Frances Murphy is a noted leading practitioner in competition law and antitrust matters. Chambers describes Frances as a "highly responsive, results driven, practical lawyer” who is a “consummate team player.” Frances is singled out by clients in relation to complex, high-value, bet-the-company matters.
Frances represents a broad range of clients in complex, high-value global cartel investigations, alleged abuse of dominance matters, and civil proceedings for damages for breach of competition law/antitrust laws. She has experience in defending investigations by the competition authorities, in particular the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), the Financial Conduct Authority, and the European Commission, and in leading litigation proceedings in the Competition Appeals Tribunal, the UK High Court, Court of Appeal, and UK Supreme Court.
Frances works across a broad range of industries, including aviation, construction, communications, ecommerce, financial services, grocery, life sciences, pharmaceuticals, retail, shipping, and steel.
Frances has acted in a number of the leading cases which have shaped “follow-on” litigation in England. In 2003, she began to act for BASF in the vitamins litigation, a case which gave rise to what remains the leading judgment on jurisdiction in cases involving defendants from multiple jurisdictions (Provimi and Trouw) and the leading judgment on the remedies available to claimants in follow-on claims (Devenish). Frances has also acted in the leading case challenging the use by the CMA of interim injunctions in competition investigations (London Metal Exchange v. CMA) and in the leading case challenging the use by the CMA of search warrants in ongoing investigations (Concordia v. CMA) in all of which the client prevailed. This last case was awarded Behavioural Matter of the Year—Europe by Global Competition Review (2018).
Frances leads significant competition litigation matters in the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) and the UK High Court, Court of Appeal, and UK Supreme Court, including representing Sainsbury’s in the leading case against Visa in the interchange fee litigation in the English courts (with successful appeals to the Court of Appeal and UK Supreme Court), and for a number of pharmaceutical companies in appeals of infringement decisions, including more recently the appeals against the CMA’s decisions in each of Hydrocortisone, Liothyronine, and Prochlorperazine.
Prior to joining Morgan Lewis, Frances led the antitrust and trade regulation practice of another international law firm.
Frances sits on the firm’s Advisory Board and on the firm’s international leadership team.
Antitrust & Competition Lawyer of the Year, LMG Life Sciences Awards 2024 EMEA (2024)
Antitrust & Competition Lawyer of the Year, Euromoney Women in Business Law Awards EMEA (2022)
Recognized, The Lawyer Hot 100, Supreme Court Victory against payment card Visa over multilateral interchange fees, The Lawyer (2021)
Finalist, Europe Innovative Lawyers Awards, The Financial Times (2021, 2022)
Highly Commended, Competition Team of the Year, The Lawyer Awards (2021, 2022)
Leader, Behavioural Matter of the Year—Europe: Challenges to CMA Search Warrants, Global Competition Review (2018)
Leader, Behavioural Matter of the Year, Europe: Defending Apple Inc. in the e-books investigation, Global Competition Review (2013)
Hall of Fame, Corporate and Commercial: EU and Competition, The Legal 500 UK (2018, 2021–2025)
Leading Individual, Dispute Resolution: Competition Litigation, The Legal 500 UK (2023–2025)
Leading Lawyer, The Legal 500 UK (2009–2024)
Recommended, Dispute Resolution: Competition Litigation, The Legal 500 UK (2025)
Recommended, Industry Focus: Life Sciences and Healthcare, The Legal 500 UK (2021–2025)
Recommended, Corporate and Commercial: EU and Competition, London, The Legal 500 UK (2019–2025)
Recommended, TMT (Technology, Media and Telecoms): Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology, London, The Legal 500 UK (2019, 2020)
Ranked, Leading Lawyer, Chambers Global, Chambers Europe, Chambers UK (2009–2023)
Ranked, Competition Law, Chambers UK (2015–2022, 2024)
Ranked, Competition Law: Private Enforcement: Claimant, Chambers UK (2020–2023)
Ranked, Competition Law: Litigation, Chambers UK (2019, 2025)
Ranked, Competition Law: UK, Chambers Global (2021, 2023, 2024)
Ranked, Competition Law: Private Enforcement: Claimant, UK, Chambers Global (2020–2022, 2024)
Ranked, Competition Law: UK, Chambers Europe (2009–2021, 2024)
Ranked, Competition Law: Private Enforcement: Claimant, UK, Chambers Europe (2020, 2021)
Ranked, Competition Law: Litigation, UK, Chambers Europe (2019)
Leading Lawyer, PLC Competition Super League
Member, Practice Group of the Year, Competition, Law360 (2017–2023)
Competition Law, London, The Best Lawyers in the United Kingdom (2020, 2021)
Recognized, Best Law Firms for Merger Control, United Kingdom (Valuable Practice), Leaders League and Décideurs (2021)
Recognized, Practice Group of the Year for Antitrust Law, US News & World Report and Best Lawyers (2017)
Ranked, London, Super Lawyers (2013–2015)
Ranked, Euromoney: Guide to the World’s Leading Antitrust Lawyers (2015)
Ranked, United Kingdom, Best Lawyers (2015–2016)
Fellow, Centre for International Legal Studies
Member, British Institute of Advanced Legal Studies
Member, Competition Law Forum
Member, Competition Committee of the International Chamber of Commerce
Member, Law Society European Solicitors Group
Contributing Editor, Butterworths Competition Law Encyclopedia