December 1, 2025
Willkie won top honors at the British Legal Awards 2025 as Competition/Regulatory Team of the Year and was named a finalist for Restructuring Team of the Year. The awards recognize Willkie as a market leader and highlight its achievements in both landmark disputes and transactions in the UK.
Willkie’s Antitrust & Competition team was recognized as winner for the groundbreaking settlement in the Merricks v Mastercard litigation, which was led by partner Boris Bronfentrinker with associates Nishtha Mahajan, Oliwia Siutkowska, Ronan Chisholm and Cameron Wright. They have been representing Mr. Walter Merricks CBE, who achieved a historic victory before the Supreme Court, which established the threshold for bringing collective competition damages claims in the UK. This led to the case being the first collective action to be certified in the UK. Mr. Merricks is the class representative on behalf of approximately 45 million consumers who allegedly paid higher prices due to Mastercard’s unlawful interchange fees. The settlement is the culmination of more than nine years of hard-fought litigation, and the judgment will serve as important precedent for how to present a collective settlement for approval by the CAT and navigate a challenge by a third party.
In addition, Willkie’s Restructuring team was recognized as a finalist for Restructuring Team of the Year for its work on the £1.6 billion Lowell transaction. The firm advised an ad hoc group of noteholders on the recapitalization of the Lowell group, one of Europe’s largest credit management companies with operations in the UK, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Norway, Finland, and Sweden. The Lowell group’s principal shareholders are private equity firm Permira and the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board. The Willkie team was led by partners Graham Lane and Jason Taylor and included partner Jennifer Tait, counsel Timothy Sawyer, and associates Antonia Pegg and Theodora Oancea.
The British Legal Awards are hosted by Law.com International and recognize excellence in the UK legal sector. Read more about the 2025 honorees here.
Willkie’s Antitrust & Competition team was recognized as winner for the groundbreaking settlement in the Merricks v Mastercard litigation, which was led by partner Boris Bronfentrinker with associates Nishtha Mahajan, Oliwia Siutkowska, Ronan Chisholm and Cameron Wright. They have been representing Mr. Walter Merricks CBE, who achieved a historic victory before the Supreme Court, which established the threshold for bringing collective competition damages claims in the UK. This led to the case being the first collective action to be certified in the UK. Mr. Merricks is the class representative on behalf of approximately 45 million consumers who allegedly paid higher prices due to Mastercard’s unlawful interchange fees. The settlement is the culmination of more than nine years of hard-fought litigation, and the judgment will serve as important precedent for how to present a collective settlement for approval by the CAT and navigate a challenge by a third party.
In addition, Willkie’s Restructuring team was recognized as a finalist for Restructuring Team of the Year for its work on the £1.6 billion Lowell transaction. The firm advised an ad hoc group of noteholders on the recapitalization of the Lowell group, one of Europe’s largest credit management companies with operations in the UK, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Norway, Finland, and Sweden. The Lowell group’s principal shareholders are private equity firm Permira and the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board. The Willkie team was led by partners Graham Lane and Jason Taylor and included partner Jennifer Tait, counsel Timothy Sawyer, and associates Antonia Pegg and Theodora Oancea.
The British Legal Awards are hosted by Law.com International and recognize excellence in the UK legal sector. Read more about the 2025 honorees here.
