Mr Benoît Le Bret > Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I > Brussels, Belgium > Lawyer Profile

Mr Benoît Le Bret

+32 2 231 11 40 lebret@gide.com

Work Department

IP-TMT, Insurance Industrial Risk Transport, Competition/International Trade

Position

Benoît Le Bret has recognised experience in competition law, particularly in the field of State aid (financial services, transport, environment, energy, agriculture) and cartels.

Benoît specialises in various European regulations (structural funds, gambling, transport and aerospace, energy, telecoms, e-commerce) and is able to draw on a particularly high level of expertise gained in financial services and transport. He has in-depth knowledge and understanding of internal market rules and of community actors and procedures (legislative co-decision, complaints and infringements, EU budget), and has a wealth of experience in negotiating with the EU Commission as well as EU agencies and authorities such as ESMA.

He currently represents and advises clients in the private equity and venture capital industry for all EU-relevant regulatory matters, as well as large firms such as KKR and SNCF respectively for portfolio companies-related matters and for EU railway reforms and possible State aid. He handles State aid cases in various Member States (France, the Netherlands, Luxemburg, the UK, Estonia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Romania and Greece) and sectors (automotive, healthcare, electricity etc.).

Benoît regularly drafts complaints to the EU Commission to redress or protect the interests of his clients in a broad range of sectors, including the press, tax, environment, public tenders, gambling, energy and mining. For instance, following a complaint regarding the violation of EU public tender law, Benoît successfully contributed to restoring Alstom’s access to a major contract in Romania.

Career

French Ministry of Finance: Deputy Head of Unit in charge of the budgets for the Ministries of Education, of Higher Education, and for Youth and Sports (May 1993-August 1997)
French Permanent Representation to the EU: financial attaché (September 1997-August 1999)
European Commission, Member of the Cabinet of Michel Barnier, Commissioner for Regional Policy and Institutions (September 1999-May 2004)
European Commission, Head of Cabinet of Jacques Barrot, European Commissioner for Regional Policy (May-October 2004)
European Commission, Head of Cabinet of Jacques Barrot, European Commissioner for Transport (November 2004-May 2008)
European Commission, Head of Cabinet of Jacques Barrot, European Commissioner for Justice and Home affaires (May-October 2008)
Gide Loyrette Nouel partner, based in Brussels (since 2008)

Languages

French, English and German

Education

Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris (IEP) – First class honours degree in Social and Political Science Public Law Economics (1988)
Ecole NAtionale d’Administration – Alumnus of ENA$ (1991-1993)