Competition & Regulatory
Competition law affects your company from its top-level strategic objectives to its day-to-day commercial decisions. To succeed in a competitive world, your company will innovate, merge with other businesses or create strategic alliances. You may need to share information and work together both with competitors and non-competitors alike. We can assist you in achieving this, within the boundaries of competition law compliance.
EU dawn raids at French supermarkets ruled illegal
Belgium’s Governmental declaration of intent
New Belgian rules on economic dependence
Rules banning abuse of economic dependence enter into force
Integrated approach
Do I need to notify this transaction for merger control clearance? What are the chances that the competition authority will clear our transaction? Am I allowed to cooperate with my competitor for R&D or to jointly distribute our products? What resale price policy may I impose on my distributors? How can I implement competition law compliance within my company? Which is the better fit for my company: selective or exclusive distribution? Officers of the Belgian Competition Authority or European Commission present themselves to search my company’s offices for evidence of cartel infringements, what do I do?
Every company will face these and many other competition law questions, whether at the national or EU level. Very often the way in which these issues are handled will prove to be deal makers or deal breakers in your commercial transactions. In addition, antitrust or abuse of dominance investigations can seriously affect your company’s public image and lead to very high fines.
Clear-cut answers
Our team of dedicated advisers is happy to assist you in dealing with the competition authorities and helps you to ensure full compliance of your company with those complex competition rules.
We aim to establish long-term, sustainable client relations in order to provide personal and client-tailored advice. Our specialist lawyers provide clear-cut and pragmatic answers to assist you in making the right decisions. We do not stop at identifying the problem, but strive to deliver solutions in a complex legal and business environment.
Sector knowledge
Our clients value our sector-specific knowledge. Applying competition law with the knowledge of trends and developments in a specific sector fosters accurate, pragmatic and solution-driven advice. Over the years we have gathered profound knowledge of the energy, automotive, healthcare & life sciences, food & beverages and real estate sectors. Our competition law team closely cooperates with national and international experts from other areas such as litigation, commercial law, corporate tax, corporate law, real estate and IP to offer an integrated approach to your legal needs.
Thomas Chellingsworth
Partner Attorney at LawThomas Chellingsworth is a local partner in our Brussels office. He is recognised as a leading energy law expert, with extensive experience of electricity and gas projects and litigation. He heads our Energy & Utilities and Competition & Regulatory Teams.
T: + 32 2 743 43 43 E: thomas.chellingsworth@loyensloeff.com
Thomas Verstraeten
Counsel Attorney at LawThomas Verstraeten, attorney at law, is a member of the Competition & Regulatory and Energy & Utilities Teams in Belgium.
T: +32 2 773 23 44 M: +32 4 73 63 15 66 E: thomas.verstraeten@loyensloeff.com
Christine Delagaye
Senior associate Attorney at LawChristine Delagaye is a member of the Loyens & Loeff Corporate & M&A Practice Group in Belgium and a member of the Energy & Utilities and Competition & Regulatory Teams. She is a senior associate in our office in Brussels.
T: +32 2 743 43 61 M: +32 4 76 97 46 41 E: christine.delagaye@loyensloeff.com
Bram Devlies
Associate Attorney at LawBram Devlies is a member of the Loyens & Loeff Energy & Utilities and Competition & Regulatory Teams in Belgium. He is an associate in our Brussels office.
T: +32 2 743 43 59 M: +32 4 70 54 09 70 E: bram.devlies@loyensloeff.com