Alan Bates

Barrister at Monckton Chambers

Alan Bates is a barrister at Monckton Chambers specialising in EU, competition and administrative law. He has a particular interest in competition damages claims and challenges to decisions of State bodies raising economic issues. He recently represented the defendant (Pride Mobility) in resisting the first ever application in England for permission to bring an ‘opt out’ class action for competition law damages. His current work includes advising the complainant in an abuse of dominance complaint against the UK’s universal service postal operator Royal Mail, and representing the European Commission in resisting British Airways’ appeal in the airfreight cartel case.

Alan also has a particular interest in the state aid regime. He is the author of the state aid law chapter in Bellamy & Child European Law of Competition, and the ‘compatibility of aid’ chapter in Becon, European Union Law of State Aid. He is one of the barristers representing Apple in its challenge to the European Commission’s state aid decision relating to Apple’s tax treatment in Ireland.