European Union Regulatory Group
Key Contacts
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European Aviation and Logistics
European Aviation and Logistics
Aviation and logistics is a core industry sector for our firm. Leading aviation and other transport and logistics enterprises have relied on WilmerHale over the years for advice and representation on a wide range of European Union (EU) and Member State economic, safety, environmental and other sector-specific regulatory issues. In addition, we are regularly involved in high-profile state aid and antitrust and competition law proceedings involving our aviation and logistics clients in the EU and its Member States.Learn More -
European Communications
European Communications
WilmerHale's European communications practice combines a wide array of legal disciplines with a thorough understanding of the communications markets and technologies and the commercial needs of our clients. Our European communications lawyers are based in Brussels, the United Kingdom and Germany. The interdisciplinary team pools legal know-how and experience from the regulation of communications markets and antitrust/competition law, to transactions and M&A, national and EU litigation.Learn More -
European Data Protection and Information Security
European Data Protection and Information Security
In our online world, we encounter data protection/privacy and information security issues constantly. The Treaty of Lisbon has now enshrined the right to the protection of personal data among the principles on which the European Union (EU) is based. WilmerHale has one of the world's premier privacy, data protection and data security practices and has been advising on data protection issues since the earliest legislative proposals for an overarching EU-wide privacy regime were made.Learn More -
European Energy and Climate Change
European Energy and Climate Change
Energy policy and the response to climate change have rapidly taken center stage at both EU and Member State levels. The EU is liberalizing energy markets, promoting renewable energy and, in parallel, implementing a comprehensive strategy to ensure security of supply. To address climate change, the EU introduced an emissions trading system in 2005. Europe has pursued ambitious goals in the international post-Kyoto negotiations on the reduction of carbon emissions that are currently taking place under United Nations auspices, with the response to global warming high up on the political agenda in most EU member countries.Learn More -
European Environment, Waste and Chemicals
European Environment, Waste and Chemicals
WEEE, CAFE, RoHS and REACH: these are some of the headline acronyms that stand for Europe’s response to growing environmental concerns. Companies from all sectors of the economy are heavily affected by a highly complex set of EU and Member State rules to protect the environment, from the automotive sector to aviation, semiconductors as well as life sciences, chemicals and energy, electronic consumer goods just as much as the food sector, and insurance companies as well as investors. Environmental policy decisions taken by EU and Member State legislators and regulators impact the competitiveness of European exports and affect imports into Europe from all around the world. They create business opportunities for clean tech and other companies; inform research and development strategies and product development decisions; and influence investment decisions by financial and strategic investors. A thorough understanding of EU environmental, waste and chemicals regulation has become indispensable for all businesses that produce, import or invest in the EU.Learn More -
Financial Services in Europe
Financial Services in Europe
The regulation of financial services has received unprecedented scrutiny throughout the G-20 in the wake of the financial crisis and the ensuing global recession. Asset bubbles, poor credit standards, insufficient prudential supervision, overly leveraged investment strategies and the incentives created by large bonus payments have all come under the microscope in the years since the collapse of Lehman Brothers. This has resulted in an ambitious and internationally coordinated effort to implement regulatory reform. Our European financial services lawyers complement the experience and leading role of their US-based colleagues to offer insight and advice on financial services regulation and its reform in the EU, Germany and the UK.Learn More -
Food, Nutrition and Cosmetics in Europe
Food, Nutrition and Cosmetics in Europe
Approval of novel foods; indications of origin and quality; labeling; health and safety requirements; claims for food supplements; branding and advertising—in short, regulation of food, nutrition and cosmetics arouses particular passions and appetites in the EU and can create traps for the ill-informed.Learn More -
Life Sciences and Healthcare in Europe
Life Sciences and Healthcare in Europe
Life sciences—including pharma, biotech, and medtech—is a core sector for WilmerHale. Globally, more than 100 of our lawyers provide legal advice specifically to life sciences clients. About 30 of our life sciences lawyers are located in our European offices. Our European track record for the pharmaceutical, biotech, medtech and life sciences industries spans M&A, general corporate and contract advice, assistance with general and industry-specific intellectual property (including licensing) and support with all types of industry-specific regulatory issues.Learn More -
European Public Procurement and Government Contracts
European Public Procurement and Government Contracts
Each year, European governments spend an estimated €1.5 trillion to purchase goods and services. With taxpayer funds of such magnitude at stake, procurement by government entities and public utilities is governed by complex rules, policies and procedures at the global, EU and national levels. Within the EU, in particular, an additional concern is the creation of open and non-discriminatory public procurement markets and the establishment of a level playing field between Member States in the markets for government contracts.Learn More -
State Aid
State Aid
In the current economic climate, the rules governing rescue packages, subsidies and other forms of government economic support for the private sector have taken on a higher profile than ever before. Clients may be seeking to get approval for short-term rescue aid, defend structural support programs for their industry sector, benefit from regional investment incentives, or challenge aid granted to competitors that distorts competition within the internal market. Our State Aid practitioners have the broad knowledge and depth of experience, both with the European Commission’s enforcement practice and in often-ensuing follow-on litigation before the European Courts, to be able to assist. We also actively represent clients in State Aid-related litigation at national level, in Germany, Belgium and the UK.Learn More