Competition and European Law
Our Competition and EU Law team handles contentious and non-contentious competition and European law matters.
The USP of our competition competence is that we are a robust team that can offer an unrivalled genuine combination of both significant former in-house antitrust counsel and regulator expertise.
We represent clients before the Belgian Competition Authority, European Commission and Belgian and EU Courts.
Our team provides deep expertise covering the full spectrum of competition law. We have been involved in major merger control cases at Belgian and European level and the majority of antitrust cases that have been handled by the Belgian Competition Authority, some of which having led to ground-breaking case law. For cross-border assignments, we work on a daily basis with top-tier foreign law firms.
We are also highly specialised in EU law, with a focus on public procurement matters and regulatory issues.
HOW WE SUPPORT OUR CLIENTS
- Successfully assisted DOMO in the context of its acquisition of Solvay’s EEA polyamide business following a divestment imposed by the Commission, including purchaser approval and merger clearance.
- Representing BNP Paribas Fortis and AG Insurance on their acquisition of joint control over Optimile.
- Assisted Brussels Airlines in the context of its EUR 290 million State aid application to address the COVID19 pandemic.
- Avoided a fine for Brussels Airlines despite the fact that the Belgian Competition Authority ruled that a Commercial Service Agreement with Thomas Cook Belgium had infringed Article 101 TFEU.
- Defending Facebook in proceedings brought before the Belgian Courts, in summary proceedings and on the merits, by the Belgian Privacy Commission and before the Court of Justice of the European Union in preliminary rulings proceedings.
- Acting on behalf of the Single Resolution Board in several litigation cases before the Courts of the Union.
- Acting on behalf of the European Chemicals Agency in several litigations before the Courts of the Union.
- Acting on behalf of the European Food Safety Authority before the Courts of the Union.
- Defending Uber in all litigation before the Belgian Courts regarding Uber Pop and Uber X.
- Assisting Uber in claims before the Belgian Courts and tribunals regarding rides in the Brussels Region area.
- Defending Provera in an investigation with dawn raid by the Belgian Competition Authority for a joint purchase agreement with Carrefour Belgium.
- Representing Mwingz, a joint venture between Proximus and Orange Belgium, in an investigation by the Belgian Competition Authority.
- Filing of a complaint for abuse of dominant position against Polish multinational undertaking in the oil industry.
- Defending a telecommunication operator in a private enforcement litigation against a network supplier before the Belgian Court.
- Representing a manufacturer of pharmaceutical products in a complaint for abuse of dominance before the Belgian Competition Authority.
- Representing clients in cases of sports in competition law: jumping events, football.
- Chapter on Belgium in The Cartels and Leniency Review
- How to successfully navigate the EC purchaser approval process
- De nieuwe clementierichtsnoeren van de Belgische mededingingsautoriteit
- Renforcer la crédibilité de l’autorité belge de la concurrence
- Kartelhandhaving door de Europese Commisie in crisistijd : business as usual?
- Divide et Impera, de Bofar beslissing van de Voorzitter van de Raad voor de Mededinging en het recht om de parallelhandel in geneesmiddelen te beperken
- Rapport Lunchforum Mededinging "Settlements and alternative techniques" au niveau européen et belge
- Editorial
- Commitment decisions : An overview of EU and national case law
- Handelspraktijken, 3e editie
- Evolution du droit des groupes en droit européen : nouveaux concepts
- Cases Text and Materials
- Politique européenne de la Consommation
- Confidence Through Fairness
- EC Competition Law After Modernisation
- Handelspraktijken, 2e editie
- Competition Law in the European Community
Seminars
- Competition Law Seminar - Private equity and competition law
- Competition Law Seminar - Competition compliance from due diligence until Day 1
- Competition Law Seminar - Surviving the dawn raid minefield
- Competition Law Seminar - Trade associations and competition law challenges for in-house counsel
- Competition Law Seminar - Avoiding competition pitfalls in the creation and operating of JVs
- Liedekerke Competition Seminar - 8.10.2020
- Unfair terms and practices in B2B relationships – How to adapt to the new rules?
- Taking the sting out of merger filing preparation
- Insurance Seminar "Assurances et consommateurs" - "Verzekeringen en consumenten"
News
- Competition Seminar: Merger filing preparation & EU merger control rules review
- New Joiners
- Liedekerke Seminar: Taking the sting out of merger filing preparation & discussion on upcoming EU merger control rules review
- New opportunity: Competition & European Law Associate
- Vincent Mussche recognised in Who's Who legal 2020
- Liedekerke Competition Seminar
- Liedekerke achieves top rankings in Legal 500 EMEA 2020
- Liedekerke contributed to the 8th edition of the Cartels and Leniency Review
- Liedekerke COVID-19 Resource Center
- Liedekerke recognized by Chambers Europe in the 2020 Rankings
- Liedekerke’s Compliance and Investigations Group
- Unfair terms and practices in B2B relationships – How to adapt to the new rules?
- Liedekerke’s Competition law practice recommended by the 20th edition of Global Competition Review’s GCR 100
- Belgian law firm Liedekerke Wolters Waelbroeck Kirkpatrick enhances its Competition and European Law Practice with the arrival of new partner Vincent Mussche.
- Vincent Mussche presents practical tips to navigate the EC purchaser approval process
- Liedekerke achieves excellent rankings in the Legal 500 2019
- Liedekerke recognized by Chambers Europe in the 2019 Rankings
- Liedekerke’s Competition law practice recommended in the 19 Edition of Global Competition Review’s GCR 100
- International Competition and Procurement Group discuss interface between competition law and public procurement law
- Lex Mundi Global Merger Notification Guide
Liedekerke’s Competition law practice is amongst the “Recommended” practices
-- GCR100’s 20th Edition, January 2020
Liedekerke’s Competition law practice is ranked in Band 3 and Stefaan Raes is ranked individually in Band 3 in Chambers & Partners Europe (2020). "The lawyers can be easily contacted and return calls quickly" says one client. Interviewees also report that Stefaan Raes "can give very useful insight on a file" and describe him as "responsive, pragmatic and available".
-- Chambers and Partners Europe, Competition.European Law 2020
Liedekerke’s Competition law practice is ranked Tier 3 in the Competition Belgian law category of The Legal 500 (2020): the team is praised for having “a strong track record in cases before the Belgian Competition Authority and DG COMP”. Client referees reported that “The team has sufficient resources, excellent knowledge of the regulations and a lot of experience” and that “In addition to being very knowledgeable, the team’s way of working is very hands-on and pragmatic. It listens to clients”.
-- Legal 500 Competition: Belgian Law 2020
Liedekerke is Highly Recommended
-- Leaders League’s 2020 Guide Litigation and Competition: EU Competition Litigation – Best Law Firms Belgium
From 2019 onwards, Vincent has been selected as a future leader of international competition practice in the Who's Who Legal Competition law survey conducted in conjunction with Global Competition Review and which lists the foremost practitioners in the competition community aged under 45.
Vincent Mussche is a lawyer who "really goes the extra mile for his clients".
-- Legal 500, Competition: Belgian Law 2019
boulevard de l'Empereur 3 Keizerslaan - 1000 Brussels - Belgium
T: +32 2 551 15 15 - F: +32 2 551 14 14
VAT - BE 0478 065 191
