Sarah Houghton

Sarah is the Head of the Competition Group. 

Sarah is a highly renowned litigator, specialising in competition litigation, with particular experience acting for claimants in complex, high profile cases involving competition law based claims or defences.  Sarah has represented clients in leading competition damages claims in the English courts and in arbitrations.

Sarah also assists businesses that find themselves under investigation by Competition Regulators and businesses that are concerned about the way their affairs may have been conducted - attending Dawn Raids, advising on defence strategies, assisting with responses to information requests, applying for leniency from fines (where appropriate), assessing potential civil liabilities, and making submissions.

Sarah ranked Tier 1 for Competition Litigation in Chambers & Partners, and recognised as a recommended individual by Best Lawyers and Legal 500.

Sarah is a member of the Law Society Competition Section, ABA Antitrust Law Section and Competition Law Association.

Key Experience

• Advising Asda, Curry's, Iceland, John Lewis, Sainsbury's and Wilko in relation to claims against the European Trucks Cartelists in the English High Court.
• Advising Justin Le Patourel in his £600 million opt-out collective action against BT alleging an abuse of BT's dominant position in landline services markets.
• Advising Microsoft in its cartel damages claims against Sony, Panasonic, LG Chem, Sanyo and Samsung in the High Court and arbitrations.
• Advising Sainsbury's in its successful claim against MasterCard the then highest damages ever recovered in a European competition damages claim.
• Acting as strategic adviser to a major global technology company with a number of competition damages claims and potential claims.
• Advising the vendor of a pharmaceutical company in relation to a breach of competition law warranty claim in the Commercial Court arising out of a CMA investigation into a possible abuse of dominant position by the target company.
• Advising a high-profile sports body on the defence of claims that it has abused its position in relation to corporate hospitality.
• Advising the vendor of a design and fit out company in relation to the CMA's civil investigation into his former company, and a director disqualification undertaking.
• Advising a brands management company in relation to the European Commission's investigation into Universal Studio's distribution practices.

Career History

Partner, Mishcon de Reya LLP
Managing Associate, Mishcon de Reya LLP
Associate, DLA Piper UK LLP
Solicitor, Bell Gully
King's College, London, MA, EC Competition Law (Pass with Merit)
University of Auckland, New Zealand, LLB (Hons), B.Com (Economics)