Stéphanie De Smedt
Partner - Attorney at Law
Stéphanie De Smedt, attorney at law, is a local partner in the Litigation & Risk Management practice group of the Loyens & Loeff Brussels office. She heads the Tech & Commercial practice, including the Belgian chapter of the Loyens & Loeff firm-wide Data Protection Team and Life Sciences Team.
Brussels
Dutch, English, French
Stéphanie is an expert in commercial and technology law. She has ample experience in guiding clients through complex contract drafting, contract negotiations, and advising on pre-litigious matters. Though her broad background in commercial law (distribution, agency, unfair market practices, consumer regulations) and IP/ICT law (technology transfers, counterfeit disputes, e-commerce regulations, and software/IT contracting), Stéphanie is the go-to person for clients active in the technology and digital economy industry. Developments such as blockchain, artificial intelligence and new technologies in general (and in the life sciences industry in particular) are part of her core focus areas.
Throughout her career, Stéphanie has furthermore developed a recognised expertise with respect to regulatory compliance, more specifically - as CIPP/E certified expert - in relation to the protection of personal data (e.g. GDPR compliance), cybersecurity, and life sciences. She has managed multiple large scale GDPR audits and “privacy by design” projects, represented clients in high-profile data protection litigation before the Belgian Data Protection Authority and the Belgian courts, and regularly assists clients with setting-up compliant contracts and frameworks. Stéphanie also represents clients in court, before the Belgian Data Protection Authority and in alternative dispute resolution proceedings in her areas of expertise. She has furthermore been appointed by CEPANI, the Belgian Centre for Arbitration and Mediation, to act as Third-Party Decider in alternative dispute resolution proceedings for .be domain names.
Stéphanie regularly publishes articles, speaks at conferences and (internal and external) seminars, and has participated as a legal expert to hackathons in her areas of expertise.
Work highlights
Contributions
Memberships
Brussels Bar (Nederlandse Orde van Advocaten), 2012
iTechLaw (International Association of Technology Lawyers)
IAPP (International Association of Privacy Professionals)
Professional Union of DPOs in Belgium (DPO-Pro)
Qualifications
LL.M. in European Competition and Intellectual Property law, Université de Liège (Belgium), 2012
Master in law, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Belgium), 2011
Summer school in international business, Haas Business School, University of California (Berkeley, United States), 2010
CIPP/E Certification (IAPP)
Publications
• De Smedt, S., Surinx, D. (2022). Gebruik biometrische gegevens: ondernemingen hopen op wetgevend initiatief. De Juristenkrant
• De Smedt, S., Caproni M. (2019). Praktische gids privacy in de onderneming. Belgium: Wolters Kluwer
• De Smedt, S., Verstraeten V. (2018). GDPR Implementation Series - Belgium: Substantial Reform of Supervisory Authority and Framework Implementing Act Finally Adopted. European Data Protection Law Review, Lexxion, (Volume 4, issue 3), 353 - 359
• De Smedt, S., van Waesberge, C. (2016). Cybersecurity and Data Breach Notification Obligations Under the Current and Future Legislative Framework. European Data Protection Law Review, Lexxion (Volume 2, issue 3), 391 - 398
• De Smedt, S. (2016). Data Protection May Have to Yield in IP Infringement Cases. European Data Protection Law Review, Lexxion, (2015/4), 316 - 320
Stéphanie De Smedt
Partner - Attorney at Law
stephanie.de.smedt@loyensloeff.com
Brussels
Dutch, English, French
<p>Stéphanie De Smedt, attorney at law, is a local partner in the Litigation & Risk Management practice group of the Loyens & Loeff Brussels office. She heads the Tech & Commercial practice, including the Belgian chapter of the Loyens & Loeff firm-wide Data Protection Team and Life Sciences Team. </p>
Stéphanie is an expert in commercial and technology law. She has ample experience in guiding clients through complex contract drafting, contract negotiations, and advising on pre-litigious matters. Though her broad background in commercial law (distribution, agency, unfair market practices, consumer regulations) and IP/ICT law (technology transfers, counterfeit disputes, e-commerce regulations, and software/IT contracting), Stéphanie is the go-to person for clients active in the technology and digital economy industry. Developments such as blockchain, artificial intelligence and new technologies in general (and in the life sciences industry in particular) are part of her core focus areas.
Throughout her career, Stéphanie has furthermore developed a recognised expertise with respect to regulatory compliance, more specifically - as CIPP/E certified expert - in relation to the protection of personal data (e.g. GDPR compliance), cybersecurity, and life sciences. She has managed multiple large scale GDPR audits and “privacy by design” projects, represented clients in high-profile data protection litigation before the Belgian Data Protection Authority and the Belgian courts, and regularly assists clients with setting-up compliant contracts and frameworks. Stéphanie also represents clients in court, before the Belgian Data Protection Authority and in alternative dispute resolution proceedings in her areas of expertise. She has furthermore been appointed by CEPANI, the Belgian Centre for Arbitration and Mediation, to act as Third-Party Decider in alternative dispute resolution proceedings for .be domain names.
Stéphanie regularly publishes articles, speaks at conferences and (internal and external) seminars, and has participated as a legal expert to hackathons in her areas of expertise.