Our People

• University of Dublin, Trinity College (LLB)
• Oxford University (BCL)

• International Bar Association - Chair of the Public Law Committe
• Law Society of Ireland- Former Vice Chairman of EU & International Affairs Committee

John is a Co-head of our EU and Competition Unit and leads our London office. 

Areas of Expertise:

• Commercial Competition & European Union law
• Broadcasting & Media
• Communications
• Energy
• Transport
• Intellectual property
• EU and competition law
• Regulated industries (energy, broadcasting, telecommunications, water, waste and transport)
• Public procurement

Representative Matters:

• advising Gaslink Independent System Operator Limited, the Irish independent gas transportation system operator, in relation to the proposed all Ireland gas market known as the Common Arrangements for Gas;
• advising AstraZeneca on competition issues;
• advising Advent Capital, Bain Capital and Berkshire Partners on its acquisition of Skillsoft plc;
• advising Mylan Inc on its acquisition of Bioniche;
• advising Vedanta Resources plc on its acquisition of Anglo-American’s Irish zinc mining assets;
• advising Gaslink Independent System Operator Limited on the unbundling of the operation of the Irish gas transmission network from its parent, Bord Gais Eireann, and on the EU’s Third Energy Package;
• advising the Vintners Federation of Ireland (VFI) and the Licensed Vintners Association (LVA) (the two trade associations in Ireland representing pub operators) on pricing investigations and legal action by the Competition Authority including related High Court proceedings;
• advising Kerry Group plc on its acquisition of Breeo Foods Limited and successful challenge in the Irish High Court to the Competition Authority’s veto of the acquisition setting precedent on the concept of countervailing buyer power;
• advising National Irish Bank, Ulster Bank and Bank of Scotland Ireland Limited on the Irish Government’s Bank Guarantee Scheme and successfully arguing that, as originally drafted, it breached EU State aid law;
• advising CityJet on EU, competition and regulatory matters;
• advising the Commission for Energy Regulation and the Northern Ireland Authority for Utility Regulation in drafting and implementing the Trading and Settlement Code for the new all-Ireland wholesale single electricity market;
• leading the Mason Hayes & Curran team for the national broadcaster, RTÉ, on the proposed privatisation of its National Transmission Network;
• advising the Department of Communications Energy & Natural Resources on the implementation of digital terrestrial television (DTT) in Ireland;
• advising RHM plc on its acquisition by Premier Foods plc which resulted in the first ever ordered divestment by the Competition Authority in Ireland of a business as a condition to merger approval for the overall transaction valued at €1.8 bn;
• advising Landesbanken Baden-Wurrtemberg on its acquisition of Sachsenbank LB on the Irish merger aspects element which had a material public interest;
• advising Irish international footballers in taking restraint of trade cases against FIFA to CAS, the international sports tribunal, in Lausanne, Switzerland;
• advising eircom ESOT in its successful joint bid with Babcock & Brown Capital Limited to take eircom private;
• advising the Irish Government in its role as shareholder of An Post (the Irish Post Office) on its joint venture with Fortis Bank establishing a new Irish retail bank;
• advising the Commission for Energy Regulation in running a tender process to commission additional capacity for the Irish electricity network, and negotiating power purchase contracts worth approximately €1 billion;
• advising Ireland's leading public transport operator Aircoach, in its sale to First Group plc, and on market regulation.

Recommendations:

Chambers Global - EU & Competition UK, Chambers and Partners, 2012.
John is recommended in the area of 'Competition/European Law’  in the UK jurisdiction.  John Kettle is responsible for the output of Mason Hayes & Curran's London office and co-leads the firm's competition group. He acts for clients from heavily regulated industries before both European and Irish competition authorities. Kettle is celebrated for his “fantastic knowledge, practical application to the case" and the way in which he"communicates his points clearly."  

Chambers Global - The World's Leading Lawyers, Chambers and Partners, 2010.
John is recommended as a ‘Leader in his Field’ in the ‘Competition and European Law’, ‘Energy & Natural Resources’ and ‘Telecommunications’ categories. Though based in London, John Kettle is among the market’s foremost regulatory and procurement experts.

Chambers Global - The World's Leading Lawyers, Chambers and Partners, 2008.
John is recommended as a ‘Leader in his Field’ in both Competition and European Law categories. John handles a mixture of EU and competition law, public procurement and regulated industries matters. Referred to as “absolutely excellent “according to clients, John is “knowledgeable and practical, and always gives sound advice.”

Chambers Europe - Europe's Leading Business Lawyers, Chambers and Partners, 2011.
John is recommended in the areas of‘Competition/European Law’ and ‘Energy & Natural Resources’. John ‘is skilled in a wide range of transactions and combines his active practice with heading up the firm's London office. He has particular expertise in regulated industries such as utilities and energy.'

Chambers Europe - Europe's Leading Business Lawyers, Chambers and Partners, 2010.
John is recommended in the areas of ‘Competition’/ ‘European Law’/ ‘Energy & Natural Resources’.

Chambers Europe - Europe's Leading Business Lawyers, Chambers and Partners, 2009.
John is recommended in the areas of ‘Competition’/ ‘European Law’/ ‘Energy & Natural Resources’. John is described as “a prominent lawyer for all the right reasons - he’s exceptionally able on a range of competition matters”.

Legal 500 – EU & Competition, 2011.
John is recommended by Legal 500 for his ‘EU & Competition’ expertise. 

Legal 500 – TMT, 2010.
John is recommended by Legal 500 for his ‘TMT’ expertise. John is highlighted for his ‘expert knowledge and wide experience’.

Legal 500 – EU & Competition, 2010.
John is recommended by Legal 500 for his ‘EU & Competition’ expertise.  Clients say John provides ‘timely and efficient service’

Global Competition Review, Top 100 Global Law Firms 2010
Over the past two or three years, no competition team in the Irish market has improved more than the three-lawyer group at Mason Hayes & Curran. Led by Dublin partner Tony Burke and John Kettle, who recently moved to London, the team has been at the forefront of two of the decade's most high-profile competition cases in the Irish market.

Which Lawyer? Practical Law Company 2010.
John is recommended as a lawyer in the area of ‘Competition/Anti-trust’.