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John O'Flaherty

Called 2001
John O'Flaherty
John has a common law and commercial practice, with particular interests in public law, European law, competition, crime, professional negligence and employment. In 2006, he was appointed to the Attorney General's Treasury 'C' Panel. In 2009, he was called to the Bars of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

John became a member of Matrix in April 2004. He was previously tenant at Hailsham Chambers and, before that, he completed pupillage at Brick Court Chambers. Before coming to the Bar, he worked as a professional economist. John taught for three years at Trinity College, Dublin, and has worked as an economic consultant for, among others, Oxford Economic Research Associates Ltd and NERA, London, where he specialised in the economics of competition policy and regulation. He continues to undertake occasional work as a freelance economist.

He has experience of a very wide range of European law, encompassing free movement issues, employment, discrimination, state aids, public procurement, agriculture, environment, and commercial agency. He has particular expertise in relation to competition law, both European and domestic and has appeared regularly in the Competition Appeal Tribunal acting for both regulators and for private clients. He has also advised on merger and joint venture agreements.

In the field of commercial law, John has been instructed at both County Court and High Court level in relation to all manner of commercial disputes, including general contract law, professional negligence, insurance and arbitration. John also has significant experience of VAT law, and is regularly instructed by HM Customs and Excise.

John has broad experience in public law and human rights law. He undertakes judicial review work across a wide spectrum with a particular interest in judicial review in the commercial context. He has advised on human rights issues across a wide range of areas, especially in the context of professional disciplinary tribunals. He undertakes cases across the full range of immigration and asylum law, appearing regularly in the AIT. He appears in Coroners’ Courts principally in relation to deaths in custody, and also undertakes civil actions against the police.

In relation to employment law, John has appeared for the last 7 years at all levels representing both claimants and respondents. He has extensive experience of claims for unfair dismissal and constructive dismissal, claims for all types of discrimination including, in particular, extensive experience of claims for discrimination on grounds of race, sex, age and disability. He has also undertaken breach of contract claims relating to the workplace and has particular experience of claims involving crossover with other areas of law in which he specialises, notably European law, human rights law, immigration law and tax.

He has been a headnoter for the UK Human Rights Law Reports and the New Law Digest and an Assistant Editor of the Commercial Judicial Review Reports. He is currently co-authoring the chapter on substantive EU merger law for Weinberg and Blank on Mergers and Takeovers, and is a contributing editor to the forthcoming edition of Bellamy and Child European Community Law of Competition.
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