"Clients note that “He [Robert Bell] knows us well so we don’t need to teach him all over again.”"
Concurrences, AntiTrust publisher, 2022Robert Bell Partner, Competition & Regulatory
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Contact Robert Bell
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Expertise
Robert Bell is a Competition & Regulatory specialist in the corporate department with over 30 years’ experience advising clients on complex competition and regulatory matters involving some of the leading cases before the Competition & Markets Authority, the European Commission, and the UK Courts. He has advised clients on a range of competition law issues including merger control, cartels, competition investigations and competition litigation, representing them before competition regulators like the CMA, OFCOM, FCA and the EU Commission and national courts.
He has extensive experience of advising private sector suppliers on the application of public procurement law, ensuring that their rights are safeguarded in the tender process.
Robert has a sector specialism in advising international technology companies and others on the application of competition law to e-commerce and digital platforms. He also advises on a range of other regulatory issues including international trade and customs, economic sanctions, state aid, national security, and foreign investment filings.
With the growth of crypto currency and crypto assets Robert has advised companies on financial regulation and FCA registration and authorisation applications.
Robert is currently Chair of the City of London Law Society Competition Law Committee, which liaises with the UK Government, and UK and EU competition regulators in connection with the reform of competition law and practice. He is also Master of the Worshipful Company of Solicitors of the City of London 2020-22.
Robert is recognised as one of London’s leading lawyers by Chambers and Legal 500.
In detail
Recent experience
- Acting for a major car rental firm in obtaining unconditional merger clearance from the Competition & Markets Authority of a specialist automotive software company.
- Advising clients on the structure of mergers transactions with defence or national security implications and the application of the UK and EU FDI regimes.
- Advising a major direct marketing company on the competition law aspects of its EU e-commerce strategy and distribution policies.
- Acting for a major pharmaceutical company in relation to competition law compliance advice on its pricing, discounts, and rebates policies.
- Advising a major industrial tools and equipment manufacturer in relation to allegations of abuse of dominance through exclusionary pricing and discriminatory discounting.
- Representing a leading marine services company in relation to a public procurement dispute with a major port operator over the award of a €30 million maintenance dredging contract.
- Acting for a cryptocurrency exchange in applying for registration under the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017 as amended.
Career history
- 2021 – Present: Partner, Competition & Regulatory, Memery Crystal
- 2020 – Present: Master, The City of London Solicitors’ Company
- 2009 – Present: Chairman, Competition Law Committee, City of London Law Society (CLLS)
- 2020 – 2021: Head of Competition & Regulatory, Partner, Rosenblatt
- 2013 – 2020: Partner, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner
- 2010 – 2013: Head of EU/Competition & Trade Practice, Partner, Speechly Bircham
- 1995 – 2009: Competition/Antitrust Partner, Nabarro
- 1994 – 2002: Councillor & Opposition Deputy Leader, London Borough of Merton
- 1990 – 1995: Competition Partner & Resident Partner Brussels Office, Turner Kenneth Brown
- 1987 – 1990: Competition Associate, Hogan Lovells