Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP

Competition/Antitrust

Partner, Brussels

Lode adds value for clients through his experience and practical insight in several areas including EU State aid law, EU regulation and related EU court litigation, and international trade law. In these areas he works with commercial and sovereign clients on litigious as well as transactional matters. Clients enthuse that "the quality and detail of his advice is very impressive," and that "he is good at putting our case into a wider context" (Chambers Europe 2021).

Lode is an EU law practitioner with deep experience advising on State aid law and EU regulatory matters. In recent years he has been involved in numerous Phase II in-depth State aid investigations before the European Commission and in significant appeals of State aid decisions and related litigation in the EU and national courts. Lode advises governments granting aid, aid beneficiaries and third parties bringing complaints in relation to competitors receiving State aid. He is ranked as a 'Recommended' lawyer for Competition – State Aid by Who's Who Legal (2021) and is a co-author of the State aids division of Butterworths Competition Law Service, a leading practitioners' publication.

Lode routinely guides clients in their engagement with regulators and legislators in relation to EU and domestic proposals. He has considerable experience litigating in the EU courts and representing clients before the European Commission and can draw on his experience gained as a Member State representative in EU Treaty negotiations.