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• Represented BelOrta successfully in managing the Belgian competition law aspects of the acquisition of one of its key competitors, Belgische Fruitveiling, and successfully obtaining unconditional merger control clearance as well as a partial exemption of the suspension obligation in the context of this merger control process.
  
• Advising longstanding client Mediahuis, a Belgian newspaper publishing and broadcast media company, on various competition law-related matters, including transactions.
  
• Assisted Sicli, a company active in the fire protection sector, with securing a 50% fine reduction after the Belgian Competition Authority targeted the company in a price fixing case.
  

Highlight-Mandate

• Represented the Belgian Competition Authority successfully in the appeal introduced before the Brussels Market Court by four tobacco manufacturers against a decision imposing fines of more than EUR36m.
  
• Acted as external competition counsel to PPP in a cease-and-desist action against Bpost before the President of the Brussels Commercial Court.
  
• Representing the Football Forum and other claimants in proceedings against FIFA and the Royal Belgian Football Association before the Court of Appeal in Brussels, which concern the legality of FIFA’s new Football Agent Regulations under EU competition law.
  

Highlight-Mandate

• Representing British American Tobacco in appeals against the Belgian Competition Authority’s decision concerning the tobacco industry to fine four major cigarette manufacturers.
  
• Representing CERP in the first hybrid cartel proceedings by the Belgian Competition Authority.
  
• Assisting Schindler and MAN with various follow-on cartel damages proceedings.
  

Highlight-Mandate

• Representing Philip Morris International in connection with a BMA investigation into the indirect exchange of information.
  
• Represented Banque Degroof Petercam SA/NV in the sale to CA Indosuez, an entity of the Crédit Agricole group.
  
• Represented Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize N.V. in its accession to Eurelec Trading SC, alongside the French retailer E. Leclerc and the German retailer REWE.
  

Highlight-Mandate

• Assisted Proximus with all competition law and merger control aspects related to the acquisition by Proximus Opal of a controlling stake (57.56%) in Route Mobile from the founding shareholders of the company, followed by a reinvestment by some of the founding Route Mobile shareholders into Proximus Opal.
  

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• Advising Telenet, the largest provider of cable broadband services in Belgium, on the competition law aspects of several of their transactions.
  
• Assisted the Belgian federal government with the notification to the European Commission of a State aid scheme to support the construction of new offshore wind farms in the North Sea.
  
• Represented a Belgian serial entrepreneur in the acquisition via his management company of the majority of the shares in Belgian football club K.A.A. Gent.
  

Highlight-Mandate

• Assisting the Belgian State with the frame of recovery of illegal state aid received by bpost.
  
• Assisted the BIPT with the frame of its actions against Proximus’ acquisition of EDPNet.
  
• Assisted the Ministry of Economy with the frame of proceedings launched by PPP against the compensation paid to bpost for the distribution of press products.
  

Highlight-Mandate

• Represented bpost (incumbent postal operator) in connection with an injunction in relation to the Belgian press distribution launched by competitor PPP, seeking that bpost should refrain from relying on (alleged) unlawful State aid for the provision of services of general economic interest of press distribution.
  
• Represented VDL group in connection with the acquisition of the bus and coach division of VanHool throughout a complex and particularly urgent merger control procedure before the Belgian Competition Authority.
  
• Assisted Batopin, a joint venture incorporated by the four leading Belgian banks that is designing, building, and operating a nationwide ATM network, in discussions with the Belgian Competition Authority conducting a complex assessment on its compatibility with competition rules.
  

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• Supporting Colruyt Grou with the merger filing relating to the strategic acquisition of over 50 Louis Delhaize supermarkets across Belgium.
  

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• Assisting Brussels Airlines with submitting a complaint with the European Commission for illegal State aid granted to Charleroi Airport for Terminal Navigation Charges.
  
• Assisting AG Insurance, one of Belgium’s largest insurance companies and part of the Ageas international insurance group, with the appeal brought by Carrossiers Réunis before the Competition College against the decision of the Competition Prosecutor to put an end to a cartel investigation.
  
• Representing DP World in a case of abuse of economic dependency and represents the company before the President of the Enterprise Court in Ghent.
  

Highlight-Mandate

• Assisted Ziekenhuis aan de Stroom with the notification with the Belgian Competition Authority of the contemplated merger of two of the largest hospitals in Belgium: GZA and ZNA, becoming the largest hospital in Western Europe.
  
• Representing an energy supplier in proceedings before the Belgian Competition Authority.
  

Highlight-Mandate

• Representing ANSUL SA and SOMATI FIE SA in a cartel investigation and a settlement procedure before the Belgian Competition Authority, as well as in the follow-on damages that may result from the decision of the Belgian Competition Authority.
  
• Representing Orange Belgium in litigation against Coditel (Telenet) concerning access to the television cable-network.
  
• Representing Pro League (association of professional Belgian football clubs) in the allocation system of TV rights.
  

Highlight-Mandate

• Representing the DAF group and Paccar group companies in relation to all their damage claims following on from the Commission’s settlement decision in Trucks that are being raised in Belgium.
  
• Assisted CERP, a pharmaceutical wholesaler, with an investigation initiated by the Belgian Competition Authority relating to the services which pharmaceutical wholesalers provide to pharmaceutical suppliers on the one hand and to pharmacies on the other hand.
  
• Assisted Le Creuset, a premium cookware manufacturer active in the kitchen appliance sector and well-known for its so-called “Dutch ovens” in cast iron and its Screwpull corkscrews, with respect to an investigation by the Belgian Competition Authority into suspected resale price maintenance practices.
  

Highlight-Mandate

• Advising Campine on proceedings before the General Court and the Court of Justice regarding the fine imposed by the Commission and the Commission’s refusal to pay interest on the amount of the fine that was provisionally paid by Campine and thereafter partially annulled by the General Court.
  
• Assisting private investment fund Indufin Investment Fund with the merger clearance proceedings of its acquisition of joint control, together with BNP Paribas Fortis Private Equity Belgium NV, Jan Penne, and Frans Penne, in the PENNE GROUP.
  
• Advising Citymesh on all competition law questions and proceedings concerning its entry into the Belgian telecoms market and the roll-out of its 5G-network, as well as regarding the appeal against Proximus’ acquisition of EDPNET and on its intervention in the ground-breaking case launched by the Belgian competition prosecutor against Proximus concerning this acquisition.
  

Highlight-Mandate

• Advising GIMV on the sale by the Flemish Government of their controlling minority stake in GIMV (Flemish PE Fund controlling over 60 portfolio companies) to WorxInvest.
  
• Advising the BIA Group, distributor and provider of after sales services of equipment in mining and quarrying, construction, transport, and energy sectors, on the sale of a controlling interest to Sumitomo Corp.
  
• Representing Baloise Belgium NV in proceedings before the Commercial Court (Ondernemingsrechtbank) related to a damage claim for alleged abuse of dominance and anti-competitive agreements on the market for insurance management software and insurance communication software.
  

Highlight-Mandate

• Represented Securitas successfully as the leniency applicant in the Belgian Competition Authority’s investigation into the Belgian security and guarding sector.
  
• Represented a generic pharmaceuticals manufacturer as an interested third party in the context of an investigation by the Belgian Competition Authority into an alleged cartel in the sector for distribution of pharmaceutical products to pharmacies.
  
• Advising Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health on the competition law aspects of its pricing policy and distribution system in Belgium.
  

Highlight-Mandate

• Advised John Cockerill SA on the multi-jurisdictional merger control aspects of the creation of a joint venture with the Dutch entity Technip Energies N.V. to become a unique provider of integrated and competitive green hydrogen solutions.
  
• Advised Solvay NV/SA on the multi-jurisdictional merger control and FDI screening aspects of its global reorganisation and partial demerger under Belgian law into two independent listed companies, Solvay and Syensqo.
  
• Advising Belgium’s leading postal operator bpost on the sole control acquisition of Staci SAS, a France-based leading player in the Contract Logistics space with international presence and benefitting from a unique and differentiated positioning in “flexible high-value logistics”.
  

Highlight-Mandate

• Assisted Ardian with obtaining merger control clearance from the Belgian Competition Authority for the acquisition by its portfolio company RG Safety of the Belgian Personal Protection Equipment distributor Vandeputte Group.
  
• Assisting UZ Gent with an on-going cartel and abuse of dominance investigation by the Belgian Competition Authority in relation to certain pharmaceuticals used in the treatment of particular types of cancer.
  
• Assisting Soudal with a State aid in-depth investigation launched by the European Commission in September 2019.