Walter Merricks v Mastercard wins Litigation of the Year - non-cartel defence at GCR Awards 2018

Walter Merricks v Mastercard, the €15.9 billion interchange fees case, has won litigation of the year - non-cartel defence at the GCR Awards 2018. 

Steward Health Care v Blue Cross & Blue Shield and iPic v AMC were also nominated for the award.

But Walter Merricks v Mastercard ultimately took the prize. The case was the largest ever claim brought before the UK courts – a proposed £14 billion (€15.9 billion) consumer collective action relating to multilateral interchange fees on behalf of 46 million consumers. Mastercard defeated the first major proposed opt-out collective action in the UK’s Competition Appeal Tribunal. In July 2017, the tribunal dismissed the application to certify the proposed collective action, accepting Mastercard’s arguments that the claims were not suitable for certification. Merricks has subsequently sought permission to appeal or judicially review the decision.

Counsel to Mastercard

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

Partners Jon Lawrence, Mark Sansom, Nicholas Frey and Jonathan Isted in London, senior associates Ricky Versteeg and Simon Duncombe in London, and associates Ingrid Rois and Amy Rawson in London

Brick Court Chambers

Mark Hoskins QC, Tony Singala and Hugo Leith in London

One Essex Court

Matthew Cook in London

4 New Square

Benjamin Williams QC and Roger Mallalieu in London

In-house counsel Jim Masterson in New York, Thibaut Gregoire in Brussels and John McLaren in London