Samuel R Beighton
Recommended as a "Next Generation Partner" for EU and Competition law (Legal 500), Samuel works closely with clients to navigate complex situations and enable them to achieve their goals.
With a background in competition law economics, Samuel advises upon a broad range of competition law instructions, including merger control, dawn raids and investigations, anti-competitive arrangements and abuses of dominance, distribution and e-commerce, and the intersection of competition law and IP rights. He also advises upon the application of the UK's National Security and Investment Act 2021 ("NSIA"), and the UK's subsidy control regime.
Samuel regularly represents clients before authorities, and is instructed by businesses active in sectors including automotive, construction, energy, food and drink, healthcare, life sciences, luxury brands, retail, and technology. In addition, he advises public bodies, including government departments and local government authorities.
Samuel speaks and writes on competition law developments, and has contributed to a range of international publications, including "Merger Control" (Chambers and Partners), and "Foreign Direct Investment Regimes" (ICLG).
Experience
Merger control
- Advising Rigby Private Equity upon its sale of Nuvias Group to a competitor.
- Advising GCP Student Living upon its acquisition by a consortium, including obtaining merger clearances in the UK.
- Advising a leading supplier to the UK construction sector upon various acquisitions of competitors, including obtaining merger clearances in the UK.
- Advising Codemasters upon its acquisition, including obtaining merger clearances in Austria and Germany.
- Advising Origin Enterprises upon various acquisitions of competitors, including obtaining merger clearances in the UK.
- Advising the Universities Superannuation Scheme upon its investment in aspects of BP's UK real estate portfolio.
- Advising a leading regional cooperative society upon the sale of a consumer-facing business unit to a competitor, including obtaining merger clearance in the UK.
- Advising a renewable energy developer upon a joint venture with competitors, including obtaining merger clearance in the EU.
National Security and Investment Act 2021 ("NSIA")
- Advising upon NSIA issues in relation to a range of transactions, including obtaining NSIA clearances to enable transactions to proceed in sectors including artificial intelligence, defence, energy, and synthetic biology.
Dawn raids and competition investigations
- Advising parties under investigation by authorities in the UK, including attending and leading responses to dawn raids, and advising in relation to leniency and settlement.
Distribution and e-commerce
- Advising upon the (re-)organisation of sales and aftersales networks, including addressing issues in relation to resale pricing, online sales, and alternative "routes to market" (e.g. direct sales, agency, and the use of fulfilment services).
Competition law and IP rights
- Advising a technology owner upon competition law issues arising in the context of patents declared essential to industry standards.
- Advising a biosimilar company upon alleged patent-related breaches of competition law by a major pharmaceutical company.
- Advising various technology owners upon competition law issues arising in the context of agreements to settle patent litigation.
UK subsidy control
- Advising various public bodies, as well as private entities, upon the application of the UK subsidy control regime to a range of planned projects and schemes.