Leading global law firm Baker & McKenzie has significantly enhanced its global antitrust and competition law capability with the appointment of Nicola Northway as Partner.

Nicola joins from Barclays where she is currently Managing Director of the Global Competition Team overseeing the bank’s global antitrust and competition law capabilities. At Baker & McKenzie, Nicola will focus on supporting clients globally on their antitrust and competition issues while drawing on her broader regulatory, merger control, competition litigation, compliance and cross-border investigations experience. She will be based in London.

Baker & McKenzie's London-based 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. We're delighted to welcome Nicola to the team.""

London Managing Partner Paul Rawlinson said: ""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. I'm really pleased that she's joining the Firm.""

Nicola's career spans almost 30 years. Prior to joining Barclays, Nicola spent four years at gas and electricity regulator Ofgem, including three years as its General Counsel and one as its Deputy 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 worked in private practice at Clifford Chance, Allen & Overy and as a partner at Trowers & Hamlins.

Nicola is a member of the CBI Competition Panel and a founding member of in the In-House Competition Lawyers Association (ICLA). She is a regular speaker at high profile industry events, including the Chatham House Competition Conference and the American Bar Association Antitrust Spring Meetings.

Nicola 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.""

Baker & McKenzie's London EU, Competition & Trade Practice Group forms part of a larger 300-strong Global Antitrust and Competition practice spanning 47 countries; the largest in the world. With deep knowledge of procedural rules and legal systems around the world, the practice helps clients navigate shifting antitrust and competition policies worldwide and implement complex cross-border compliance strategies.

Nicola is the latest in a series of strategic high-profile hires for Baker & McKenzie in London. These include: Hugh Lyons, Andy Moody and Jonathan Peddie who have joined the Dispute Resolution practice from Hogan Lovells, Eversheds and Barclays respectively; Joanna Hewitt and James Thompson who have joined the Corporate practice from Olswang and Linklaters respectively; Dyann Heward-Mills who joined the Data Protection Practice from GE Capital; Jukka Karjalainen and Kate Alexander who have joined the Corporate Tax practice from Deloitte and EY respectively.