European Union (EU) regulation determines who has access to a market of almost 500 million consumers generating about 30% of worldwide economic output. EU regulation is often at the forefront of the debate on critical issues of concern to European and non-European interests. They include reform of the financial system to improve Europe's ability to safeguard against systemic risk; agreement of ambitious goals and mechanisms to slow climate change and reduce carbon emissions; oversight and approval for novel foods, drugs and the chemicals used both in industry and the products we use daily; development of schemes that incentivize environmentally responsible handling of waste; market-based supervision of network industries (communications, energy, transport and other utilities) to promote competition and investment in infrastructure; and aid to individual companies, to economic sectors in crisis or to significantly underdeveloped regions in Europe.

EU regulation and the choices made by EU member countries in its detailed implementation and enforcement impact companies' business models, investment decisions and conduct of business on a day-to-day basis. WilmerHale's European Union Regulatory Group includes lawyers who can guide you through the rules that affect your business and advise on the complex interplay between EU regulation and national laws in EU member countries. It includes former high-ranking officials both at EU level and in national government, including Matthias Wissmann, a former German Federal Minister of Transport and currently President of the German Association of the Automotive Industry; Claus-Dieter Ehlermann, a former Director-General for Competition and Head of the European Commission's Legal Service; and Martin Seyfarth, a former Chief of Staff in the German Federal Ministry of Transport. We can also draw on the experience of Hanns-Eberhard Schleyer, a former Secretary-General of the German Confederation of Skilled Crafts and Small Businesses (ZDH) and of Robert M. Kimmitt, a former US Deputy Secretary of the Treasury and US Ambassador to Germany.

We have 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; REMIT; and State Aid. They have the depth of experience, respect of regulators and first-rate legal skills required to provide advice and representation of the highest caliber. They work closely with our colleagues in the US and Asia so that our services are sensitive to and leverage approaches taken in other jurisdictions.

While not every matter requires an integrated approach, the ability to offer the full range of services for a particular substantive issue is often important to clients. Last, we offer a range of services that cut across industry sectors, such as, internal and external regulatory investigations, and advice and representation in public procurement and subsidy/aid proceedings. Learn more about our cross-border investigations and compliance experience.