Competition: Domestic
Europe Guide 2024 : Belgium
Band 2
Email address
[email protected]Contact number
+32 2 780 2222Chambers Review
The firm benefits from a long-established domestic Belgian practice that targets sophisticated competition law mandates investigated by the Belgian Competition Authority. It advises on the notification of Belgian mergers or joint ventures, and it defends clients in BCA cartel investigations. The lawyers have also acted on EU cartel investigations and appeals against significant fines, including for multinational financial institutions and truck manufacturers. The Brussels team handles European or global transactions that trigger EU merger notifications, serving a broad client list that includes Middle Eastern oil and gas companies, as well as global financial services and investment firms. On 1st May 2024, Allen & Overy and Shearman & Sterling merged to form A&O Shearman.
Work Highlights
- The firm advised Aramco on merger control proceedings and compliance with commitments set out by the EC for its transactions with PKN Orlen.
Strengths
Provided by Chambers
"The team has institutional knowledge of the way we handle things, provides practical guidance, is responsive, turns things around under unreasonable deadlines and does it consistently."
"The firm's ability to advise on international matters is very strong. It has a solid network of individuals around the world who are trained to provide us with advice the way that we need it. They are similarly responsive and practical."
"We use the firm for some of our bigger-ticket work."
"It had good historical knowledge of our market and solid competition law expertise, completed by a proven ability to assist our company in case of litigation."
"The team is very smart and pleasant to work with."
"The team has institutional knowledge of the way we handle things, provides practical guidance, is responsive, turns things around under unreasonable deadlines and does it consistently."
"The firm's ability to advise on international matters is very strong. It has a solid network of individuals around the world who are trained to provide us with advice the way that we need it. They are similarly responsive and practical."
"We use the firm for some of our bigger-ticket work."
"It had good historical knowledge of our market and solid competition law expertise, completed by a proven ability to assist our company in case of litigation."
"The team is very smart and pleasant to work with."
Notable Practitioners
Dirk Arts leads the firm's key domestic competition law work and has a strong reputation for handling merger filings and antitrust investigations before the BCA. He also attracts attention for assisting clients with merger matters and allegations of anti-competitive behaviour that are investigated by the EC, while his broader behavioural practice includes advice on appeals against cartel decisions and subsequent follow-on damages actions.
"Dirk Arts has a combination of excellent understanding of the law and our business model and practical sense. He does not get lost in pure theoretical advice and makes things easy to understand."
"He is someone I like a lot and he has a very personable manner."
"Dirk Arts is articulate, an excellent presenter and has remarkable pedagogical skills when applied to an audience of lawyers and non-lawyers."
An established practitioner in the EU competition law sphere, Kristina Nordlander leverages her expertise to advise on antitrust and regulatory issues, including the examination of sustainability projects through the lens of competition law.
"Kristina Nordlander is hugely experienced, calm and insightful. She is adaptable to our way of working and gives considered, concise and useful advice."
"She was very good and to the point."