WilmerHale’s Brussels office opened in 1990 in anticipation of the impact of the European single market. The office has contributed to WilmerHale's leading reputation in Europe and has gained widespread recognition as one of Brussels' top-tier EU, international trade and competition law practices. We advise prominent multinationals as well as nationally-based clients on high-profile matters in EU law and regulation, including legislative advocacy, in both established and new market sectors.
Part of the reason for the success of the office has been its unique development. Our Brussels office is neither an outpost of US lawyers temporarily stationed in Belgium, nor is it simply a wholesale acquisition of a local firm. Instead, WilmerHale has established its Brussels office through careful organic growth of an exceptional group of lawyers from across Europe and North America. True to the firm’s reputation for expertise in regulatory and government affairs, we maintain close and trusted relationships with the European Commission and with the other European institutions. Senior practitioners with WilmerHale’s Brussels office have served in high-level positions with the EU.
The majority of lawyers resident in Brussels are qualified in major European jurisdictions as well as the United States. The breadth of continental European and common law legal traditions represented gives WilmerHale in Brussels a pronounced pan-European and transatlantic orientation that is reflected both in the work and the culture of the office.
The Brussels office is especially known for its outstanding reputation in all areas of EU competition law, including major mergers, cartel investigations, Article 102 (abuse of monopoly power) investigations, counseling and related litigation. Our competition work encompasses a wide range of EU, national and international competition issues. In the last 12 months we have worked on matters originating from around the globe and in conjunction with lawyers from our Berlin, Frankfurt, Boston, Washington DC, New York and Palo Alto offices. We also maintain a leading practice in international trade, including trade remedies and WTO work, in conjunction with our colleagues in our Washington DC office.
Lawyers in the Brussels office are part of the firm's European Regulatory Group, which includes more than 50 specialists in key EU regulatory areas including Aviation and Logistics; Communications; Data Protection and Information Security; Energy and Climate Change; Environment, Waste and Chemicals; Financial Services; Food, Nutrition and Cosmetics; Life Sciences and Health Care; Public Procurement and Government Contracts; and State Aid. The composition of the group allows us to service our European-based and international clients with equal ease.
In addition, we advise and assist US, UK, European and Asian multinational companies and/or their Belgian subsidiaries in respect of their corporate and business transactions in Belgium. We have regular experience of coordinating cross-border work for Benelux and Europe-wide projects. Our corporate, corporate restructuring and mergers and acquisitions practice includes experience in a wide range of sectors ranging from consumer goods, consulting services, construction and chemicals, to regulated industries such as financial services and telecommunications.
Our expertise includes:
Competition Law:
- Abuse of dominance cases
- Cartel investigations
- Horizontal and vertical commercial agreements
- Merger control and worldwide merger filings
- State aid
International Trade and WTO Law:
- Trade remedies (antidumping, subsidies)
- WTO law
- Market access
EU Regulatory:
- Aviation and Logistics
- IT and Communications
- Data Protection and Information Security
- Energy and Climate Change
- Environment, Waste and Chemicals
- Financial Services
- Food, Nutrition and Cosmetics
- Life Sciences and Health Care
- Public Procurement and Government Contracts
Transactional:
- General Corporate
- International Transactions
Our Brussels lawyers team with an exceptionally qualified and experienced professional support staff of several nationalities, further enhancing the diversity of the office.