Less than a year after it hired Barclays Bank’s global head of financial crime Jonathan Peddie, Baker & McKenzie has returned to one of its largest London clients to hire global competition head Nicola Northway.
She will join Bakers’ competition practice as a partner in London as the firm gears up for life in an intensified regulatory space, as City watchdog the Financial Conduct Authority handed new competition powers at the start of last year.
Northway said: ‘The antitrust and competition landscape has changed enormously in recent years. Competition litigation is on the rise and all sectors are now facing increasing regulatory scrutiny and enforcement. I’m looking forward to joining Baker & McKenzie’s market leading antitrust and competition practice and helping clients globally to navigate these areas.’
Before overseeing Barclays’ global antitrust and competition law capabilities, Northway spent four years at gas and electricity regulator Ofgem, including three years as its general counsel. She was called to the Bar in 1989 and, during her training, worked in the legal service of the European Commission and in the Chambers of the British Advocate General at the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg. She has also had stints at Magic Circle firms Clifford Chance and Allen & Overy, and has been a partner at Trowers & Hamlins.
Baker & McKenzie global antitrust & competition head Samantha Mobley said: ‘Nicola’s antitrust and international regulatory experience is second to none. Her outstanding record at both Barclays and Ofgem will be extremely valuable to our clients who are facing increasing regulatory scrutiny and complex global antitrust compliance issues.’
The firm’s London managing partner, Paul Rawlinson, added: ‘As we continue to bolster our corporate capabilities through our London growth strategy, Nicola’s extensive experience – especially in relation to merger control – will prove invaluable to our clients across all sectors.’
Northway is the latest in a string of lateral hires by Baker & McKenzie, with litigator Hugh Lyons and arbitration partner Andy Moody joining from Hogan Lovells and Eversheds earlier this year. London revenue at Baker & McKenzie rose 9% in the 12 months to 30 June 2015 to £145m following a push upmarket.
tom.moore@legalease.co.uk
