Competition: Domestic | Europe

contrast has a superb reputation for its handling of top-end domestic Belgian competition law matters. It acts for complainants, defendants and third-party interveners on BCA behavioural investigations and assists with appeals against BCA decisions. The team frequently advises clients on merger clearance proceedings before the BCA and the EC. The firm also handles mandates that raise complex issues regarding vertical agreements between manufacturers and distributors and defends civil claims filed in Belgium that raise competition law arguments in relation to the termination of distribution agreements. The law firm also offers experience in behavioural investigations before the EC.

The firm benefits from a long-established domestic Belgian practice that targets sophisticated competition law mandates investigated by the Belgian Competition Authority. It advises on the notification of Belgian mergers or joint ventures, and it defends clients in BCA cartel investigations. The lawyers have also acted on EU cartel investigations and appeals against significant fines, including for multinational financial institutions and truck manufacturers. The Brussels team handles European or global transactions that trigger EU merger notifications, serving a broad client list that includes Middle Eastern oil and gas companies, as well as global financial services and investment firms. On 1st May 2024, Allen & Overy and Shearman & Sterling merged to form A&O Shearman.

CMS has a well-regarded domestic competition law practice in Belgium, with proven experience acting on the complainant and defendant sides of behavioural investigations carried out by the BCA. It is known for its work on behalf of major Belgian telecommunications clients, winning roles on BCA merger filings, damages actions and appeals against BCA decisions. Key lawyers offer considerable experience in matters relating to state aid, often acting for aviation sector and waste management clients or for public sector entities.

Covington & Burling has an established reputation for its work on high-profile state aid cases for public entities, and it has been notably active in the notification or defence of state aid measures introduced to support the aviation sector. The team also has proven experience in defending clients in BCA investigations and advises on domestic civil litigation that seeks to rely on competition law principles. The law firm acts both for merging parties and for third-party interveners on transactions that are notified either to the EC or to the Belgian Competition Authority. Together with its London colleagues, the Brussels team regularly advises on large-scale global merger control mandates. It has additional experience in handling EC cartel probes.

Crowell & Moring advances in the rankings this year on the back of excellent market support. The team advises important Belgian and multinational telecommunications and media companies on their role either as notifying parties or as third-party interveners in mergers investigated by the BCA. It has acted for complainants on complex cases that allege abuse of dominance and additionally supports clients on matters related to distribution. The Brussels team also defends clients in allegations of involvement in cartels and offers advice on follow-on damages litigation.

Eubelius is an esteemed Belgian law firm with a varied practice across merger control, Belgian Competition Authority behavioural investigations and state aid matters. Its lawyers act on appeals against BCA cartel and abuse of dominance findings. The team advises on competition compliance mandates, including within the context of the roll-out of selective distribution networks or the potential competition law issues arising for joint ventures created among competitors in the financial services sector. It represents domestic clients in state aid matters concerning the Belgian excess profit ruling. The firm also acts for state bodies on the notification of new state aid measures.

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer is held out as a market leader for advice on complex EU competition law issues. The law firm has the ability to bring together specific sector expertise and a deep understanding of the EC to advise on phase II merger investigations into planned transactions, including in the shipbuilding, telecommunications and natural resource sectors. The firm has acted on appeals and subsequent damages claims against merger prohibition decisions made by the EC. It represents defendants in abuse of dominance or cartel investigations initiated by the EU authorities. Key partners have a strong reputation for their handling of contentious state aid mandates, including important cases that relate to the provision of tax breaks to defendant companies. Freshfields also has an important domestic Belgian competition law practice that handles BCA cartel investigations, merger control issues and follow-on damages claims filed in Brussels.

Liedekerke Wolters Waelbroeck Kirkpatrick earns an increased ranking this year with positive market support. The law firm advises defendants and complainants on their input into cartel and abuse of dominance investigations carried out by the Belgian Competition Authority. The team also handles damages claims and assists with appeals before authorities. It has additional experience with merger control mandates. The firm has a number of clients from the telecoms, insurance and pharmaceutical sectors.

Stibbe offers both Belgian and international clients advice across a range of competition matters before the Belgian Competition Authority. The law firm represents clients in cartel and abuse of dominance investigations, as well as domestic merger control matters. It has notable experience in sports sector cases that seek to apply competition law principles to decisions made by sports governing bodies, as well as expertise in consumer goods, telecoms and automotive cases. The team also represents the addressees of EC cartel decisions in follow-on damages claims brought in Belgium.

Van Bael & Bellis has a strong EU and domestic Belgian competition law offering, with a deep bench of partners based in Brussels. It handles behavioural and merger control matters that necessitate interaction with the EC or the BCA. The law firm has notable experience in the appeal of EC decisions, having acted on significant cases for third-party interveners or addressees of EC decisions operating in the IT, aviation and sports sectors. It assists an impressive list of life sciences or consumer goods companies with questions surrounding pricing of goods or the management of compliance programmes. Van Bael & Bellis has also secured roles acting on phase II EC merger investigations and is active in cartel cases and subsequent damages claims.

ALTIUS showcases a strong competition compliance practice with high levels of expertise in issues around the selective distribution of products or other situations that often raise competition law concerns. The law firm additionally advises companies on their responses to BCA information requests, such as within the context of planned mergers. It also acts for notifying parties on merger filings, and it assists with various significant litigation mandates relating to the appeal of BCA decisions or the private enforcement of competition law in Belgian courts.

Faros represents a whole host of significant Belgian groups on merger clearance mandates, including appeal proceedings. The team's wide-ranging practice additionally covers behavioural cases, from antitrust investigations for abuses of dominance to cartel proceedings. The lawyers are also equipped to assist companies with competition compliance matters.