Sidley welcomes competition lawyer Elaine Whiteford

Sidley has announced the recruitment of Elaine Whiteford to their Litigation practice group in London, where she will focus on competition and antitrust litigation as well as related investigations. Ms. Whiteford joins from Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, where she excelled as a partner in their Litigation and Antitrust & Competition practices. With over 25 years of experience, she is regarded as a leading contentious and regulatory competition lawyer, having represented multinational corporations in high-profile competition disputes.

Her extensive experience includes various competition damages cases, such as cartels and abuse of dominance claims, at the UK’s Competition Appeal Tribunal, the English High Court, the English Court of Appeal, and the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. Ms. Whiteford has also handled a range of claims under the UK's collective actions regime and advised on several regulatory investigations involving key agencies like the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), as well as the European Commission before Brexit. Additionally, her work includes representing clients who challenge regulatory decisions, including those pertaining to merger prohibitions.

Yvette Ostolaza, Chair of Sidley’s Management Committee, highlighted Ms. Whiteford's significance to the firm, stating that “our clients with UK and European exposure face a steady stream of competition claims from follow-on damages to collective actions, and they want advisers who have been in the room for the most significant cases. Elaine brings exactly that deep experience.” She noted Ms. Whiteford's reputation as a natural fit for the firm's collaborative culture and her ability to enhance support for clients alongside Sidley’s global litigation and antitrust teams.

Tom Thesing, managing partner of Sidley’s London office, also emphasised the importance of this addition to the firm’s growth trajectory, remarking that “the scale and complexity of competition damages claims in the UK, including collective actions, are driving demand for specialist counsel, and we are continuing to invest in those practices to support our clients.” He added that “Elaine’s arrival is a further step in the sustained investment we are making in London, where we have grown significantly and continue to add leading partners across our disputes, regulatory, and transactional practices.”

In recent years, Sidley has significantly expanded its London presence by adding over 30 partners and promoting 15 lawyers to its partnership. The firm has continued to achieve year-on-year revenue growth and remains dedicated to advising clients on sophisticated matters across various practices. Sidley prides itself on being “Built to Win®” at every stage of the litigation process, utilising its broad geographic reach to deploy winning teams in numerous forums when clients face disputes.