Clerked by: Gary Young Louise Barnes
AREAS OF EXPERTISE:
For over 25 years, Adam has specialised in EU & competition law, including cartels, dominance, mergers, market investigations, antitrust litigation, public procurement, State aid, trading agreements and compliance. He is well known to case officers and staff at the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and the European Commission (EC), having dealt with numerous mergers, dawn raids, investigations and leniency applications in a variety of market sectors.
He has litigated many cases before the Competition Appeal Tribunal other UK and EU courts, has acted in arbitrations, and settled other cases by way of mediation. Adam has also acted on a number of significant merger cases, for example, the clearance of the merger of British Salt and New Cheshire Salt Works, for which his team won The Lawyer's Competition and Regulatory Team of the Year award.
Year of Call: 1987 (NSW, Australia), 2014 (England & Wales)
Adam specialises in EU & competition law (see link below). He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and fellow of the Asian Institute of Alternative Dispute Resolution.
In 1999, Adam became an accredited mediator and, subsequently, became a director of ADR Group, one of the two principal providers of mediation services in the UK.Adam’s experience in both mediation and arbitrations has focused primarily on EU and competition law, his principal area of expertise, although he enjoys purely commercial cases as well.
Adam regularly supports the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot Competition as a trainer and panelist.
Significant Cases
Acting for companies in respect of a number of arbitrations before the Grocery Code Adjudicator in respect of alleged breaches of the Groceries Supply Code of Practice (GSCOP)
Acting for three arbitrators whose award was being challenged before the High Court
Adam is registered by the New South Wales Bar Association to practice as a foreign lawyer in Australia.
Adam specialises in Competition Law and Antitrust Litigation and is top ranked by Chambers & Partners in the UK.
Adam is able to advise Australian solicitors and their clients on competition law issues affecting them which have a UK/European dimension. He advises on merger control, regulatory investigations, dominance, global litigation and dispute resolution, international trading arrangements and compliance.
Adam’s advice can be sought on an ad hoc basis or he can be incorporated into a team for longer-term projects, as needs be. Adam holds professional indemnity insurance in the UK that covers the practice of foreign law in Australia.
Adam maintains a residence in Sydney. When in Sydney, Adam can be contacted on +61 2 8091 1211. Otherwise, please contact one of his clerks, Gary Young GYoung@kingschambers.com or Louise Barnes LBarnes@kingschambers.com.
For over 25 years, Adam has specialised in all aspects of EU and UK competition law, including antitrust investigations, appeals, antitrust litigation, mergers, restrictive trade practices and cartels, strategic business advice, GSCOP, joint ventures and other forms of collaboration, dominance, public procurement, State aid and competition risk management.
For years, Adam has been ranked by Legal 500 as the Leading Individual in EU & competition law in Yorkshire, and recommended by PLC, and by Chambers in Europe, London and in the Regions. Adam is Top Ranked by Chambers UK 2020 for Competition Law (The Regions (Bar)).
Investigations & Advisory
Competition Litigation
Dominance
Merger Control
Various mergers (phases I and II) before the OFT (as was), the CMA and the EC, including:
1. Health cash plans
2. Dental plans
3. Motor vehicle dealerships
4. Concrete roof tiles
5. Salt
6. Building societies
7. Grocery convenience stores
8. Pharmaceuticals
9. Textiles and carpet yarns
GSCOP, Distribution Strategies & Compliance
1. Conducting arbitrations before the Groceries Code Adjudicator and advising on GSCOP
2. Advising various companies on their trading terms and UK and EU distribution strategies
3. Delivering dawn raid and compliance training and manuals
Public Procurement and State Aid
Over the last decade, Adam has increasingly been called upon to advise councils and private companies on public procurement, State aid and restrictions affecting land, including:
Adam specialises in EU & competition law (see link above). He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. In 1999, he became an accredited mediator and, subsequently, became a director of ADR Group, one of the two principal providers of mediation services in the UK.
Adam’s experience in mediations has focused primarily on EU and competition law, his principal area of expertise, although he enjoys purely commercial cases as well.
Adam has acted as mediator and as advocate for parties in scores of mediations for over 15 years ranging from County Court claims through to £multi- million abuse of dominance cases in the Chancery Division and £multi-million follow-on damages claims in the Competition Appeal Tribunal.
Adam is an EU & competition law specialist (see link above). For over 25 years, Adam has advised sporting associations, leagues and clubs with regard to the competition and commercial issues relating to their activities.
Recommended in Legal 500 for Sports law: “competition law specialist Adam Aldred focuses on the interface between competition law and sport, and advises on issues such as the collective selling of football rights to broadcasters and shirt sponsorship deals”.
Significant cases
Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (MCIArb)
Asian Institute of Alternative Dispute Resolution (FAIADR)
The General Council of the Bar of England and Wales
British Institute of International and Comparative Law
Bar Association of New South Wales
Cartels: Enforcement, Appeals and Damages Actions, 2014, 2nd Ed – UK Chapter
“Is your International Sporting Federation skating on Thin Ice too?” - Global Sports Law and Taxation Reports
Law Extension Committee, University of Sydney 1983 to 1987
Admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of New South Wales 1987
Trinity Hall, University of Cambridge - 1988 to 1989 (Master of Laws)
Norton Rose 1989 to 1993 (EU & competition law)
Hammonds (Partner) 1994 to 2001 (EU & competition law & commercial litigation)
Accredited Mediator 1999 (ADR Group)
Solicitor Advocate (Higher Courts (Civil Advocacy)) 2000
Addleshaw Goddard LLP (Partner) 2001 to 2014 (EU & competition & antitrust litigation)
Called to the Bar (Gray’s Inn) 2014
Kings Chambers 2014 to date
Direct Access Qualified 2015
Irish Roll 2016
Australian Registration Certificate 2017
Chambers UK 2022
"Adam is very often my first port of call with queries which stump me; he is always inventive in addressing problems and it is no surprise that he has a very busy practice."
Chambers UK 2021
"Adam provides definitive, concise and timely advice, and he seems to be able to anticipate the approach the CMA is likely to take."
Chambers UK 2020
"He is proactive, strategic, and able to provide tangible and practical advice."
"He's very easy to get on with and has a very nice manner. He's also knowledgeable and thorough."
Competition Law (The Regions (Bar)) – Top ranked
Chambers UK 2019
"He has been very co-operative at putting in time to explain things to the clients and is a very good tactical litigator."
Chambers UK 2018
"He is a great person to work alongside - full of ideas and full of energy."
Chambers UK 2017"He is a highly regarded individual, particularly for cases involving cartels."
Chambers UK 2016
"He combines the pragmatism of a solicitor with a robust fighting spirit."
Legal 500 2015
EU & Competition - Adam Aldred is highly recommended
Sport - competition law specialist Adam Aldred focuses on the interface between competition law and sport, and advises on issues such as the collective selling of football rights to broadcasters and shirt sponsorship deals
Chambers UK 2014
"Very innovative" and "an able litigator". As such he is often sought to advise on abuse of dominance cases and follow-on damages claims. (Band 1 - leading individual)
Chambers UK 2013
"A seasoned litigator" who "has a great deal of experience to offer in this field". (Band 1 - leading individual)
2012
Awarded “Stand-out” - Most Innovative law firms in Dispute Resolution - FT Innovative Lawyers: third out of 26 finalists
2006
Won the Lawyer's Competition and Regulatory Team of the Year Award
1995
Profiled in Legal Business as the lawyer who broke the Net Book Agreement, the agreement by which UK publishers fixed the resale price of books
Ranked by Legal 500 as the Leading Individual in EU & competition law in Yorkshire for many years
@adamdsaldred @adamantitrust
36 Young Street, Manchester, M3 3FT DX: 718188 MCH 3 Direct Dial: 0161 832 9082
5 Park Square, Leeds, LS1 2NE DX: 713113 LEEDS PARK SQ Direct Dial: 0113 242 1123
Embassy House, 60 Church Street, Birmingham, B3 2DJ DX: 13023 BIRMINGHAM Direct Dial: 0121 200 3570
Gary Young
Louise Barnes
Two north west property developers have issued legal proceedings against supermarket giant Tesco claiming it is breaching Competition Law.
Adam Aldred will tomorrow become the first competition law specialist practising at the UK’s regional bar, as he departs Addleshaw Goddard for Kings Chambers.
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