Competition law barrister and former solicitor Matthew O’Regan has joined London’s Matrix Chambers from Bristol-based St. John’s Chambers.

O’Regan’s practice is comprehensive, spanning competition law, regulation and subsidy control. His broad expertise covers all aspects of competition law, including disputes and litigation, investigations by the Competition and Markets Authority and other regulators and a wide range of advisory matters.  

He acts for public and private clients, including major UK companies and multinational businesses, small and medium-sized enterprises, government departments and local authorities.

O’Regan paid his former set a warm tribute on LinkedIn, saying: “I joined as a newly called barrister, after a career as a solicitor, mainly in non-contentious competition law and with limited advocacy experience,” signalling the support of clients, fellow members, clerks and staff alike.

He joins Matrix after nine years with St. John’s Chambers, having previously been a partner at Burges Salmon for almost three years. Prior to that he spent 12 years at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, where he worked in the Magic Circle law firm’s Brussels and London offices. He trained and qualified at what is now Herbert Smith Freehills and became a solicitor advocate in 2014.

O’Regan added he looks forward to joining Matrix and “working with new colleagues and both existing and new clients on interesting competition law and subsidy control matters”.

Rachel Holmes, chief executive of Matrix and a winner at the 2024 Women & Diversity in Law Awards, said: “We are delighted that Matthew has joined us. He is a great fit for Matrix and will be an asset to our competition team and our clients. We look forward to working with him.”

O’Regan is not the only former solicitor to have joined Matrix’s competition team. Chris Brown, who became a member of the team in 2009, was previously a partner at Farrer & Co. Additionally, Nicholas Gibson, who specialises in competition, commercial, EU and public law, spent seven years at Freshfields, where he worked as an associate and solicitor-advocate.

The set previously welcomed Garden Court’s Danielle Manson as a member in January 2024; Manson was also a finalist at the Women & Diversity in Law Awards in March, including for Advocate of the Year.

The set had seen a series of high-level exits in recent years, such as Philippe Sands KC to 11KBW, Ben Emmerson KC, now at King & Spalding, and Alison Macdonald KC, now at Essex Court Chambers.