Jacques Derenne

Jacques Derenne advises multinational companies, public authorities and industry associations on EU competition and regulatory law, with particular strength in State aid. He is leader of Sheppard’s EU Competition & Regulatory practice as well as professor at the University of Liège.

Jacques has more than 35 years of experience guiding clients through competition issues (merger control and Foreign Direct Investment, antitrust rules, State aid and Foreign Subsidies) and defending in proceedings before the European Commission and national competition authorities across the European Union. He regularly pleads complex EU litigation cases before EU, Belgian and French courts. His practice also includes advising on EU regulatory matters (in particular in the energy, transport, postal, telecoms, satellites, audiovisual media and tobacco industries), and on EU anti-subsidy and anti-dumping proceedings.

Jacques’ State aid experience spans nearly four decades, during which time he has acted for beneficiaries, competitors, Member States as well as advised investors. Jacques has also played a significant role in shaping EU State aid policy, co-authoring European Commission studies on State aid national enforcement that informed the Commission’s Recovery and Enforcement Notices, and contributing quarterly State aid case-law commentary to Concurrences since 2004. He is widely published on many EU constitutional and competition law issues, and he regularly speaks on these topics.

Jacques is professor at the University of Liège, teaching State aid law and economics, as well as at the Brussels Study Center. He is a founding member of the Global Competition Law Centre at the College of Europe since 2004.

In his free time, Jacques is racing GT cars at international endurance championships. He also enjoys orienteering, skiing, mountain biking and studying Greek and Latin classics.

Avocat, member of the Brussels and Paris Bars

Professor (chargé de cours à temps partiel), University of Liège

Professor, Brussels School of Competition