Shearman & Sterling London partner James Webber has been recognised in Global Competition Review's 2015 "40 Under 40" list of leading competition lawyers worldwide.

Last published in 2012, the list profiles the brightest young minds in the antitrust world, whose superior technical skill, practical judgement, and commitment to the competition sector mark them out as part of the next generation of leading antitrust practitioners.  Lawyers are nominated by peers at law firms, economic consultancies, enforcement agencies, and academic institutions. 

Elected as a partner of Shearman & Sterling in 2014 when he was 35 years old, James represents clients across the full range of competition cases in merger control, antitrust and litigation. He has also built an active State aid practice particularly focused on European bank restructuring and industrials.

James is representing creditors of Banco Espirito Santo in their State aid suit against the European Commission.  He recently acted for Albemarle in obtaining unconditional clearances for their $6.2bn acquisition of Rockwood; BMI Healthcare, the UK's largest private hospital operator, in the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) investigation into private healthcare.  His successful representation resulted in the first ever blocking minority in a CMA market investigation. In 2014, James acted for Viacom when it obtained EU approval for its high profile £450 million acquisition of Channel 5, the UK's only privately-owned commercial public service broadcaster.

Shearman & Sterling’s elite Antitrust practice handles some of the largest and most complex antitrust matters, including issues involving merger control, cartels, compliance, unilateral conduct, market investigations, State aid and antitrust litigation.