"Exceptionally bright, collaborative, strategic and commercial….She went down very well with the judge”
Jemima Stratford QC is widely recognised as a leading litigator with a broad practice in public law, EU/international, competition and human rights.
Jemima’s EU/international and competition expertise ranges from FRAND licensing to pharmaceuticals, and from free movement to financial services. She is regarded as one of the leading Silks in regulatory matters. Jemima has appeared in more than 50 cases in the General Court and Court of Justice in Luxembourg. Her domestic practice includes competition law cases in the CAT, Commercial Court and Patents Court.
Jemima's public law and human rights work have taken her to the Supreme Court and to the Grand Chamber of the ECtHR. Before taking silk, she was a member of the Attorney General’s ‘A’ Panel. She acts for both claimants and defendants across a wide range of cases, some of which also have a connection with EU law. Jemima also advises both States and international organisations on immunities from jurisdiction, dealing with both public international law and human rights arguments.
Jemima has been called to the Bar of Ireland, and is a member of the Irish Law Library. She has been appointed as a UK panel member for the Withdrawal Agreement Arbitration Panel.
Jemima’s extensive EU law and international experience includes litigation before both domestic and overseas courts. Tier 1 ranked, she relishes working for a wide range of clients from many sectors. With her call to the Irish Bar, she retains rights of audience in Luxembourg, and following Brexit she has been appointed as an arbitrator for the Withdrawal Agreement Arbitration Panel.
Competition law is a mainstay of Jemima’s practice, with particular expertise in FRAND and regulated sectors.
Jemima enjoys acting for commercial clients in complex regulatory challenges as much as she does appearing for individuals and NGOs. For defendants she acts for central Government departments, for a range of regulators and for local authorities.
Jemima is widely regarded as a preeminent Silk in pharmaceuticals. She has appeared in very many of the leading cases both domestically and in Luxembourg.
Human rights has been an important plank of Jemima’s practice throughout her career, and she has extensive experience of acting for both claimants (including NGOs) and respondent States.
Degree
BA (New College Oxford, Modern History First Class); Dip Law (City University, with Distinction)
Lectures/Seminars
Lecturer on European and competition law (King's College, London, Hart Publishing, Lexis-Nexis and Slynn Foundation); human rights (Foreign Office, Council of Europe and JUSTICE/Sweet & Maxwell); judicial review (Public Law Project, Lexis-Nexis).
Further Information
Member of JUSTICE (Council), ALBA, Bar Human Rights Committee, COMBAR, Bar European Group, European Circuit of the Bar of England and Wales, Bar Pro Bono Unit, Liberty
Languages: good French; basic German
Consistently recommended in sections on EU/Competition law, administrative and public law, and civil liberties and human rights by Chambers and Partners and Legal 500. Recommended as stand-out barrister in life sciences section of Who’s Who Legal.
Contributor to Competition Litigation: UK Practice and Procedure (OUP, 2010 & 2019)
Author of Striking the Balance: Privacy v Freedom of Expression under the European Convention on Human Rights, published in Developing Key Privacy Rights (Hart, 2002)
Co-author of Competition: Understanding the 1998 Act (Palladian, 1999)
French, basic German
