Joanna Christoforou
OVERVIEW
Joanna Christoforou has extensive experience on EU and UK competition law, including competition litigation and complex multi-party investigations in the EU and UK.
Expertise
Joanna has had a leading role in significant competition litigation and investigation matters before the European Commission and European courts; the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT), Court of Appeal, and Supreme Court; and antitrust agencies in other jurisdictions. She acts for clients in complex, high-value cartel or abuse of dominance court proceedings and investigations, damages actions, competition disputes, dawn raids and director disqualification proceedings.
Joanna represented a leading national retailer in the leading case against Visa in the interchange fee litigation in the English courts, with successful appeals to the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court and represented a leading pharmaceutical company in its challenge to the CMA’s search warrants in a first-of-its-kind litigation. She has also represented clients in the successful appeals against the CMA’s decisions in each of Hydrocortisone and Prochlorperazine, the appeal against the CMA’s decision in Liothyronine and appeals against director disqualification proceedings.
She was seconded to the Competition and Cooperation Panel (then Monitor), where she advised on the introduction of a competition law regime to the UK National Health Service (NHS).
Joanna also maintains an active pro bono practice and has assisted Amicus, a not-for-profit organisation, with providing representation to individuals facing the death penalty in the United States.
Clients
Joanna works across a broad range of industries, including life sciences, technology, retail, grocery, ecommerce, financial services, commodities, and healthcare. Her clients describe her as “highly accomplished and effective” and praise her for her “excellent support” and for showing “a real sense of being on your side, even when conveying tough messages.”
EDUCATION
Cambridge University, Downing College, LL.M.
Cambridge Judge Business School, Postgraduate Diploma, Management Studies
Cambridge University, Downing College, B.A. and M.A. (Cantab), Law
BAR ADMISSIONS
Solicitor, England and Wales
Brussels
AFFILIATIONS
Member, Competition Law Association
Member, Law Society Competition Section
EVENTS
Joanna is often invited to speak on a wide range of topics, including:
- global antitrust considerations for AI, the metaverse, and other emerging technologies
- competition in the virtual world
- antitrust developments in the digital sector in Europe post-Brexit
- competition in the pharmaceutical sector
- procedural developments in the English courts
PUBLICATIONS
Developments in National Competition Laws, July - September 2023 - Wirtschaft und Wettbewerb (subscription)
Developments in National Competition Laws, April - June 2023 - Wirtschaft und Wettbewerb (subscription)
Europe, Middle East and Africa Antitrust Review 2024 - Global Competition Review, July 2023
Developments in National Competition Laws, January - March 2023- Wirtschaft und Wettbewerb (subscription)
Developments in National Competition Laws, October - December 2022 - Wirtschaft und Wettbewerb (subscription)
Distressed M&A, Getting the deal through – Lexology, November 2022
Developments in National Competition Laws, July - September 2022 - Wirtschaft und Wettbewerb (subscription)
Developments in National Competition Laws, April - June 2022- Wirtschaft und Wettbewerb (subscription)
UK latest moves on cartel enforcement action – Global Competition Review, June 2022
Developments in National Competition Laws, January - March 2022- Wirtschaft und Wettbewerb (subscription)
Antitrust developments in the pharma sector, part 2 - Competition Law Insights, January 2022
Antitrust developments in the pharma sector, part 1 - Competition Law Insights, January 2022
Collective actions in the UK and EU one year on - has the dam burst yet? - International Comparative Guides Legal, 2022
Developments in National Competition Laws, October - December 2021- Wirtschaft und Wettbewerb (subscription)
Developments in National Competition Laws, January - September 2021- Wirtschaft und Wettbewerb (subscription)
Inside the new UK national security guidance for deals - Law 360 (subscription), November 2021
Tech’s impact on financial services competition – Concurrences, November 2021
UK: Summary on cartel enforcement action - Global Competition Review, July 2021
Developments in National Competition Laws, April - June 2021 - Wirtschaft und Wettbewerb (subscription)
Developments in National Competition Laws, January - March 2021 - Wirtschaft und Wettbewerb (subscription)
Developments in National Competition Laws, October - December 2020 - Wirtschaft und Wettbewerb (subscription)
Distressed M&A, Getting the deal through - Lexology, December 2020
Developments in National Competition Laws, July - September 2020 - Wirtschaft und Wettbewerb (subscription)
Developments in National Competition Laws, April - June 2020 - Wirtschaft und Wettbewerb (subscription)
Developments in National Competition Laws, January - March 2020 - Wirtschaft und Wettbewerb (subscription)
PERSPECTIVES
WHAT OTHERS SAY
Joanna has worked on competition cases or as part of teams which came highly commended at the Lawyer Awards in 2021 and 2022; by Global Competition Review in 2018 and by Law360 between 2017 and 2021 - to mention but a few.
Legal 500
Legal 500 UK ranks Joanna as a Leading Individual for Competition Litigation in the 2025 edition and has done so since 2020. They have recommended her as a key lawyer every year since 2016 for EU and Competition Law.
She is noted for representing “a broad range of clients across the life sciences and technology industries in matters concerning abuse of dominance investigations and appeals before the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court” and for her “expertise in big-ticket cartel and abuse of dominance investigations, and consequent court proceedings.” Her clients have commented that Joanna and her then team were “extremely skilled and responsive and bring a real depth of experience in this complex and challenging area.” Clients also note that she is “always on hand during a transaction to offer top class insights which allow for clear and fully informed decision making.” Her clients describe her as “highly accomplished and effective” and praise her for her “excellent support” and for showing “a real sense of being on your side, even when conveying tough messages.”
Pro Bono Recognition list
In 2024, Joanna was recognised as part of the newly launched
List, published annually, which celebrates solicitors and barristers who have dedicated 25 or more hours of legal assistance in the previous calendar year. The list is under the patronage of The Lady Chief Justice of England & Wales and is supported by The Law Society, Bar Council and all major pro bono legal organisations.