Cees Dekker

Practice Areas

Cees Dekker is an advocaat, admitted to the Amsterdam and Brussels bars (EU-list), with over 30 years of experience, advising on all aspects of EU and Dutch Competition law in a wide range of sectors, with a special focus on state aid and foreign subsidies. Cees acts as a consultant to Simmons & Simmons as from 2022 after having been a partner in another law firm for many years.

Since 2004 Cees has been recommended by Chambers for EU & Competition, with clients saying “I would follow him everywhere. He does an excellent job and knows a great deal” “Accurate and fast to respond,” “decent and meticulous” and highlighting his “ability to communicate effectively and to clearly explain complex matters, as well as his high level of pragmatism and attention to detail.” In 2021 and 2022 Who’s Who legal has recommended Cees especially for state aid.

His state aid work covers all kinds of complex financial relations involving companies and government bodies concerning, for instance, energy transition projects (windparks, heat networks, geothermal heat), infrastructure (airports, ports, rail, sports arenas, digital infrastructures), health care, R&D projects, risk capital and rescue and restructuring aid. He has an extensive experience in procedures with the European Commission (notifications, complaints).

Cees has assisted and advised companies and industry associations in more than 30 cartel investigations, including dawn raids, by the Dutch ACM and the European Commission, and litigated before the EU Courts and Dutch courts.

Cees holds a master's degree in law of the University of Groningen and the University of London (Economic Regulation). He was the first head of the legal service of the Dutch Competition Authority. He currently is a member of the advisory committee on competition of the Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers and chair of the European State Aid Law Association. He regularly gives guest lectures on state aid at several universities (like the University of Amsterdam and King’s College London).

Cees is frequently published in academic journals and has written books on competition law procedures and state aid. He is a member of the board of editors of the journals Markt & Mededinging and Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Europees Recht.