Mrs Carmen Verdonck > ALTIUS > Brussels, Belgium > Lawyer Profile

ALTIUS Offices

ALTIUS
HAVENLAAN, 86C B414
AVENUE DU PORT
1000 BRUSSELS
Belgium
Visit website 32 2 426 14 14 32 2 426 20 30

Mrs Carmen Verdonck

Carmen Verdonck photo
+32 2 426 14 14 carmen.verdonck@altius.com

Work Department

Commercial and Competition

Position

Partner

Career

Carmen Verdonck was admitted to the Brussels Bar in 1996. She started as a Junior Associate in 1996 at Huysmans & Partners until 2000. From 2000 until 2002, she worked as an Associate at Huysmans Trenité Van Doorne. Between 2002 and 2006, she worked as a Senior Associate at ALTIUS. She was made Partner at ALTIUS in 2006.

Carmen advises a wide range of domestic and multinational clients about all aspects of Belgian and EU competition law, including cartel cases, distribution networks, technology transfer agreements, joint ventures, abuse(s) of dominance, and State aid matters. Carmen also represents clients in antitrust cases before the Belgian and European competition authorities and courts.

She regularly assists various multinational clients in the setting-up of compliance programmes and training. In merger control cases, Carmen assists clients in obtaining merger control clearance from the Belgian Competition Authority and the European Commission and in the coordination of merger filings in numerous other countries.

Carmen has also developed solid experience in providing advice on a broad range of complex contractual matters and the drafting of all types of commercial agreements.

She has been appointed an Assessor in the Belgian Competition Authority and Maître de Conférences at the University of Liège, teaching in the LLM in European Competition and IP law. Having written various publications on competition law, she regularly speaks on Belgian Competition and Commercial law at various conferences.

Carmen has been appointed as an expert in the Commission created under the law on pre-contractual information obligations in commercial cooperation agreements and is a member of the legal committee of the Belgian Franchising Federation.

Languages

She is fluent in Dutch, French and English, and speaks Spanish, German and Italian.

Memberships

Carmen is President of the Belgian association for the study of competition law (AEDC) and the International League of Competition Law/ Ligue Internationale du Droit de la Concurrence (LIDC).

Additionally, Carmen is a member of the legal committee of the Belgian Franchising Federation (BFF), the Women’s Competition Network (WCN) and the Association of Belgian competition lawyers (VBMa).

Education

  • LL.M. in European law (University of Bristol)
  • Erasmus Exchange Programme (Universität Bayreuth)
  • Juris (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven)
  • Juris (Université de Namur)

Lawyer Rankings

Belgium > Not-for-profit

With clients ranging from the Belgian Volleyball Association to the Republic of Pakistan, the practice at ALTIUS assists a broad range of organisations with legal issues such as regulatory issues under European law, intellectual property rights, data protection and litigation. Practice head Jérôme Vermeylen  handles corporate issues such as the setting-up and functioning of not-for-profits; competition expert Carmen Verdonck has a strong track record in obtaining merger control clearance from the Belgian Competition Authority; and Olivier Vrins is a key contact for IP mandates and has a notable focus on the field of designations of origin and geographical indications. Commercial specialist Gerrit Vandendriessche is a further name to note.

Belgium > Industry focus: Retail

The ‘apt advisors for a multitude of retail matters’ at ALTIUS are trusted by retailers, manufacturers, and suppliers from the food, footwear and the luxury goods industries for assistance on issues ranging from disputes to brand protection work to strategic alliances. The ‘very knowledgeable‘ Carmen Verdonck co-heads the practice and is well placed to advise domestic and international clients on the establishment and restructuring of distribution networks. Lieven Peeters approaches retail from a real estate perspective and is well versed in issues such as sale-and-leaseback transactions. Alexander Hansebout‘s dispute resolution expertise is relied upon by an array of brands, retailers and suppliers. Mathieu Maniet has specialist knowledge pertaining to distribution law.

Belgium > Competition: Belgian law

(Hall of Fame)

Carmen Verdonck – ALTIUS

Merger control forms the core of the practice at ALTIUS; the firm is skilled in clearances from the Belgian Competition Authority, as well as co-ordinating filings. Recently, the team has also seen a dramatic increase in antitrust damages litigations cases, which are fast becoming an area of specialism. Carmen Verdonck oversees the department, working closely with recently promoted counsel Beatrijs Gielen, for whom IP-related competition law issues are a particular strength.

Belgium > Competition: EU and global

ALTIUS typically assists with merger filings; IP-related competition law issues, including infringements of patents and technology transfer agreements; and distribution arrangements and other forms of vertical and horizontal co-operations. Consumer goods, life sciences, media, transport and construction are sectors of particular focus. Seasoned senior practitioner Carmen Verdonck is capably supported by counsel Beatrijs Gielen.

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