Kate Vernon is a rising star in DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary's EU competition and trade practice.

The two year-qualified lawyer has already acted as number two on several of the firm's highest-profile competition cases, has instructed counsel regularly and gained experience far in excess of most lawyers with her level of qualification.

Vernon's highlights include the Argos and Littlewoods 'toys and games' appeal to the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) in 2004 and JJB Sports' Office of Fair Trading (OFT) investigation (and the appeal to CAT) regarding replica soccer kits.

Added to these landmarks is her role in the team acting for Pernod Ricard in relation to its long-running competition battle with Bacardi over the access of its Havana Club rum brand to UK pubs.