“Euan Burrows is the best competition litigator we have come across. Euan has deep industry knowledge, understands how the regulators think, is super smart and can explain complex concepts to business leaders in a memorable, impactful way.”
Biography
Euan Burrows is a senior competition partner in the firm's UK Competition team. His practice focuses on competition litigation, antitrust investigations and merger control.
Euan is Chair of the UK Competition Law Association. He is widely published including as the Contributing Editor for the International Comparative Law Guide to Competition Litigation.
Euan is recommended by the major legal directories: Legal 500 (Competition law - Hall of Fame; Competition Litigation - Leading Practitioner); Chambers & Partners (Competition law; Competition litigation); Lexology Index (formerly Who's Who Legal); and IFLR.
Experience
Competition Litigation
Euan has over 20 years of experience litigating antitrust appeals and damages actions in the UK Competition Appeal Tribunal and private courts (including advocacy higher rights of audience).
His litigation experience includes acting on a wide variety of follow-on and stand-alone damages proceedings, collective actions and numerous appeals (including successfully overturning the largest fine imposed by the OFT). He has successfully defeated contribution claims (on jurisdictional and liability grounds) and settled complex multiparty cartel proceedings, including as between alleged co-cartelists and as between successive owners). His recent matters include three collection action disputes, raising novel arguments as to funding, class definition, third party disclosure and economic assessment of damage. His cases (particularly Trucks) have set CAT procedural precedents that continue to be applied today in connection with access to investigation file documents, inter-parties' disclosure, status of EU investigative infringement decisions, causational chains in damages assessment and role of economic evidence.
Euan served as a member of the CAT's senior advisor User Group panel for 8 years. This included membership of the working group that amended the CAT's procedural rules to accommodate the new UK class action regime introduced under the CRA 2015. His cases have won Legal Business Competition Team of the Year, The Lawyer Competition & Regulatory Team of the Year and the Financial Times Innovation, UK Litigation Matter of the Year.
Notable cases include:
- Clare Mary Joan Spottiswoode CBE v Airwave Solutions Limited, Motorola Solutions UK Limited & Motorola Solutions, Inc (First UK Government funded anti-trust collective action).
- (UM) MIF Umbrella Proceedings, (UK largest card payment processer as third party to single claimant and collective actions private damages actions against Visa and MasterCard).*
- Clare Mary Joan Spottiswoode CBE v Nexans France S.A.S. & Others (Pirelli, in respect of the collective action claim brought regarding losses arising from the High Voltage Cables cartel).*
- SP Power Systems Limited and Others v Prysmian S.p.A and Others (Pirelli as the former owner of Prysmian) in its successful challenge to the jurisdiction of the English High Court leading to the displacement of both sets of contribution proceedings brought against it by Prysmian).*
- International polyurethane foam manufacturer in its defence and settlement of various antitrust damages action arising from EU Commission decision in AT.3980/Polyurethane foam.*
- Amit Patel v Competition and Markets Authority (Owner of Auden McKenzie in the defence, appeal and subsequent settlement (including negotiation of Competition Director Disqualification Undertakings) of allegations in respect of Nortriptyline).*
- Vattenfall AB & Others v Prysmian S.P.A & Others (Pirelli in its successful defence when sued by Vattenfall as a primary defendant in respect of the high voltage cartel. Pirelli were the only defendant to secure a full discontinuance of Vattenfall's claim).*
- Ryder Limited and Another v MAN SE and Others (Ryder Inc, as the largest single Claimant follow-on damages action in the UK re EU Trucks Cartel Decision AT 39824).*
- Phones 4u Limited -v- EE Limited and others (co-counsel securing the complete rejection of standalone damages and concerted practice allegations made in connection with the negotiation of distribution arrangements for the distribution of mobile handsets).*
- Japanese multinational car manufacturer in various claims and settlement of follow on damages actions arising from EU Commission auto parts cartel decisions.*
- Case 1160/1/1/10 (1) Imperial Tobacco Group plc v Office of Fair Trading (successful appeal of largest single firm fine imposed by the OFT on a single undertaking).*
- Transport for London in connection with pending Competition Appeal Tribunal proceedings by Canary Wharf Limited alleging abuse of dominant position.*
Antitrust Investigations
Euan has extensive experience of representing clients in all forms of antitrust investigations, involving a wide range of regulators from the EU Commission, CMA, FCA, Ofgem and national competition agencies in France, Holland, Spain, Belgium, Greece and Germany. His experience includes numerous successful defences upon appeal and file closure decisions, together with the navigation of leniency and settlement programmes in a national and international context. He has negotiated competition director disqualification orders and has extensive experience of supporting witnesses through compulsory witness interview processes. He has appeared as a testifying expert on EU and UK cartel procedure in the High Court. Euan is the Contributing Editor of Global Legal Insights Cartels.
Notable matters include:
- Defence and settlement for UK's largest private terrestrial broadcaster of CMA investigation Case 51156, Broadcasting of Sports Content.*
- File closure of CMA investigation Case 51251, Broadcasting of television content, excluding sport.*
- File closure of EU Commission investigation into fashion industry on behalf of leading global brands retailing group.*
- Generic pharmaceutical manufacturer in respect of CMA antitrust investigations in relation to Hydrocortisone and Nortriptyline, including Competition Director Disqualification proceeding.*
- EU Commission ongoing Gucci investigation on behalf of leading global brands retailing group.*
- Top four tobacco manufacturer defending ongoing antitrust investigations by the ACM, BCA and CNMC in, respectively, Holland, Belgium and Spain.*
- Global digital advertising exchange in respect of EU Commission Ad Tech investigation AT.40670.*
- UK top 3 defence manufacturer in defence of cartel allegations in aviation sector conducted by the Italian Competition Authority and Spanish CNMC.
- UK largest payments processor on various CMA, FCA and EU Commission investigations into Visa/Mastercard Scheme Fees, Cross Border Interchange Fees and Payment Processing.*
- Representing UK Government/Ofwat in connector with contentious regulatory matters arising from the €14 billion refinancing of Thames Water plc.*
- Top 3 UK general insurer in CMA investigation into motor insurance information exchange allegations in UK and Irish CA in Ireland.*
- UK's largest debit/credit card payment processor on the Payment Systems Regulator's (PSR) MR18/1.8 Market review into the Supply of Card-acquiring Services.*
- UK's largest debit/credit card payment processor in respect of the PSR's follow up MR22/1 Market Review of Card Scheme and Processing Fees.*
- Multinational Investment Bank in connection with first FCA Competition Act investigation (Asset Management firms in IPO context.*
- Economy Energy in respect of Ofgem's first Competition Act investigation.*
- UK top five general insurer in connection with an FCA Competition Act investigation into the use of automatic renewal terms in the context of motor and household insurance.*
* indicates a matter worked on while at a previous firm.
London
St Catherine’s College
Leading Partner, Legal 500 UK, IT and telecoms 2025
Recognised Practitioner, Legal 500 UK, Data protection, privacy and cybersecurity 2025
Legal Business Competition Matter of the Year (Winner)
The Lawyer Competition Matter of the Year (Winner, Runner up)
Financial Times Innovative Lawyer Litigation Matter of the Year (Winner)
Legal Week Competition Matter of the Year (Runner up)
Legal 500 UK – Competition Law – Hall of Fame
Legal 500 UK – Competition Litigation – Leading Practitioner.
Chambers UK – Competition Law: Litigation – Band 3
Lexology Index (formerly Who's Who Legal) – Recommended for Competition