VVGB Advocaten/Avocats

Partners: Edwin Vermulst, Peter Verhaeghe, Folkert Graafsma, Joris Cornelis, Judi Sud, Marco Slotboom, Peter Kugel
Number of partners: 7
Number of lawyers: 20
Languages: Dutch, English, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, Russian

Firm Overview:
Founded in 1996, VVGB Advocaten/Avocats is an independent Brussels-based law firm globally acclaimed for its EU and international trade, competition, and corporate practices. As a market leader in these fields, VVGB is optimally positioned to meet client's diverse needs worldwide and provides personalized, comprehensive, and premier-quality service at competitive rates. With the advantage of past experience at large multinational firms, VVGB’s lawyers consistently exceed their client's high expectations, and its partners have been recognized as top leaders in their fields by peers, clients, and reputable independent rating agencies such as Chambers Global, Chambers Europe, Legal 500, and Who’s Who Legal, among others:

EU Trade, International Trade & Customs:
4 partners; 6 fee earners based in Europe.
Under the leadership of Edwin Vermulst and Folkert Graafsma, VVGB’s experienced and multilingual trade team has a reputation for excellence in advising private and sovereign clients on a wide range of EU trade regulations and policy matters. Internationally recognized for its expertise in trade defense instruments, the firm has played a leading role in trade remedy investigations and has been involved in virtually all major EU cases, including, most recently, Solar Panels and related proceedings, Silicon Metal, Solar Glass, Filament Glass Fibers, Manganese Oxides, and multiple steel cases. In addition, VVGB routinely represents clients in trade-related EU Court litigation, with the cases C-34/14 Puma, T-460/14 Association M Doux v Council, T-121/14 PT Pelita Agung Agrindustri v Council and T-142/13, Jinko Solar and Others v Parliament and Others as noteworthy recent examples. Furthermore, the firm is highly acclaimed for its advice on EU customs law, including customs classification and compliance, valuation, rules of origin, and REM/REC at the EU and the national level. Last, VVGB advises on other EU trade matters such as, for example, China MES, the EU’s TDI reform, the negotiation of trade agreements such as CETA and TTIP, and compliance with EU sanctions measures.

Contact: Edwin Vermulst / Folkert Graafma
Tel: +32 2 542 07 80 Email: [email protected]; [email protected]

International Trade & Investment:
VVGB has extensive experience in the field of WTO litigation, and its partners have participated in numerous cases as members of delegations in front of Panels and the Appellate Body. Recent cases wherein the firm represented clients include, amongst others examples, European Union – Anti-Dumping Measures on Biodiesel from Indonesia, European Union – Anti-Dumping Measures on Biodiesel from Argentina, European Union – Cost Adjustment Methodologies and Certain Anti-Dumping Measures on Imports from Russia, and European Union and Certain Member States – Certain Measures Affecting the Renewable Energy Generation Sector. In addition, VVGB advises governments and industries on potential WTO issues ranging from marketing bans on chemical products to climate change initiatives, rules negotiations, subsidies, agriculture, and REACH. Also, the firm has, in view of the EU’s new powers over international investment, extended its expertise in international arbitration and investment, including arbitral disputes between investors and states.

Contact: Edwin Vermulst / Folkert Graafma
Tel: +32 2 542 07 80 Email: [email protected]
Tel: +32 475 519081 Email: [email protected]
Tel: +32 475 517 824

Regulatory:
1 partner; 2 fee earners based in Europe.
VVGB counsels and represents clients on matters relating to sector-specific legislation in regulated industries such as, among others, telecommunications, energy, environment, transport, and media. In addition, the firm’s lawyers have been at the forefront of EU regulatory developments in areas such as climate change and, in particular, chemicals legislation (REACH). A key focus of VVGB’s regulatory practice has been the compatibility of EU domestic regulation with international trade obligations. The firm has special expertise in the intersection of intellectual property rights, competition law, and trade law.

Contact: Peter Kugel
Tel: +32 2 542 07 86 Email: [email protected]

Competition & State Aid:
1 partner; 2 fee earners based in Europe.
Over the past twenty years, partners of VVGB have been involved in a large number of high-profile competition law cases and advised clients on all aspects of competition law (e.g., merger control, cartel procedures, intellectual property rights, abuses of dominant position, and EU state aid). The firm also frequently represents clients in competition cases before the European Commission, the EU courts, national competition authorities, and national courts.

Contact: Marco Slotboom
Tel: +32 2 210 59 86 Email: [email protected]

Corporate & Tax:
1 partner; 2 fee earners based in Europe.
Led by Peter Verhaeghe, VVGB’s Corporate and Tax practice group comprises lawyers who are recognized as being among the very best in their field and who benefit from a reputation of excellence in M&A and Private Equity transactions in particular. The practice group also has extensive expertise in cross-border joint ventures, corporate restructurings, project finance, and capital markets work, including IPO, privatization, and securitization work. It has particularly strong expertise in investment structuring and company restructurings, including from a tax optimization perspective.

Contact: Peter Verhaeghe
Tel: +32 2 542 07 81 Email: [email protected]