growth and excellence in client service.
The recently launched Chambers Bar UK 2020 ranks 53 individual Monckton barristers across 18 practice areas with many appearing in multiple categories.
Monckton Chambers is one of the most highly ranked sets in the UK as it has been recommended in eleven practice areas; in five of these, Monckton is recognised as a “Band One” leading set:
The Set has also been ranked in a further six categories:
Individual members were also recognised as “Leading Individuals” in a further seven categories:
This is how the researchers summarised the set:
A “first-choice set” for competition and EU law, Monckton Chambers also earns top-tier rankings for its indirect tax and telecommunications expertise. It is also widely considered one of “the leading public procurement disputes chambers.” The set houses an enviable bench of competition and EU experts including Daniel Beard QC, who is described by market sources as “a leading competition silk with profound knowledge of competition law issues, case law and procedure.” Top-ranked Gerry Facenna QC has quickly risen the rankings owing to his “really pragmatic approach” to EU law. Anneli Howard, whom a solicitor describes as “one of the leading juniors of her generation,” has the distinction of being ranked in the highest tier for both disciplines. The set is regularly called on by public bodies and international corporations to act in cases which address the most pressing issues of the day. The “premier competition silk” Jon Turner QC has recently represented household names including National Grid and British Airways. On behalf of Chris Leslie MP and Tom Brake MP, members successfully argued at the CJEU that the UK’s notice under Article 50 is unilaterally revocable. Monckton Chambers’ “excellent barristers” are also recognised this year for their work in community care, administrative and public law, civil liberties and human rights, data protection, environment and sports law.
For further details on how Monckton Chambers performed, visit the Chambers and Partners website.
Monckton Chambers is delighted to announce that Will Perry and Alfred Artley have accepted invitations to join Chambers following successful completion of pupillage.
Will is a graduate of Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford with a first in History. In January 2020, he will take up a role as a judicial assistant in the High Court (Administrative Court).
Alfred graduated from Merton College,Oxford with a first in Literae Humaniores. Prior to coming to the bar, he spent four years teaching Classics at Winchester College.
Will and Alfred became tenants on 1st October 2019 having experienced a broad range of practice areas as part of pupillage.
