David Harrison

David specialises in competition law, at UK and European levels.

He has over 15 years’ experience advising clients across a range of sectors including energy, oil and gas, aviation, communications, education, healthcare and financial services. He has experience of major competition law litigation in both the European and UK courts. Clients he has advised include Royal Mail, the British Business Bank, Heathrow Hub and the NHS.

David’s advice often covers complex regulated sectors, including where questions of state aid arise.

Before qualifying as a lawyer he previously worked on a variety of international economic, policy and financial questions in the public and private sectors, including postings to the UK Permanent Representation in Brussels and the British Embassy in Paris. He was trained in economics in the Foreign Office, and was also policy speechwriter to the Foreign Secretary.

Relevant experience includes advising:

• Heathrow Hub Ltd on challenges in the UK courts to the Government’s decision to expand Heathrow Airport by creating a third runway. Competition law issues included the first detailed examination in a UK judicial review of the duties of the Secretary of State towards undertakings granted special or exclusive rights under EU law. The expansion of Heathrow has been one of the most widely publicised and controversial big infrastructure projects in the UK in recent years.
• The British Business Bank on state aid issues arising from its Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Investment Fund, and guarantees of various types to banks and other financial intermediaries.
• 288 Group (the UK’s leading collectable coin distributor) on access to the supply of coins for collectors.

David has published widely on competition law and related subjects, including the books Price and Financial Stability (Routledge, 2018) (“an excellent introduction” – Edward Hadas); Competition Law and Financial Services (Routledge, 2014 (“outstanding” – Legal Counsel, European Central Bank); and The Organisation of Europe (Routledge, 1995) (“excellent” – Cambridge Journals European Review).

He was also invited by Legal Counsel at the ECB to contribute the chapter on competition law to the Research Handbook on Hedge Funds, Private Equity and Alternative Investments (Edward Elgar, 2012).