James Falle

James handles Competition & Procurement matters across a wide range of industries, with particular experience in retail, insurance and construction. He advises businesses on a variety of issues including avoiding cartel activity such as price fixing and market sharing, and the increased risks arising from contact with competitors or in trade associations. James advises directors through investigations by the competition authorities and handles merger filings with the Competition and Markets Authority and the European Commission. He offers tailored, easy-to-follow compliance programmes and training for higher risk employees. James’ public procurement practice has a particular focus in the health sector and is specifically recognised in Who’s Who Legal, Government Contracts 2018. James also handles a range of Commercial matters and is a member of our ESG, Compliance & Investigations team. Before joining Temple Bright in 2019, James worked at Addleshaw Goddard in the City and was a partner at Foot Anstey.

Experience

Relevant experience at Temple Bright and previous firms includes:

• Advising a large construction and demolition contractor throughout the CMA’s investigation into bid rigging and cover pricing, including securing a very significant reduction in fines for the firm and immunity from prosecution for the individuals implicated.
• Advising a leading insurance company on information sharing between insurers and on its application to the UK competition authorities for leniency once it became apparent that the information sharing infringed competition law. Negotiating with the authorities a settlement that avoided paying any fines.
• Advising a major retail chain on its proposed acquisition of 50+ stores from a competitor and the CMA’s merger investigation. The target business was at risk of insolvency and this increased the complexity of the transaction.
• Preparing procurement precedent documents and procurement guidance for a major government department for use across England and Wales.
• Advising three county councils on a major and complex project to appoint new highways maintenance contractors, and assisting the councils to achieve their key objectives of avoiding the risk of procurement law challenges and avoiding delay.
• Acting for a consultancy to bring a procurement challenge against a central government department which repeatedly rejected the consultancy’s tenders, without apparent justification. Having started court proceedings, the consultancy secured significant damages and also started to win new work with the department concerned.