OVERVIEW

Aqeel is an experienced competition litigator with a background in both public and private enforcement of competition law in the EU and UK.

Expertise

Aqeel joins Hausfeld from White & Case in London where he was a pivotal member of their competition law and dispute resolution practices. Between 2014 and 2016, he practiced from their Brussels office. His diverse case portfolio included complex investigations, judicial review, and cartel damages work, as well as a range of advisory matters.

Aqeel has advised and represented clients in relation to competition damages actions in various EU Member States, including numerous cases before the English Courts; he has litigated cases before the High Court, Competition Appeal Tribunal, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. Aqeel has also advised and represented a number of companies in the judicial review of decisions of the European Commission relating to cartel infringements and abuse of dominance, before the EU General Court and Court of Justice.

In addition to his experience in private practice, Aqeel has spent time on secondment to the Competition and Markets Authority as well as gaining experience working for the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg, and in the Legal Service of the European Commission in Brussels.

Clients

Aqeel has acted for and advised clients in relation to some of the most significant antitrust cases of recent years, covering areas including predatory pricing, rebates, tying, refusal to supply and excessive pricing. He has particular experience of pricing in the pharmaceutical sector. He has also acted for clients in the banking, technology and automotive sectors.

Aqeel speaks French, Gujarati and Urdu.

EDUCATION

LL.M, London School of Economics and Political Science
Bar Vocational Course, BPP Law School
B.A. Anthropology and Law, London School of Economics and Political Science

BAR ADMISSIONS

Solicitor, Ireland, 2018
Solicitor, England and Wales, 2013 (Higher Rights of Audience, 2018)
Called to the Bar of England and Wales, 2009

AFFILIATIONS

Member - CLA

NEWS

EVENTS

PUBLICATIONS

"EU State aid and Arbitration" - Research Handbook on European State aid Law Hancher, L. & Piernas López, J., Eds. 2^nd Edition, co-author with K. Stuckmann, G. Forwood, I. Trichkovska, 2021

"CMA v Flynn Pharma and Pfizer: Intel’s Influence Evident as Court of Appeal Clarifies ‘Excessive Pricing’ Test" - Journal of European Competition law & Practice, Vol. 11, No. 7, co-author, with J. Killick and A. Komninos, 2020

Micula and Others v Romania [2017] EWHC 31 (Comm) - Case Annotation, European State Aid Law Quarterly, 2017, Volume 16, Issue 2, pp. 316 – 321, co-author, with K. Struckmann, G. Forwood, A. Wallin, 2017

"It's becoming harder for parents to escape liability" - Competition Law Insight, co-author, with M. Israel, J. MacLennan, June 2017

"Toshiba v Commission: Court of Justice Eases Burden on Commission to Fine Parent Companies for Competition Law Infringements by Joint Ventures" - Journal of European Competition law & Practice, Vol. 8, No. 4, co-author, with J. MacLennan, 2017

"Toshiba v. Commission – How (not) to Prove Awareness, and Decisively Influence People" - Competition Policy International, August co-author, with J. MacLennan, 2016

"Investor-State Arbitrations and EU State Aid Rules: Conflict or Coexistence?" - European State Aid Law Quarterly, Volume 15, Issue 2, pp. 258-269, co-author, with K. Struckmann, G. Forwood, 2016

PERSPECTIVES

Experience

Antitrust/Competition

Aqeel’s previous competition experience includes:

Representing Goldman Sachs in a stand-alone competition damages claim in the High Court.
Representing defendants in claims for damages in the High Court and Competition Appeal Tribunal arising out of the European Commission’s decisions in:
- TV and computer monitor tubes - Representing companies in the Toshiba group in proceedings brought by a television retailer.
- Automotive bearings - Representing NTN Corporation in its defence of damages claims brought by multiple claimants.
- Power cables - Representing Nexans in multiple sets of proceedings before the English Courts.
Representing Bulgarian Energy Holding in its application to annul a European Commission Decision finding that it breached Article 102 TFEU.
Advising Google on its challenge to the European Commission Decision in Google Android.
Advising an interested party in the European Commission’s investigation into Broadcom.
Representing SAS in its challenge to the European Commission’s re-adopted decision on the airfreight cartel, as well as its challenge to the original Decision. Advising a pharmaceutical company in relation to investigations by the CMA.
Advising Pfizer on the CMA’s investigation into the pricing of phenytoin sodium capsules and subsequent proceedings before the Competition Appeal Tribunal.
Representing a supplier of medical equipment in a CMA investigation into alleged tying.
Advising a major multi-national pharmaceutical company on pricing of its products in multiple jurisdictions across the EU, including the UK.

Other litigation

Representing the Applicants in the landmark State aid cases of European Food v Commission and Micula v Commission before the EU General Court and Court of Justice.
Representing Sandoz in its successful defence of an action for passing-off in relation to inhalers, brought by GSK ([2019] EWHC 2545 (Ch)).

Arbitration and International Arbitration

Acting for the Claimants in proceedings to enforce an arbitral award against Romania before the High Court, Court of Appeal, and Supreme Court ([[2020] UKSC 5).
Advising a claimant in an investor-state arbitration in relation to issues of predatory pricing and exclusionary rebates.

Aqeel Kadri