CCPC welcomes the appointment of Clara Thornton as Member of the Commission

Clara Thornton has been appointed as a Member of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) by Peter Burke, Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, with effect from 2 November 2026.  

Clara Thornton is a qualified solicitor with over 16 years regulatory experience. She trained at Freshfields, specialising in consumer protection regulatory investigations and product liability litigation. 

Until recently, Clara worked as Strategy Counsel for Google and prior to that, held numerous senior roles at the CCPC, including Director of the Product Safety Division and various positions within the Legal Services Division.  

Clara holds a business and law degree from University College Dublin, a postgraduate Diploma in Competition Law from King’s College London, and an LLM in regulatory law from Nottingham Trent University. 

Brian McHugh, Chairperson of the CCPC, said: 

"I am delighted to welcome Clara back to the CCPC as a Member of the Commission. Clara brings with her a wealth of knowledge and experience in competition, consumer and digital matters and her impressive legal background will also be of huge benefit to the CCPC and its work going forward." 

Speaking about her appointment, Clara Thornton, added: 

"I am thrilled to be returning to the CCPC as a Member of the Commission. Now more than ever, the CCPC is a strong, visible advocate for consumers and competition in Ireland and its fast-evolving remit and expanding enforcement powers make it an exciting time to join and make a positive impact." 

Clara joins fellow Commission Members Úna Butler and Geoffrey Gray, alongside CCPC Chairperson Brian McHugh and will oversee the CCPC’s Market Surveillance, Consumer Protection, Consumer Enforcement and Legal Consumer and Corporate Divisions.