Mustafa provides an insight into his training within the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
My first seat as a legal trainee at the CMA was in the CMA's cartels team, where the main case that I worked on was an investigation by the CMA under Chapter I of the Competition Act 1998 ('CA98') into anti-competitive conduct in relation to vehicle recycling and advertising of recycling-related features . I had a fantastic experience working on the case, as I was able to gain exposure to a wide array of advisory work pertaining to competition enforcement.
Once I had familiarised myself with the case's subject matter, I was able to assist the team with contributions to sections of milestone documents and reviewing them ahead of issuance. Shortly afterwards we engaged in the settlement process with the case parties via written and oral representations submitted by the parties, including at settlement meetings. This was an insightful experience, as it allowed me to further my understanding of the legal principles and positions that the CMA applies as an enforcer, while also recognising the often-unique perspectives of case parties on the other side.
The process following the settlement meetings was equally engaging, as the case team had to make decisions on revising milestone documents, and using these to prepare the Statement of Objections for the case, which in turn would become the foundation for the infringement decision. This stage allowed me to further develop my understanding of competition law and the cartels case, as I was often responsible for researching and analysing challenging legal issues and advising on potential courses of action. Closer to the issuing of the infringement decision, I also had the opportunity to get involved with the drafting of the case's press release and the CMA's approach towards public announcement of the investigation.
My current seat is in the CMA's litigation team, where I have been involved in cases across the range of the CMA's tools, including a Chapter II CA98 case that is pending before the Court of Appeal and a consumer law matter in relation to misleading practices. As a litigation trainee, I have had the opportunity to draft correspondence to parties, filings, and letters to the court. I was also fortunate enough to attend a hearing at the Court of Appeal on a Chapter II CA98 case regarding excessive pricing of a pharmaceutical drug, where I observed experienced counsel conduct competition litigation. At the hearing, I saw firsthand the various ways in which the work done by the CMA's litigation team facilitated the advocacy undertaken by our counsel team.
A highlight for me at the CMA has been my positive experience with colleagues, who have been superb. They have been supportive, friendly, and empathetic - people are keen to share their knowledge in formal and informal settings, and set aside time for junior colleagues, such as trainees, which demonstrates their interest in helping others grow. In my view, this fosters a growth-oriented and collaborative environment at work, where people are encouraged to maximise their potential.
