Pat Treacy

Pat Treacy is a partner at Bristows, she is based in London. She has specialised in EU law and competition law since the 1980s, handling landmark cases at EU and national level and helping clients from all over the world with their competition law needs. She has particular strengths in advising on the complex legal and policy issues arising where competition law and intellectual property law intersect having been a leader in this field as it has increased in importance over the last quarter of a century or more. Consequently, many of her clients are in high technology sectors including life sciences and tech. Pat represents clients before the competition authorities and the courts, and advises on complex agreements (including settlement, R&D, licensing and joint venture agreements). She advises regularly on the competition law responsibilities affecting dominant companies – particularly where access to, or the exercise of, IP is concerned. She and her team assist clients with competition compliance and preparation for “dawn raids”, supporting clients through such dawn raids and their aftermath. Pat was appointed Deputy High Court Judge in September 2018, and will serve in the Chancery Division of the High Court of England and Wales for four years. The part time nature of this appointment enables Pat to continue as a Partner, leading the team and working with clients. Pat is a member of the Competition Law Association; the UK Association of European Lawyers; and the Competition Section of the Law Society. She is on the editorial board of both the Journal of Intellectual Property Law and Practice and Competition Law Insight. Pat lectures and writes widely on topical issues. She also teaches the competition law module on the University of Oxford Postgraduate Diploma in Intellectual Property Law and Practice course.