Sarah Ford’s EU/Competition Law CV 

Qualifications

LLB Law with European Law (2000) (First Class), LLM (Harvard Law School) (2001), Bar Vocational Course (2002)

Practice Profile

Sarah Ford is an able and versatile junior whose practice encompasses EU and Competition Law, Commercial litigation and Public law.

Sarah Ford has advised on and appeared in a wide range of EU and Competition Law matters before the High Court, Court of Appeal, CAT, Competition Commission, CFI and ECJ. She is presently engaged in a series of multi-billion pound disputes before the ECJ and in the Chancery Division concerning the compatibility of various aspects of UK tax legislation and a high profile telecommunications appeal before the CAT and the Competition Commission (led by David Anderson QC and Sarah Lee). She was cited as a leading junior in the field of EU and Competition Law by Chambers & Partners in 2007, 2008 and 2009.

Practice areas

Competition

  • Case T-66/01 Imperial Chemical Industries plc v Commission of the European Communities (CFI)
  • Secretary of State for Health & Ors v Norton Healthcare Limited & Ors (Chancery Division)

Telecommunications

  • Case 1085/3/3/07 British Telecommunications Plc v Ofcom (CAT and Competition Commission)
  • T Mobile (UK) Limited v Ofcom (BT intervening) (Administrative Court)
  • Cable & Wireless (Cayman Islands) Limited v Information and Communications Technology Authority (Cayman Islands Court of Appeal)
  • Hutchison 3G (UK) Ltd v Office of Communications [2005] CAT 39 (Competition Appeal Tribunal)
  • British Telecommunications Plc v Director General of the Office of Telecommunications [2004] CAT 8 (Competition Appeal Tribunal)
  • Unipart Group Limited v 02 (UK) Limited & Call Connections Limited [2004] EWCA Civ 1034 (Court of Appeal)

Taxation

  • Vodafone 2 v Revenue and Customs Commissioners [2009] EWCA Civ 446 (Court of Appeal)
  • Marks & Spencer Plc v Revenue & Customs Commissioners [2009] UKFTT 64 (TC)
  • Case C-524/04 Test Claimants in the Thin Cap Group Litigation v Inland Revenue [2007] ECR I-02107 (ECJ and Chancery Division)
  • Case C-446/04 Test Claimants in the FII Group Litigation v Inland Revenue [2006] ECR I-11753 (ECJ); [2008] EWHC 2893 (Ch); (2009) STC 254 (Chancery Division)
  • Case C-128/08 Damseaux (ECJ)
  • Case C-67/08 Block (ECJ)
  • Case C-439/07 KBC Bank v Belgishe Staat (ECJ)

EU

  • Case C-390/07 Commission v United Kingdom (Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive) (ECJ)
  • Poole & Ors v HM Treasury (2006) 2 CLC 865; [2007] 1 All ER (Comm) 255 (Commercial Court)
  • R (Alliance for Natural Health) v Secretary of State for Health [2004] EWHC 405 (Admin) (Administrative Court)

Pharmaceuticals

  • R (Lundbeck) v Licensing Authority (Administrative Court)
  • Case C-452/06 R (Synthon BV) v Licensing Authority & Smithkline Beecham plc [2008] ECR; [2006] EWHC 1759 (ECJ, Administrative Court and Chancery Division

Career

  • Junior Counsel to the Crown C Panel (2007)
  • Called to Cayman Islands Bar (2007)
  • Barrister, Brick Court Chambers (2003 to date)
  • Pupillage: Brick Court Chambers (2002-2003)
  • Called to the Bar: Lincoln's Inn (2002)

Legal Directory Comments

"Fellow junior Sarah Ford matches Demetriou with her "in-depth knowledge and great experience." She has been acting as junior counsel alongside Mark Brealey QC for the defendant Heathrow Airport in a dispute concerning the alleged abuse of a dominant position. This case derived from a ban on the conduct of valet parking activities at Heathrow Airport forecourts." (Chambers UK 2012, Competition/European Law)

"Sarah Ford, who has been attracting increasing market attention for her "thorough drafting and fine advocacy skills that would put someone years her senior to shame." Recent work highlights for her include acting for BT in its appeal against Ofcom-stipulated call termination charges." (Chambers & Partners 2011, Competition/European Law)

"...up-and-comer Sarah Ford ... continues to impress with her ‘quick thinking, thoroughness and preparation.' "

"Sarah Ford is a youthful and "very bright" barrister who wins praise for her technical abilities and strong work ethic." (2008)

"...up-and-comer Sarah [Ford] was recommended as someone to keep an eye on in the competition arena, though she was also given credit for her wider European work." (2007)

Publications and Articles

  • Contributor to Civil Appeals: Commercial Cases, XPL Publishing (forthcoming)
  •  ‘The increased aggression of the EC Commission in extraterritorial enforcement of the merger regulation and its impact on transatlantic cooperation in antitrust' 29 Syracuse J. Int'l. L. & Com. 263 (2002)

Professional Membership

  • COMBAR
  • Bar European Group
  • ALBA
  • Competition Law Association

Further Information

  • Cited as Leading Junior in Chambers and Partners in the area of EU and Competition 2007,2008 and 2009
  • Languages: French and German
  • Other Interests: Scuba diving (IANTD Full trimix, Megalodon Rebreather), Cinema, Literature