Sarah Ward recognised as a Lexology Index: Competition 2026 Future Leader

12th August 2026

Sarah Ward, Partner in the Competition and Foreign Investment team at Walker Morris, has been named as a ‘Future Leader’ in the Lexology Index: Competition 2026 guide.

The guide highlights the world’s leading competition lawyers and expert economists, identifying practitioners who clients and peers recognise for their expertise and market-leading work.

The lawyers featured advise and represent clients in internal, regulatory and criminal investigations, as well as assisting with merger filings, civil and criminal litigation, and cartel matters. The Future Leaders category recognises outstanding practitioners aged 45 and under.

Sarah’s inclusion as a Future Leader reflects her experience advising clients on all aspects of UK and EU competition law, including merger control and state aid/subsidy control. She is recognised for delivering commercial and strategic advice to clients across a range of sectors and has built a strong reputation for helping businesses handle difficult regulatory challenges.

I’m proud to be named as a Future Leader in the Lexology Index: Competition 2026 guide. This recognition is particularly meaningful as it reflects feedback from clients and peers across the market. It is a privilege to work alongside a talented team and support our clients on complex and business-critical competition and foreign investment matters.

Sarah Ward, Partner, Competition and Foreign Investment

The recognition follows Sarah’s recent leadership of the Walker Morris Competition team advising Endless LLP and Hovis on the competition law aspects of Associated British Foods’ acquisition of Hovis. The transaction was subject to a detailed Phase 2 investigation by the CMA, culminating in unconditional clearance of the deal.

Sarah’s leadership on this high-profile matter further cemented her expertise in difficult merger control and competition law issues, and her ability to guide clients through significant regulatory scrutiny to achieve successful outcomes.