Mark Powell has over twenty years' experience advising on all aspects of EU competition law, with a particular focus on the interface between competition law and sector-specific regulatory requirements in areas such as telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, energy, the media and transport. His work also frequently concerns the relationship between competition law and intellectual property rights, especially in the information technology sector.

Mr. Powell also handles the regulatory clearance of complex mergers and acquisitions with a European dimension, and represents and advises clients involved in cartel investigations.

Recent matters in which Mr. Powell has been involved include: 

• Advice to a leading pharmaceutical company on the competition law aspects of co-promotion, co-marketing and other types of licensing and distribution agreements. 
• The intellectual property aspects of Microsoft's defence against Commission accusations of abuse of dominance. 
• Assisting Rambus, a developer of innovative DRAM architecture, to respond to Commission allegations of abuse of a dominant position. 
• Advice to a rolling stock leasing company in connection with the UK Competition Commission's inquiry into the railway sector. 
• Clearance of mergers and acquisitions; recent deals include: the merger between Generali and PPF in the CEEC insurance sector, the acquisition of the third mobile operator on the Greek market, Basell's acquisition of Lyondell, and an acquisition of Hungarian hypermarkets. 
• Representing clients involved in cartel investigations in the district heating pipe, nucleotides, plumbing supplies, power cables and petrochemical sectors before the European Commission and the European courts. 
• Advising energy companies in new Member States regarding European Commission investigations into long-term power purchase agreements. 
• Obtaining clearance for State aid granted to a leading Czech bank during privatization of the banking sector.

Clients described Mr. Powell to Chambers as "A charismatic lawyer with terrific business sense", "practical and savvy", an "enjoyable, hard-working and client-friendly" advisor who knows competition law, who "takes a case and makes it his own. He doesn't just do the basic plumbing work but the complicated, architectural design too." His abilities were singled out for recognition in the first edition of Euromoney's "Expert Guide to the World's Leading Competition and Antitrust Lawyers." With regard to Legal 500, clients single out Mark Powell for praise: "Very knowledgeable with a pragmatic and commercial approach," "his convincing style and self-confidence make us feel comfortable. His personal style is very persuasive." He is frequently asked to speak at conferences on matters relating to his practice areas.

Mr. Powell was a partner in Forrester Norall & Sutton, a Brussels firm specializing in EU and international law, until its merger with White & Case in 1998.

Bars and Courts
Solicitor of England and Wales, 1989
Brussels Bar (E list), 1998

Education
Final Diploma in Portuguese Language and Literature, University of Coimbra, 1987
Professional Practising Certificate, College of Law, Chester, 1985
LLB, University of Lancaster, with Honours, 1983

Languages
English
French
Portuguese

Citizenship
British