Competition, EU & trade

Competition, state aid, procurement and international trade laws are constantly evolving with an increasing focus by authorities on intervention.

Our highly experienced team finds creative solutions to your most complex issues, especially in handling cross-border matters. We pride ourselves on offering thorough, practical advice. We help companies avoid legal risk, maximise opportunities, reduce costs and successfully enter new markets. 

Clients regularly call on us to help with matters before numerous competition agencies worldwide, both on cartel and abuse investigations as well as on merger filings. Knowing that prevention is always preferable, we help clients ensure compliance with competition rules. Where a company has been harmed by the anti-competitive conduct of other companies, our skilled competition litigators seek redress before national or EU courts.

We help public sector bodies put in place legally compliant and economically sound public procurement procedures. Particular areas of expertise include large scale and complex infrastructure, defence and IT projects. For companies on the other side of the negotiating table, we provide every assistance necessary to win public contracts.

When it comes to state aid, we represent our clients in state aid recovery procedures or enforcing their rights towards competitors through complaints before the European Commission as well as before national authorities and courts.

To ensure that clients can conduct their business across borders, our international trade team reviews export procedures and transactions to ensure compatibility with international foreign trade laws. We also implement strong trade compliance systems and can help train employees. We support international investors in FDI investment screening procedures and represent companies in anti-dumping proceedings against the EC.

When competition, public procurement, state aid or trade law matters interact with other areas of law, we work closely and efficiently with our leading corporate/M&A, IP/data protection and commercial disputes teams to provide the best advice to our clients.