SJ Berwin bolsters competition with Ofcom legal chief and BLP partner
SJ Berwin has moved to bulk up its contentious competition practice with the hire of Ofcom head of legal Sarah Turnbull and Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) partner Elaine Whiteford.
The duo is set to join SJ Berwin early next year, with Whiteford’s move coming a year after she joined BLP as a partner from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer.
Turnbull will leave Ofcom to join the City firm in April, returning to SJ Berwin after leaving it for the media regulator’s in-house legal team in 2005.
Whiteford, meanwhile, transfers to SJ Berwin in February. The qualified barrister was a counsel at Freshfields until her move to BLP.
The double hire for SJ Berwin follows the exit of highly regarded competition partner Lesley Farrell to join Eversheds earlier this year (4 September 2012). Farrell was one of the firm’s relationship partners for key competition client BBC Worldwide alongside senior partner Stephen Kon.
Kon said in a statement: “As a firm we’re focused on strengthening the contentious side of our business and EU and competition litigation has always been at the forefront of our practice. Sarah and Elaine each have a wealth of experience and superb industry knowledge, which will be of huge benefit to our clients.”
Whiteford added: “The EU, competition and regulatory team at SJ Berwin has for many years been recognised as one of the leading practices in the City, with an enviable track record in cutting-edge competition work. Having been on the other side from the team at SJ Berwin on a number of occasions in the past, I can attest to the deserved nature of that reputation.”
