Christopher's practice focuses on competition law, EU law and human rights. He also has experience of sports law and commercial, public and tort law. In EU and competition law, Legal 500 2011 describe him as a "clear, concise, and natural advocate." Chambers and Partners 2012 say that he “brings great powers of analysis to any case he undertakes.”
Before coming to Matrix in 2009, Christopher served as a Referendaire (Legal Secretary) to the UK Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT), where he assisted the Tribunal panels in the management and resolution of cases. Whilst at the CAT, he gained in-depth experience into the competition law enforcement regime in the UK and handled numerous appeals, including Replica Shirts, Toys, MasterCard, Claymore Dairies, Celesio, Stericycle and London Metal Exchange. He then became the sole competition practitioner at the law firm Farrer & Co LLP, where he advised clients across the firm.
Among other competition law matters, Christopher acted (with Rhodri Thompson QC) for the applicant in Stagecoach v Competition Commission [2010] CAT 14, in which – for the first time – the CAT found a decision of the CC to be Wednesbury unreasonable. Among other matters, he is currently acting (also with Rhodri Thompson QC) for the Cooperative Group in its appeal to the CAT against the OFT’s Tobacco products infringement decision, for the European Commission in defence of its Airfreight cartel decision, and (with Alex Bailin QC) in relation to a criminal cartel investigation conducted by the OFT.
In terms of EU law, Christopher appeared (with Rhodri Thompson QC) in the Court of Appeal in R (Chandler) v Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (challenge on EU public procurement grounds to the procurement of Academies).
Christopher's sports law experience includes acting for sports governing bodies (SGBs) in relation to challenges made to selection decisions for the Beijing Olympics and advising bodies on regulatory issues. He is currently acting for a sports coach who is appealing against exclusion by his SGB from further participation in the sport.
Christopher is convenor of the LLM course in UK Competition Law at Queen Mary University of London and has been a member of faculty at the Brussels School of Competition. He writes and lectures frequently on all aspects of competition and general EU law and was joint UK rapporteur for the Biennial Congress of the Fédération Internationale de Droit Européen (FIDE) in November 2010, reporting on "The Judicial Application of the EU Competition Rules".