Édouard Bruc
Associate
Édouard Bruc’s practice focuses primarily on antitrust and competition law, along with other regulatory litigation. He is a dual-qualified Solicitor in England and Wales and Paris Bar Avocat à la Cour.
Practice
Mr. Bruc represents clients in abuse of dominance, cartel and other contentious proceedings. His practice covers a broad range of industries, including pharmaceutical, transport, digital, telecommunications, electricity and gas and financial services. He has been involved in cases before various national regulatory authorities (CMA, European Commission, AMF, ARCEP and CRE) as well as before the UK Competition Appeal Tribunal, the Court of Justice of the European Union and the European Court of Human Rights.
For instance, following the EU’s Trucks cartel decision, Mr. Bruc assisted clients from various jurisdictions in the context of an EU-wide billion-euro class action before the Amsterdam Court. Recently, he had the opportunity to help a client secure the first judicially-approved class action settlement in the UK. On the institutional side, he has been involved in large-scale banking litigation before the EU Courts (approximately 60 cases).
In addition, he has significant litigation experience in subsidies/State aid cases (COVID-19, etc.) and an extensive knowledge of international tax rules (OECD, treaties, etc.).
He is also particularly interested in pro-bono work concerning freedom of the press, freedom of speech or privacy and mass surveillance issues.
Publications
Mr. Bruc has a deep interest in international arbitration, class actions, intellectual property rights and due process issues in antitrust enforcement, and has written several academic articles on these subjects in the European Competition Journal, Oxford Journal of European Competition Law & Practice, Kluwer Competition Law, European State Aid Law Quarterly, International Comparative Legal Guide and others. He won the 2018 CISAC Academic Research Competition Award and the 2023 Concurrences Antitrust Writing Awards.
Experience
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Cartels
- Advising and representing a South American client regarding an opt-out class action before the English courts (Competition Appeal Tribunal and Court of Appeal)
- Advising and representing a client in the context of the first judicially-approved class action settlement in the United Kingdom
- Advising and representing a trade association regarding an alleged price-fixing cartel before the European Commission and the EU Courts
- Advising and representing a client regarding an international cartel investigation following competitor’s application for leniency in the security sector
- Advising clients regarding a multi-billion-euro follow-on claim in the transport sector
- Advising a franchisor on vertical restraints (RPM, non-compete, etc.) within its network
- Assessing settlement procedures in several EU countries (France, Germany, Spain, UK, etc.)
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LITIGATION AND ARBITRATION
- Advising and representing an EU institution regarding an EU-wide banking litigation (SRMR, BRRD, BRRD2, etc.) before the EU Courts
- Advising a big tech company regarding an appeal before the EU Courts regarding an alleged infringement of the GDPR
- Advising a bank on an application for violation of Articles 6 and 13 before the European Court of Human Rights concerning loans granted in a Baltic country.
- Advising a foreign client regarding a Thai joint venture pursuant to an England-seated arbitration
- Advising a US client on a pro-bono basis regarding an intervention in support of the freedom of the press against an European financial authority
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ABUSE OF DOMINANCE
- Advising a client regarding a potential abuse in the food industry
- Advising a client on excessive pricing rules in the pharmaceutical sector
- Advising a client on the risk of market partitioning in the pharmaceutical sector
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STATE AID
- Advising and representing a US client in connection with litigation involving tax rulings before the EU Courts
- Advising and representing Belgium before the General Court for a COVID-19 State aid case against Ryanair
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ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS, ENERGY & TRANSPORT
- Advising a client and claiming damages regarding an unfair commercial practice involving a leading tech company in the telecommunication sector
- Advising a client regarding the impact of further liberalization of the energy sector
- Advising an incumbent firm regarding a follow-on claim in the overseas communication sector
- Assessing the impact of the fourth European package in the rail sector
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MERGER CONTROL & FDI
- Advising clients on FDI filings to the UK Secretary of State in the pharma and energy sectors
- Advising Danaher Corporation concerning its acquisition of GE Life Sciences’ Biopharma business for approximately $21.4 billion and the subsequent divestments to Sartorius
- Advising a Belgian client regarding a merger in the flour sector before the Belgian and German competition authorities
Insights & News
Credentials
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Education
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LLM, Competition Law, Queen Mary University of London, School of Law, 2017
with Distinction
CISAC Academic Research Competition Award
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LLM, Competition, Corporate and Tax Law, University of Montpellier, 2016
with Honours; University Diploma in Domestic and International Arbitration Law -
Magister, Juriste d’Affaires, DJCE Montpellier, 2013–2016
with Honours
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Admissions
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Brussels (associate member)
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England and Wales, Solicitor
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Paris
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Languages
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English
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French
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Credentials
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Education
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LLM, Competition Law, Queen Mary University of London, School of Law, 2017
with Distinction
CISAC Academic Research Competition Award
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LLM, Competition, Corporate and Tax Law, University of Montpellier, 2016
with Honours; University Diploma in Domestic and International Arbitration Law -
Magister, Juriste d’Affaires, DJCE Montpellier, 2013–2016
with Honours
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Admissions
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Brussels (associate member)
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England and Wales, Solicitor
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Paris
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Languages
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English
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French
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