I am a competition and regulatory lawyer, advising on all aspects of EU and UK competition law (investigations, compliance audits, dawn raids, dominance, restrictive practices, merger control and distribution/'route to market' strategies) and regulatory issues. I also counsel clients on the evolving and complex regulatory framework relating to ESG and sustainability.
I work with a range of clients, from small enterprises through to multi-national corporates and large trade associations, across a broad range of sectors. I have particular expertise in advising on CMA investigations and in regulated sectors including food and beverage, retail and consumer and life sciences. My focus is on providing practical, commercial and responsive advice that is clear (no legal jargon) and directional (no fence sitting).
My strong track record in handling CMA investigations is noted by Legal500 2025, "A litany of clients in the food, retail and life sciences sectors turn to Jessica Gardner for her assistance on CMA investigations.", and in Legal500 2024, "[Jessica delivers] consistently great work to a number of the firm's key clients, particularly with regards to CMA investigations."
I have a Distinction in the EU Competition Law Diploma (one of 4% of candidates to pass with Distinction) and have been ranked as a Next Generation Partner by Legal500 in 2025, 2024 and 2023 (Jessica Gardner > Fieldfisher > London | Lawyer profiles).
In 2022, I was listed as a UK Top 25 Best Up and Coming Female Lawyer by law.com. I was Runner up in the Lawyer of the Year category in the Modern Law Awards 2022 and I was nominated by clients as a 'Thomson Reuters Stand-Out Lawyer' in 2022 and 2023.
Published rankings include:
- Legal 500 2024 Next Generation Partner
- Legal 500 2023 Next Generation Partner
- Legal 500 2022 Rising Star listing (EU and competition in London | Law firm and lawyer rankings from The Legal 500 United Kingdom - Solicitors guide)
- UK Top 25 Up and Coming Female Lawyer in law.com's 2022 Rising Stars awards (Rising Stars 2022: The UK's Best Up and Coming Female Lawyers | Law.com International)
- Thomson Reuters Stand-Out Lawyer, as nominated by clients, in 2022 and 2023
- Runner up in the Lawyer of the Year category in the Modern Law Awards 2022.
What others say…
Jessica Gardner is a real iron fist in a velvet glove on the litigation side.
Jessica Gardner goes above and beyond to deliver commercial and pragmatic advice on time. She is great at keeping us updated on costs, more than any other firm I’ve worked with, making it much more easy to manage our budget.
Smart, pleasure to deal with and always provides commercial, practical advice.
Exceptional lawyer and partner to our in-house team. She provides fast feedback and applies the law and technicalities to our specific situation, meaning that the advice she gives is practical and commercial – exactly what I need from an external lawyer.
