CMA appoints 3 senior legal directors

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has strengthened its legal leadership by appointing three new Senior Legal Directors: Richard Romney, Emma Cochrane, and Lourenço Ventura. These appointments come at a pivotal moment as the CMA's duties expand with the introduction of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act.

Richard Romney, following a successful interim promotion, has been permanently appointed to oversee mergers, markets, and regulatory appeals. He originally joined the CMA in 2019 after working at Freshfields and has since managed high-profile merger cases. His promotion follows a stint as Director within the Mergers team.

Emma Cochrane, currently Counsel at Linklaters’ Antitrust & Foreign Investment Group, will join in November. With over a decade of experience in competition law, Emma has handled complex cases related to cartel investigations, mergers, and abuse of dominance.

Lourenço Ventura, who previously worked at the European Commission, returns to the CMA in 2025. He has a longstanding history with the CMA and its predecessor, the Office of Fair Trading, and brings extensive experience in competition and EU law.

Chris Prevett, the CMA's General Counsel, praised the appointments, highlighting the importance of strategic legal risk management. These new roles will support the CMA’s expanding portfolio and ensure robust legal decisions in its work to protect UK consumers and businesses.