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Reed Smith Strengthens European Antitrust Team With London Addition

By  |  August 4, 2026
Reed Smith Strengthens European Antitrust Team With London Addition

International law firm Reed Smith has expanded its competition practice in London with the addition of antitrust partner Paul Johnson, who joins the firm from Morgan Lewis & Bockius, according to reporting by Global Legal Post.

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    Global Legal Post reported that Johnson spent approximately 18 months at Morgan Lewis after joining from Baker McKenzie, where he worked in both London and Brussels and was promoted to partner in 2015.

    Johnson brings roughly two decades of experience advising clients on U.K. and European Union competition law. His practice includes merger control, foreign investment reviews, joint ventures, cartel investigations, abuse of dominance matters, distribution agreements and other competition-related commercial issues.

    The publication reported that Johnson is expected to work closely with Marjorie Holmes, who leads Reed Smith’s London competition team. Holmes is recognized for advising trade associations and has substantial experience handling merger control matters, complementing Johnson’s background in merger clearance work.

    Global Legal Post said Johnson has represented clients in industries including energy, heavy industry, financial services, life sciences and technology. His work has involved proceedings before the European Commission and the U.K. Competition and Markets Authority, as well as competition matters spanning more than 100 jurisdictions.

    According to the report, Johnson is qualified to practice in England and Wales and is also a member of the Brussels Bar, allowing him to continue advising on EU competition matters following the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union. Before joining Baker McKenzie, he briefly worked at the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority after spending a decade at Berwin Leighton Paisner, where he worked alongside established competition lawyers including David Harrison, Dave Anderson and Adrian Magnus.

    Global Legal Post also noted that while Reed Smith announced one of its largest partner promotion classes earlier this year, none of the firm’s four newly promoted London partners specialized in antitrust, though Emma Weedon was elevated to counsel.

    In a statement reported by Global Legal Post, Mike Lowell, Reed Smith’s global regulatory chair, said Johnson’s arrival strengthens the firm’s European competition practice and enhances its ability to serve clients across regulatory matters.

    Source: Global Legal Post