Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I

Member of Lex Mundi

Clément Bouvarel

Clément Bouvarel is a partner in Gide's International Trade and Regulatory team in Brussels. He specialises in trade defence instruments – anti-dumping, anti-subsidy, safeguards – in Europe and third countries (China, Turkey, Canada, the Gulf States, Morocco, and others) and in European and WTO law. Clément assists clients in the European steel, manufacturing, metallurgical products and agricultural products industries to counter unfair imports. He advises European exporters of agricultural, steel and manufactured products in proceedings outside Europe. Clément studied at the Ecole Normale Supérieure de Cachan and holds a Master's degree from the Université Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense, as well as a Master of Laws (LLM) from Trinity College Dublin. He is a member of the Paris and Brussels Bars since 2017.

Laurent Godfroid

Laurent Godfroid is a partner in Gide's Competition team in Brussels. He has recognised expertise in EU and French competition law, including mergers, vertical and horizontal agreements, abuses of dominant positions and state aid, which he has been practising for over 25 years. He also specialises in monitoring Community regulations and the questions of interpretation they may raise, in the context of legislative proposals or existing directives or regulations. In this capacity, he represents his clients before the European Commission, the Court of Justice and the French Competition Authority. Laurent specialises in several sectors: rail, road and airline transport, agro-chemicals, cloud computing, the internet and pay and free television. Laurent holds an LL.M. in International Law from the University of Leicester (England) and an LL.M. in Community Law from the College of Europe (Bruges). He is a member of the Brussels and Paris Bars.

Stéphane Hautbourg

Stéphane Hautbourg is a partner in Gide's Competition & International Trade team in Brussels. Renowned for its cutting-edge expertise, particularly in merger control, it offers strategic solutions tailored to the regulatory and economic challenges faced by its clients. He also assists them in drawing up cooperation agreements and assessing unilateral practices, ensuring that they comply with competition rules. Finally, he helps structure projects involving public investment or subsidies and manages the necessary state aid procedures. Stéphane has advised on a number of complex mergers (Phase II or Phase I with remedies), including Orange Spain/MasMovil, Korean Air/Asiana, PKN Orlen/Lotos, Cofigeo/William Saurin and SEB/Moulinex. He advised Naval Group on the creation of a JV with Fincantieri in the naval defence sector, BPCE on the Cartes Bancaires case and several electro-intensive manufacturers for the joint purchase of electricity. As regards State aids, he represented Orange in the so-called financial measures case. Stéphane was admitted to the Brussels Bar in 1996 and to the Paris Bar in 2003.

Benoît Le Bret

Benoit Le Bret is a partner in Gide's Competition team in Brussels. He has recognised experience in competition law, particularly in the field of state aid (financial services, transport, environment, energy, agriculture, major investments, PIIEC) and antitrust. He also specialises in monitoring EU regulation in a number of sectors (structural funds, gambling and betting, aeronautics, energy and the environment, telecoms, online services). He has in-depth knowledge of internal market rules and Community players and procedures, and is used to negotiations with the European Commission and Community agencies such as ESMA, as well as litigation before the CJEU. He represents and advises private equity clients on all EU regulatory matters, as well as major companies such as KKR and SNCF on EU-wide holding company and EU rail reform issues respectively, as well as potential state aid. Benoît regularly lodges complaints with the European Commission to redress or protect the interests of his clients in a wide range of sectors. His working languages are French, English and German. He has been a member of the Brussels and Paris Bars since 2008.

Ségolène Pelsy

Ségolène Pelsy is a partner in Gide's Competition team in Brussels. In merger control, Ségolène manages complex transactions that may require the negotiation of innovative commitments. For example, she was involved in the takeover of William Saurin by Cofigeo and the first use by the Minister of the Economy of his power of evocation (Phase III). In the area of anti-competitive practices, Ségolène is involved in the proceedings initiated by the European Commission against Google for abuse of a dominant position. In this case, she assisted one of the main plaintiffs, who is now appearing in support of the Commission before the European Court of First Instance. Ségolène also has extensive experience of cartel proceedings and managing internal audits (including compliance training). She assists trade associations present in Brussels in this context. Finally, Ségolène advises companies on competition law in jurisdictions outside the EU, working closely with the firm's international offices, particularly in North Africa. She has been a member of the Brussels and Paris Bars since 2008.

Olivier Prost

Olivier Prost is a partner in Gide's International Trade team in Brussels. He is the driving force behind the development of the firm's international trade and regulatory law practice. It advises businesses, associations and governments on all aspects of European economic security, such as 'level playing field' instruments (anti-dumping, anti-subsidy, FSR and safeguards). It also deals with the new regulatory issues of globalisation: market access, discriminatory practices, reciprocity in public procurement (IPI), forced labour, local content and customs (including rules of origin). Finally, the European development of export controls, dual use and economic sanctions, as well as European and WTO litigation and pre-litigation. Olivier has provided support to numerous industrial sectors to help them implement the European economic security instruments that will enable them to make the necessary transitions under conditions of fair competition, both on the European domestic market and on export markets. To do this, it has drawn on traditional European trade instruments and the many others adopted over the last 5 years to bring Europe up to the level of its main competitors. Olivier holds a postgraduate diploma (DEA) in Community law from the University of Rennes I and a master's degree from the University of Paris I Sorbonne. He was admitted to the Paris Bar in 1993 and to the Brussels Bar in 1994.

Romain Rard

Romain Rard is a partner in the EU Regulation and Public Affairs team in Brussels. He specialises in European regulatory law (financial services, telecoms, media, transport, chemicals, etc.) and French and EU competition law (state aid, merger control, antitrust). His practice covers European regulatory law (financial services, telecoms, media, transport, chemicals, etc.) and French and EU competition law (state aid, merger control, antitrust). He advises on advocacy and litigation matters, as well as settlements (mergers, FSR). In this capacity, he represents European and national trade associations, as well as companies and investment funds (US, UK, EU), both before and during the adoption of new legislation or European regulations. Romain has an in-depth knowledge of European processes and has developed solid expertise in ESG, financial services and sustainability. He has led and coordinated advocacy work on various texts such as CSRD, FSR, FDI Fit-for-55 proposals. He has advised on major telecoms transactions, and advises companies on European financing. He advises US players bringing new products to market and European players with respect to mutual recognition procedures. A graduate of Université Lyon III and McGill University, Romain was admitted to the Paris Bar in 2012.