About Us
Barry Rodger
Professor at Strathclyde University
Professor Barry Rodger has been an academic at Strathclyde University Law School since 1993 where he focuses on teaching and researching EU and UK competition law. He also set up the Strathclyde Centre for Antitrust Law and Empirical Study (SCALES). His work focuses on showing how big business can damage a competitive economy by excluding competitors and charging unfair and excessive prices to consumers and smaller businesses which are dependent upon it. In recent years his work has also includedvarious projects related to developments in the private enforcement of competition law in the UK and EU.
Professor Barry Rodger says “It is extremely important that the principles of fairness which prevent abuses of the marketplace are enforced in our rapidly expanding digital economy. I am bringing this claim because I believe that Big Tech should not be allowed to run roughshod over small businesses. I teach my students every day about the importance of enforcement of competition law and I am now ‘practising what I preach’ by seeking redress on behalf of this class of Android app developers.”
The Team
Lawyers:
Professor Rodger has instructed the law firm Geradin Partners to represent him in his class action in the CAT. Geradin Partners is a leading pan-European law firm specialising in competition law and digital markets, with extensive experience in collective action claims before the CAT. More information about Geradin Partners can be found at: www.geradinpartners.com.
Professor Rodger’s counsel team consists of Robert O’Donoghue (Brick Court Chambers), Daniel Carall-Green (Fountain Court Chambers) and Sarah O’Keeffe (Brick Court Chambers).
Founding Partner of Geradin Partners, Damien Geradin, said: “Google is one of the most powerful companies in the world. Regulators around the globe have scrutinised its Play Store conduct and consider it harmful. Yet Google continues to use its monopoly position to force out competition and to exploit app developers. It is imperative therefore that developers in the UK also have the opportunity to seek redress for Google’s wrongful conduct.”
Expert economist:
Professor Amelia Fletcher CBE is the independent expert economist instructed by the proposed class representative, Professor Barry Rodger to give evidence in this case. She is a Professor of Competition Policy at Norwich Business School. Professor Fletcher has also recently retired as a Non-Executive Director of the CMA and also has experience as a Non-Executive Director of the Financial Conduct Authority (2013-20) and Payment Systems Regulator (2014-20), a member of the Enforcement Decision Panel at Ofgem (2014-20122) and Chief Economist at the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) (2001-2013).
Professor Fletcher has been assisted in preparing her economic report by a team of economists at Fideres. Fideres is an international economic consultancy founded in 2009 with expertise in competition economics, digital markets and litigation. Fideres also has particular experience working on collective proceedings claims before the Tribunal.
Funders:
The claim is funded by Bench Walk Advisors, a leading litigation funder with a team of multi award-winning finance professionals and litigators.