Monckton junior Anneliese Blackwood didn’t come from a legal background. She grew up watching her family ply their trade in medicine. Blackwood considered following their lead, but came to the conclusion that she lacked the requisite coordination to work in a lab and so opted to study law. Her early work focused on public law and human rights. However, as a Monckton pupil, it was inevitable that she would be drawn to the world of competition.
Blackwood’s early experiences were nothing short of cinematic. One instance in the ‘Cardiff Bus’ case saw her holed up in a Cardiff hotel during an abuse of dominance trial while pop group JLS was in town. Sadly, the gathered crowds cheering for their heroes were not there to view Blackwood’s advocacy. More fool them.
Her recent work has seen Blackwood take crucial victories in the long-running Merricks trial over card payments and the ‘McLaren’ claim brought against one of Blackwood’s clients over allegations of cartel behaviour in the shipping of cars. Both of these cases will keep Blackwood exceptionally busy in 2023 and both have huge implications for the future of class action litigation. Her role will undoubtedly be a defining one.