Alastair accepts instructions across all areas of public, regulatory and human rights law. His current and recent experience includes:

• Jane Street Global Trading Limited LLC and others vs London Metal Exchange and LME Clear – judicial review of the LME’s cancellation of nickel trades, involving a $470m damages claim under the Human Rights Act 1998 (acting for LME, with Jonathan Crow KC, James McClelland KC, Emily MacKenzie and Rebecca Loveridge).

• British Gas Trading Limited and others v Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero [2023] EWHC 737 (Admin) – judicial review of the sale of Bulb Energy Limited (in special administration), founded upon alleged subsidy control infringements (acting for the Secretary of State, with Jason Coppel KC, Patrick Halliday, and Malcolm Birdling).

• Greenpeace v Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy [2023] EWHC 2608 (Admin) – acting for Greenpeace in its judicial review of the Government’s plan to carry out further oil and gas licensing rounds in the North Sea (with James McClelland KC and Gethin Thomas).

Alongside practice at the Bar, Alastair teaches constitutional law at Magdalen College, Oxford. He was previously a research assistant on the public law team at the Law Commission of England and Wales.

Alastair accepts instructions in all types of competition disputes. His recent experience includes:

• Flynn Pharma Limited and others v Competition and Markets Authority – an ongoing appeal against the decision of the CMA finding excessive pricing infringements in the sale of epilepsy drugs (acting for Flynn, led by Jemima Stratford KC and Tom Pascoe).

• Phones4U v Telefonica & ors. – a claim by the administrators of Phones4U regarding an alleged collective withdrawal from Phones4U by mobile network operators (as a pupil, assisting Sarah Abram KC, acting for O2/Telefonica).

• Advanz Pharma Corp & ors. v Competition and Markets Authority – an appeal against a decision of the CMA finding competition infringements in the supply of prochlorperazine tablets (as a pupil, assisting Sarah Bousfield, acting for Alliance Pharmaceuticals).

• Allianz Global Investors v Barclays Bank & ors. [2022] EWCA Civ 353 – litigation arising out of alleged competition infringements in the forex trading market (as a pupil, assisting Sarah Abram KC, acting for HSBC).

• Gutmann v Stagecoach & ors – an application for a collective proceedings order in proceedings alleging abuse of dominance by the defendant train companies (assisting Sarah Abram KC, acting for Stagecoach).

Alastair accepts instructions in all areas of commercial law. His experience includes:

• Jane Street Global Trading Limited LLC and others vs London Metal Exchange and LME Clear – acting for the LME in its defence to claims arising out of the LME’s cancellation of nickel trades in 2022 (acting for LME, led by Jonathan Crow KC, James McClelland KC, Emily MacKenzie, Rebecca Loveridge).

• Phones4U v Telefonica & ors. – a claim by the administrators of Phones4U regarding an alleged collective withdrawal from Phones4U by mobile network operators (as a pupil, assisting Sarah Abram KC, acting for O2/Telefonica).

• Confidential LCIA proceedings – A week-long arbitration in the London Court of International Arbitration arising out of an alleged corporate raiding of assets by the Russian state, with a damages claim worth over $300m (as a pupil, assisting Sarah Bousfield on a team led by Tim Lord KC and Thomas Plewman KC).

• Confidential advisory matter – Advising an international law firm on conflict of interest issues arising out of high value multi-jurisdictional disputes in the insurance industry (as a pupil, assisting James McClelland KC).

• Alastair has also gained experience working on a number of commercial agency disputes (as a pupil, supervised by Sarah Bousfield).

Education

2020-2021: PGDip in Bar Practice, Inns of Court College of Advocacy

2018-2019: BCL (Distinction), University of Oxford

2014-2018: LLB (First Class), Trinity College Dublin

Scholarships and prizes

John and Sophie Laws Scholarship (Bar European Group)

Stella Cacoyanni Soulioti Scholarship (Gray’s Inn)

Herbert Hart prize for Jurisprudence and Political Theory (University of Oxford)

Foundation Scholarship (Trinity College Dublin)

First Class Book Prize (Trinity College Dublin)

Entrance Exhibition (Trinity College Dublin)

Professional experience

2023: Tutor in Constitutional Law, Magdalen College, Oxford

2020-2021: Tutor in Tort Law, Trinity College Dublin

2019-2020: Research Assistant, Public Law, Law Commission of England and Wales

Pro bono

2021: Free Representation Unit, Volunteer Representative (acted for the claimant in unlawful deduction of wages and unfair dismissal proceedings).

2021: Advocate, Casework Volunteer.

Languages

French – professional working knowledge (Alastair has completed an advanced diploma in French (DALF C1) with Alliance Française, and has experience reading French legal texts).