Neil is a Partner in the Commercial team.
Having specialised in EU and Competition law for over 30 years, Neil leads this practice area for Knights which includes competition law (defending merger and cartel investigations), EU Retained Law, Subsidy Control, State aid and public/private structural funding.
He works with listed companies on precedent setting merger clearances; multi-national organisations on brand maximisation and compliance; as well as public sector bodies on vires issues and fund creation having set up over twenty public/private investment funds. Clients range from Franke, Ideal Standard, Silentnight to British Business Bank plc.
Neil also has a portfolio of non-executive roles including being the National Portfolio Chair for International Affairs and Regulation for the Federation of Small Businesses. In 2018 Neil was awarded an OBE for services to the economy and charitable work.
Examples of how Neil has supported clients include:
- Defending the first ever UK dawn raid under the Competition Act 1998.
- Filing the first ever Article 4 and Article 9 applications under the EU Merger Regulation.
- Designing and implementing Selective Distribution Systems for a number of household brands ranging from Roca to Nike Inc.
- Providing state aid and subsidy control clearance advice for over £1 billion of infrastructure investments.