Ms Sophie Van Besien > Stibbe > Brussels, Belgium > Lawyer Profile
Stibbe Offices
CENTRAL PLAZA
LOKSUMSTRAAT 25/ RUE DE LOXUM 25
1000 BRUSSELS
Belgium
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Ms Sophie Van Besien
Work Department
Compliance and Sanctions, EU law, Competition and Regulation, Unfair Competition and Consumer Protection
Position
Partner
Career
Sophie Van Besien advises public bodies and private companies on the entire spectrum of national and EU competition law and regulatory compliance.
Sophie has a wealth of knowledge and experience in EU and national competition law. She advises on complex international and multi-jurisdictional merger control proceedings, as well as investigations into cartel and abuse of dominant positions. She also focuses on state aid and damage claims.Sophie has built up extensive international experience and industry knowledge in technology, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, postal and telecommunications, metals and mining, consumer products and retail, as well as financial services. With this valuable set of skills and knowhow, she advises clients on the application of EU directives and general regulatory compliance issues.In addition, she represents clients before national competition authorities, the European Commission, national courts, and the European Courts in Luxembourg.
Languages
Dutch, English, French
Education
- Master of Laws from Ghent University (2007)
- Admitted to the Brussels Bar in 2007
- Master of Laws (LL.M.) from Columbia University School of Law, New York, United States (2009)
- Admitted to the New York Bar in 2010
- Associate in the Brussels and Washington D.C. offices of a leading American law firm (2007–2016)
- Senior Legal Counsel in EU competition and regulatory (2016–2018 and Director Regulatory & Competition (2018–2019) at a major state-owned, listed Belgian company
- With the Brussels office of Stibbe since 2019 (Partner since 2019)
Lawyer Rankings
Belgium > Competition: Belgian law
(Next Generation Partners)–
The integrated antitrust litigation group at Stibbe
is widely known for successfully representing a roster of notable clients before the Belgian Competition Authority, as well as regularly handling follow-on damages claims, and cases relating to illegal state aid. As well as its contentious excellence, the team is also noted for advising on merger control issues and joint ventures. Peter Wytinck
and Sophie Van Besien are the key partner-level names to note. Counsel Quentin Declève joined from Van Bael & Bellis in January 2023, further boosting the team’s significant litigious strength.
Belgium > Competition: EU and global
For the team at Stibbe, advising both companies and public authorities on the structuring of projects from a state aid perspective, representations before national courts and the European Commission, and assisting with merger control work all form part of the regular workload. Peter Wytinck and Sophie Van Besien are the key senior contacts.
Lawyer Rankings
- Competition: Belgian law Belgium
- Next Generation Partners Belgium > Competition: Belgian law
- Competition: EU and global Belgium
Top Tier Firm Rankings
- Competition: Belgian law
- Dispute resolution
- Environment
- Fraud and white-collar crime
- Industry focus: IT and telecoms
- Intellectual property
- Real estate and construction
Firm Rankings
- Banking, finance and capital markets
- Commercial, corporate and M&A
- Employment
- EU regulatory: Information technology
- Industry focus: Food
- Industry focus: Healthcare and life sciences
- Industry focus: Media and entertainment
- Insolvency and restructuring
- Insurance
- Private equity
- Tax
- EU regulatory: Financial services
- EU regulatory: Pharma, medical devices and biotech
- Industry focus: Energy
- EU regulatory: Privacy and data protection
- Competition: EU and global