Laura Whyatt

Partner at Dentons

Speaker

Laura is a litigation partner in Dentons' London Competition group. She leads the UK competition litigation practice.

Laura advises clients in high-value, complex competition claims before the English courts, including collective actions, and has experience of co-ordinating multi-jurisdictional litigation. She acts for claimants and defendants in competition damages claims and has experience of working with litigation funders and defending funded claims. She also has experience defending abuse of dominance and FRAND claims. Laura is currently instructed in the defense of multiple collective actions in the CAT, including by Stagecoach South Western Trains Limited which reached the first major collective settlement under the UK collective actions regime in the "boundary fares" claim. Laura is advising on the distribution of the settlement funds. Her current caseload also includes defending Merck in a claim brought by the NHS which alleges pharmaceutical companies' "pay for delay" agreements illegally raised the price of the anti-depressant drug, citalopram.

Laura also advises on all other aspects of contentious competition and regulatory work, including investigations, enforcement and litigation risk, as well as challenges to competition authority or regulatory decisions. She works with clients across a broad range of sectors including automotive, aviation, media and entertainment, pharmaceuticals, retail and technology.

Laura previously practiced in Brussels, representing clients in cartel and abuse of dominance investigations before the European Commission and in proceedings before the EU courts.