Competition: EU
Europe Guide 2024 : Belgium
Band 3
About
Provided by Herbert Smith Freehills
Based in the heart of Europe for over 30 years, HSF Brussels provides global clients with commercially-focused, legal and strategic advice across the full spectrum of competition, regulation and trade law issues.
Our competition law team has a distinguished track record of delivering results for clients in the most challenging cases, navigating EU and national competition laws across Europe and globally. We advise across the full spectrum of competition law matters, including in relation to merger control, foreign direct investment (FDI), cartels and investigations, unilateral conduct, competition litigation, competition compliance, and State aid / subsidy control.
Our EU law experts have unparalleled expertise in proceedings before the European Commission and EU courts across various fields of EU law, having led in numerous high-profile cases. Our team has an excellent understanding of the workings of the EU, drawing on the experience of former secondees, officials and judges at the European Commission and EU courts.
The Brussels office is also the hub of our global international trade and WTO law practice, acting on disputes under the WTO dispute settlement mechanism and advising on market access strategies, sanctions, export controls and trade remedy matters.
We pride ourselves on providing excellence in client service and being easy to work with. Central to our ethos is a commitment to act robustly to defend and promote our clients' interests.
Chambers Review
Herbert Smith Freehills' Brussels competition practice leverages its expertise to work on corporate transactions that often draw scrutiny both from the EC and from various other competition regulators worldwide. It advises on EU merger control issues arising from high-profile strategic acquisitions that test the scope for further consolidation of sectors including energy, consumer goods and TMT. Key lawyers offer notable strength in state aid mandates, advising beneficiary companies on state aid investigations and compliance matters. The firm also has experience in antitrust investigations, including appeals to the CJEU seeking to overturn findings of abuse of dominance.
Work Highlights
- Herbert Smith Freehills represented Synthomer in merger filing requirements related to the sale of its laminates, films and coated fabrics businesses to Surteco.
Strengths
Provided by Chambers
"They are creative and down-to-earth lawyers who can be entrepreneurial and pragmatic."
"The firm grasped the issues very quickly and focused on value-added efforts."
"Herbert Smith Freehills was chosen for its wealth of expertise, knowledge of our company's business and its wide reach."
"The team is business-oriented, always available, and gives clear answers to our questions."
"Herbert Smith Freehills has a very grounded understanding of the workings of the EU institutions, the people and the law."
"They are creative and down-to-earth lawyers who can be entrepreneurial and pragmatic."
"The firm grasped the issues very quickly and focused on value-added efforts."
"Herbert Smith Freehills was chosen for its wealth of expertise, knowledge of our company's business and its wide reach."
"The team is business-oriented, always available, and gives clear answers to our questions."
"Herbert Smith Freehills has a very grounded understanding of the workings of the EU institutions, the people and the law."
Notable Practitioners
Kyriakos Fountoukakos has notable experience in merger control filings made in support of a wide variety of cross-border M&A and JV transactions, notifying prominent deals before the EC as well as coordinating filings across jurisdictions. He additionally represents clients in antitrust investigations and appeals against European Commission decisions. He also manages the firm's competition practice in Japan, assisting Japanese companies with international merger filings.
"While his depth of competition law knowledge is unquestioned, perhaps the most admirable trait of Kyriakos Fountoukakos is his pragmatic approach to problem solving."
"Kyriakos Fountoukakos is quite practical and has been advising us in a very commercial and practical way."
Lode Van Den Hende has notable experience in state aid enforcement, EU regulatory issues and contentious mandates, with a particular focus on representing clients from the energy sector.
"He is very client-oriented and always specifically clarifies what we need. His work is really interesting and easy to read."
"We are very satisfied that we engaged the right person for this job."
Ranked Lawyers at
Herbert Smith Freehills
Belgium
Members
Provided by Herbert Smith Freehills
Camille Puech-Baron
Head of Department
Morris Schonberg
Peter Rowland
Clients
Provided by Herbert Smith Freehills
AbbVie
British American Tobacco
Eni
Marubeni Corporation
Mitsubishi Corporation
Sky/Comcast
Sumitomo Corporation
Synthomer
The Coca-Cola Company
Uber
VTTI
Industries
Provided by Herbert Smith Freehills
Consumer
Energy
Financial Services
Pharma
TMT / Digital