Van Bael & Bellis

Managing Partner: Andreas Reindl

Number of partners: 21

Number of lawyers: 90

Languages: English, Arabic, Bulgarian, Chinese, Danish, Dari, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Italian, Japanese, Macedonian, Pashto, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Ukrainian

Firm Overview:

VBB is a leading independent law firm headquartered in Brussels with offices in London and a presence in Geneva. Established in 1986, the firm provides specialised advice to a diverse group of clients ranging from multinational companies and government bodies to international trade associations and global law firms. It is known for its client-centred approach and focused expertise in EU and national competition law, EU trade and customs law, EU regulatory law, public international law as well as corporate and commercial law. With over 90 lawyers originating from more than 20 different countries, VBB offers clients the support of a highly effective team of professionals with multi-jurisdictional expertise and an international perspective.

Main Areas of Practice:

EU & National Competition

International Trade & Customs (incl. EU and WTO)

EU Regulatory (incl. Life Sciences, Data Protection)

Public International Law

Corporate, Commercial & Transactional

Competition:

The firm is widely recognised as one of the leading competition law practices in Europe, with one of the largest teams in Brussels. The team – including 14 partners and nine counsel, many with more than 20 years’ experience – has extensive expertise in all aspects of competition law, including merger control, cartel investigations, abuse of dominance, the establishment and operation of distribution systems, the licensing and use of intellectual property rights, competition compliance, foreign direct investment screening, foreign subsidy control and state aid. it has unparalleled expertise in litigating complex competition issues before the EU Courts, representing international clients in many landmark and precedent-creating cases (including Boeing/Embraer, Google/Android, Fincantieri/Chantier de l’Atlantique, EssilorLuxottica/GrandVision, Halliburton/Baker Hughes, Airfreight, Deutsche Börse/London Stock Exchange, Intel and Lundbeck). The firm also assists clients in EU Member States proceedings and is the author of one of the leading competition reference sources – “Competition Law of the European Union” (sixth edition).

Trade, Customs & WTO:

VBB has the largest team of specialised trade lawyers in Brussels handling EU and WTO trade law. Trade remedies is one of the practice's key focus areas: it is the author of the leading practitioner textbook on the subject – “EU Anti-Dumping and other Trade Defence Instruments” (sixth edition). It also has a robust practice assisting both EU and non-EU exporters involved in trade remedy cases initiated by non-EU countries. Other focus areas include diverse customs law matters – the firm represents major multinationals in customs cases before the European Courts, the Commission and the WCO, as well as in various national courts – and complex EU and UK sanctions advice. VBB's WTO practice – run across Brussels and its presence in Geneva – is known for its expertise in WTO dispute settlement, advising at all stages of proceedings in relation to a wide range of subject matters. The practice also regularly assists third countries during the negotiation of free trade agreements with the EU and advises on EU trade policy issues.

Regulatory:

VBB has a strong EU regulatory law practice, specialising in environmental law, chemicals (REACH), life sciences, data protection law, digital regulation and AI, consumer protection issues, product safety, standards and CE marking as well as energy law. The firm’s expertise includes handling matters before the EU courts and assisting clients with the implementation of the relevant EU laws in all Member States. It also works with clients to implement practical tailored strategies and compliance programmes in line with the latest EU legislative and policy developments.

Public International Law:

VBB advises on a wide range of public international law matters, including the territorial scope of application of treaties, treaty obligations, human rights and sanctions. The firm’s expertise extends to advising on all matters relating to international dispute settlement and the negotiation of international agreements, as well as assisting States with matters involving the interpretation and enforcement of EU, UK and other national sanctions.

Corporate, Commercial & Transactional:

VBB's corporate and commercial law practice is recognised as one of the leading independent business law practices in Belgium. It advises listed and non-listed multinational corporations, as well as trade associations and large and medium-sized companies, on all aspects of doing business in Belgium, including litigation, regulatory and transactional work. With regard to the latter, VBB is involved in some of the largest transactions in the market, offering the full range of complex Belgian and cross-border transactional services. Practice areas include corporate, M&A, banking and finance, projects, commercial law, dispute resolution, intellectual property, employment law and unfair market practices.