Bird & Bird > Brussels, Belgium > Firm Profile

Bird & Bird
AVENUE LOUISE 235 BOX 1
1050 BRUXELLES
Belgium

Belgium > EU regulatory: Pharma, medical devices and biotech Tier 1

Bird & Bird leverages its global intellectual property strength to act for major global names in pharma, life sciences, and biotech, handling patent protection and enforcement alongside the full range of regulatory issues, including R&D, product development and licensing, and authorisations, as well as advising on cross-border transactions. Marc Martens heads up the team, and has a notable specialism in the biotech and advanced therapies spaces, advising on the development of innovative products, while Jean-Christophe Troussel  takes the lead on contentious IP and Paul Hermant provides broad tech and data regulatory support. Nicolas Carbonnelle was promoted to partner in May 2022 and is a specialist in life sciences regulatory issues, including standout expertise in biobanking and the use of biological materials in medical products.

Practice head(s):

Marc Martens

Other key lawyers:

Paul Hermant; Nicolas Carbonnelle; Domien Op de Beeck; Jean-Christophe Troussel

Key clients

Eurogentec

Terumo Europe

Precision Medicine Group

Polpharma, Hexal (Sandoz), Almirall

Teva Pharmaceuticals

AtriCure

Novartis

Ontex

PDC*Line Pharma SA

Floridienne S.A.

Recipharm AB

Op2Lysis SAS

Ottobock

Eargo Inc

CooperVision

Myocene

FHP BV, Creafund NV, Hyloris Pharmaceutical S.A, Purna Pharmaceuticals

Rayner

Essencia (bio.be)

Novadip, MaSTherCell SA (Catalent), EMBL, Vital Strategies, UCB

European Commission: SMART-BEAR project

Work highlights

  • Assisted Floridienne S.A. in the acquisition of Biotrac NV (i.e. an indirect acquisition of shares in Florinvest NV) and the related sale of two portfolio companies of its Life Sciences division engaged in the production of vanilla (i.e. SOPRAL (Madagascar) and KAMAPIM (Papua New Guinea)).
  • Advised Rayner on its investment in HASA OPTIX Belgium.
  • Working with 26 organisations in a European Commission funded (€20 million) project that draws on big data to improve the health and wellbeing of European citizens.

Belgium > EU regulatory: Privacy and data protection Tier 1

Bird & Bird advises global clients in key fields such as tech, media, and life sciences on GDPR compliance, data projects, and data and privacy issues relating to the creation and launch of disruptive technologies, with a standout focus on the fintech space. The firm is also active in regulatory developments at the legislative level, advising the European Commission on a framework for the transfer of data from member states to third countries. Benoit Van Asbroeck heads up the practice, handling contentious and non-contentious data and privacy issues for corporate and public sector clients, with particular expertise in co-ordinating projects that intersect data and intellectual property issues. Counsel Simon Mortier is also a key member of the team, advising on compliance and legislative frameworks as well as representing clients in litigation.

Practice head(s):

Benoit Van Asbroeck

Other key lawyers:

Key clients

European Commission

Work highlights

  • Advising the European Commission in connection with a comprehensive compliance assessment and legal analysis related to the transfers of personal data from EU Member States to third countries.

Belgium > Fintech Tier 1

Bird & Bird has specialist fintech expertise, handling transactional, regulatory, and commercial issues for financial services institutions, payment providers, and a range of tech companies launching new products in the market. In particular, the firm advises on e-commerce and e-banking, mobile payments, and crowdfunding issues, alongside innovative blockchain and API issues. The team is led by Scott McInnes, a specialist in payment services work, including electronic payments and card schemes, while Paul Hermant is also a key name for regulatory work, and senior associate Julien Sad has strength in cross-border payments sector work, including anti-money-laundering considerations.

Practice head(s):

Scott McInnes

Other key lawyers:

Paul Hermant; Julien Sad; Gavin Punia, Trystan Tether

Testimonials

‘Their understanding of and deep experience with the Fintech sector sets them apart from other firms.’

‘Scott McInnes and Trystan Tether – for their pragmatism and willingness to go the extra mile, in terms of thinking about how regulation/law should apply to innovative business models.’

‘Expertise, customer focus, direct and clear advice on complex regulatory topics, good customer relationship management.’

‘Very good knowledge of applicable legal framework and ability to communicate legal requirements in a clear and practical way. Scott McInnes and Gavin Punia are points of reference for regulatory compliance advice.’

Key clients

Booking.com

Bunq

Paysafe

Digital River

Riskified

Mirakl

Syspay

Work highlights

  • Advising leading online travel agent Booking.com on regulatory questions and commercial agreements related to payments between hotels and travellers who book on its websites.

Belgium > Industry focus: Food Tier 1

Underpinned by the firm’s wider IP expertise, the cross-practice team at Bird & Bird is praised for the breadth of its food sector capabilities, routinely working with a sterling mix of multinational conglomerates, producers, industry associations, and food tech startups. Regulatory analyses, trademark protection, and cross-border disputes are all core competencies for the ‘knowledgeable‘ group. The team is jointly steered by veteran IP head Jean-Christophe Troussel and the firm’s international food and beverage sector group head Nicolas Carbonnelle, who was promoted to partner in May 2022. All named lawyers are based in Brussels.

Practice head(s):

Jean-Christophe Troussel; Nicolas Carbonnelle

Testimonials

‘The team is very knowledgeable on the UK and EU regulations. We are provided with accurate calculations and substantiation based on our product formulation.’

‘Nicolas Carbonnelle is amazing and easy to work with. He translates the legal verbiage to where a normal person, like myself, can understand and relate to the information. He makes it so much easier to navigate through our projects and branding strategy.’

Key clients

Anheuser-Busch InBev

FAM, Stumabo and Hifferman

Royal A-Ware BV

ACE (Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment) and GRACE (Global Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment)

Le Pain Quotidien

SodaStream

IPIFF (International Platform of Insects for Food and Feed)

Evergrain

SodaPressCo

Eckes-Granini

8Greens

Work highlights

  • Successfully defended ABI in a cancellation action launched by Heineken against one of ABI’s trademarks, and a number of successful negotiations for ABI in strategic trademark collision matters.
  • Assisted Royal A-ware, a major Dutch dairy product producer, to obtain merger clearance for its acquisition of the milk powder production assets of FrieslandCampina.
  • Established a relationship with SodaStream related to its Benelux and other EU market operations.

Belgium > Industry focus: Healthcare and life sciences Tier 1

Bird & Bird‘s Belgian team leverages the firm's international outreach to offer a market-leading healthcare and life sciences offering. The team’s multidisciplinary expertise runs the gamut of life sciences-related issues, advising leading biopharmaceutical companies and regional, national, and European associations on both contentious and non-contentious issues. Core focus areas include high-value pharmaceutical patent litigation, digital health, and novel technologies including biobanking, gene therapy, and biosimilars. Practice head Marc Martens has deep expertise in the regulatory aspects of medicinal devices and advanced therapies. Jean-Christophe Troussel and Paul Hermant focus on cross-border IP and transactional matters, respectively, and Nicolas Carbonnelle advises on medical biotechnology and medicinal products.

Practice head(s):

Marc Martens

Key clients

Eurogentec

Terumo Europe

Precision Medicine Group

Polpharma, Hexal (Sandoz), Almirall

Teva Pharmaceuticals

AtriCure

Novartis

Ontex

PDC*Line Pharma SA

Floridienne S.A.

Recipharm AB

Op2Lysis SAS

Ottobock

Eargo Inc

CooperVision

Myocene

FHP BV, Creafund NV, Hyloris Pharmaceutical S.A, Purna Pharmaceuticals

Rayner

Essencia (bio.be)

Novadip, MaSTherCell SA (Catalent), EMBL, Vital Strategies, UCB

European Commission: SMART-BEAR project

Work highlights

  • Assisted Floridienne S.A. in the acquisition of Biotrac NV (i.e. an indirect acquisition of shares in Florinvest NV) and the related sale of two portfolio companies of its Life Sciences division engaged in the production of vanilla (i.e. SOPRAL (Madagascar) and KAMAPIM (Papua New Guinea)).
  • Guided Rayner through its investment in HASA OPTIX Belgium, a Brussels-based medical device company that creates and produces high-quality recyclable surgical ophthalmic instruments.
  • Joined 26 organisations in a European Commission funded (€20 million) project that draws on big data to improve the health and wellbeing of European citizens. Together with the consortium, the firm’s expert lawyers carry out legal research and analysis while monitoring to ensure the project complies with the requirements of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and privacy.

Belgium > Industry focus: IT and telecoms Tier 1

With extensive knowledge of IP protection clauses applicable to IT and employment contracts, Bird & Bird acts for a host of blue-chip companies, both domestic and international. Benoit Van Asbroeck is a particularly reputed figure who often appears before the Court of Justice of the European Union. Benoit is well-versed in the drafting and negotiation of complex TMT contracts, including energy digitalisation, distribution, and procurement. Elsewhere within the practice, Hein Hobbelen advises various significant telecoms clients on the full spectrum of competition law matters.

Practice head(s):

Benoit Van Asbroeck; Hein Hobbelen

Key clients

European Commission

DigitalEurope

Robert Bosch GmbH

ASML

Work highlights

  • Assisted the SMART-BEAR Consortium with GDPR and privacy compliance in the context of an 2020 research project funded by the European Commission.
  • Assisted the European Commission in connection with the implementation of its European Blockchain Services Infrastructure (EBSI) project, designed to facilitate the delivery of public services across the EEA.
  • Assisted DigitalEurope through legal analysis covering EU Member States’ implementation of the European Electronic Communications Code (EECC).

Belgium > Intellectual property Tier 1

Bird & Bird‘s intellectual property practice is renowned for its ability to provide full-spectrum support to major national and multinational clients. Team lead Jean-Christophe Troussel has broad experience, while Benoit Van Asbroeck is particularly strong in litigation, with several victories before the CJEU. Domien Op De Beeck is similarly well regarded in litigation, and counsel Guillaume de Villegas is noted for his experience in complex trade mark and copyright cases. Associate Auriane Shockaert, meanwhile, is developing a strong reputation for handling complex IP agreements and patent and distribution disputes.

Practice head(s):

Jean-Christophe Troussel

Other key lawyers:

Benoit Van Asbroeck; Domien Op de Beeck; Guillaume de Villegas; Pierre Hechtermans; Auriane Shockaert

Testimonials

‘Bird & Bird offers very high-level IP knowledge and experience. Furthermore, the lawyers always manage to find pragmatic and relevant approaches to cases. In other words, it is clear that they aim to find solutions related to our numerous requests. We are entirely satisfied by their services.’

‘The team is very experienced and well placed with the courts in Belgium. There is also always someone available when needed. But the best asset is the insight they give during strategic discussions about IP and legal processes.’

‘Excellent communication, great responsive follow ups, excellent knowledge of the field. International team with a solid network.’

‘Very reactive, clear and concise, and comprehensive in their responses. They stick to the agreed formats and channels, and the partner offers spontaneous advice on certain watchlists, so clearly keeps an eye on our file. Overall knowledge of the field is extremely solid and communication is fluid and pleasant.’

‘Benoit van Asbroeck has always been truly dedicated to us as a client. Our files are always treated with great importance and professionalism. He has a very high level of IP knowledge and experience. He is also very client oriented and is able to propose creative legal solutions, helping to solve complicated files.’

‘Domien Op de Beeck has the right brains to do the job. Strategic thinking combined with a personal and human approach. His knowledge about different industries is also an asset that has helped us in specific situations.’

Key clients

Anheuser-Busch InBev

Chemicar Europe

Teva Pharmaceuticals

Genetec Inc.

CureVac AG

Caeleste

Nevro Corp.

STADA Arzneimittel AG

Purna Pharmaceuticals

Ferrero

Le Pain Quotidien

Nestlé

Trovac

Eurogentec

Terumo Europe

FAM, Stumabo and Hifferman

World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)

Volkswagen AG

Work highlights

  • Continuing to defend Anheuser-Busch InBev’s trade marks, and led a number of successful negotiations for ABI in strategic trade mark collision matters.
  • Instructed to represent Chemicar Europe in a patent dispute in relation to its spray paint technologies.

Belgium > EU regulatory: Financial services Tier 2

Bird & Bird has a strong focus on innovation and emerging technologies within the financial services space, advising established banks, corporates, and disruptors on open banking, AI, payment services, and blockchain-related matters globally, including product development and launch, Belgian market entry, and cross-border consumer protection issues. The team is led by Scott McInnes, a specialist in payments regulation, working with card providers and banks as well as emerging payments clients, handling innovative issues relating to e-wallets and tokenisation, supported by senior associate Julien SadPaul Hermant focuses on traditional banking regulation, including governance and issues connected to financing transactions.

Practice head(s):

Scott McInnes

Other key lawyers:

Paul Hermant; Julien Sad; Cathie-Rosalie Joly; Gavin Punia, Trystan Tether

Testimonials

‘We find B&B’s pan-European coverage very useful to support the advice needs we have. I also very much appreciate the time that B&B spend seeking specific feedback on our experience with them and discussing how they can improve that for the future. They do far more of that than the other firms that we work with.’

‘Scott McInnes is great as a client relationship partner because he is very responsive.’

‘The team is well-versed in PSD2 knowledge and, moreover, are able to identify areas where one of their colleagues are better suited to answer the question.’

‘Trystan Tether and Scott McInnes have been phenomenal.’

‘Scott McInnes and Trystan Tether – for their pragmatism and willingness to go the extra mile, in terms of thinking about how regulation/law should apply to innovative business models.’

‘Expertise, customer focus, direct and clear advice on complex regulatory topics, good customer relationship management.’

‘Very good knowledge of applicable legal framework and ability to communicate legal requirements in a clear and practical way. Scott McInnes and Gavin Punia are points of reference for regulatory compliance advice.’

Key clients

Booking.com

Bunq

Paysafe

Digital River

Riskified

Mirakl

Syspay

Work highlights

  • Advising Booking.com on regulatory questions and commercial agreements related to payments between hotels and travellers who book on its websites.

Belgium > EU regulatory: Food Tier 2

Bird & Bird advises a wide range of food and beverage clients alongside agribusinesses and biotech operators on a range of matters, including product labelling and distribution, European market entry, and the development of new products, such as the use of insects in food and feed. The team combines food regulatory expertise with relevant life sciences and pharma knowledge, allowing it to handle R&D and product development issues. Nicolas Carbonnelle, promoted to partner in May 2022, heads up the team, and is focused on regulatory and distribution work within the industry, advising clients across the food supply chain.

Practice head(s):

Nicolas Carbonnelle

Testimonials

‘Our team has been working with Nicolas Carbonnelle now for well over 2 years. Nicolas is extremely knowledgeable in our needs and requests. He is always available or makes himself available when we have urgent matters. Billing is sent over monthly without us having to chase for this information.’

‘Nicolas Carbonnelle is very knowledgeable. Having learned our projects and strategy, he brings to the plate some wonderful suggestions and recommendations. Always available, and gets back to us in a timely manner.’

Key clients

SodaStream

IPIFF (International Platform of Insects for Food and Feed)

Evergrain

SodaPressCo

Eckes-Granini

8Greens

Belgium > Industry focus: Media and entertainment Tier 2

Retained by a number of domestic and international entities - particularly from the worlds of TV and radio broadcasting, film, and sport - the media and entertainment department at Bird & Bird is often engaged on content licensing and distribution matters, including disputes relating to statutory levies, contractual tariffs and licences. IT specialist Benoit Van Asbroeck - a member of the Belgian council of IP - frequently advises public bodies on a host of issues. Hein Hobbelen is noted for his experience representing clients before the European Commission, as well as various domestic regulatory authorities.

Practice head(s):

Benoit Van Asbroeck; Hein Hobbelen

Key clients

DigitalEurope

FIFA (International Federation of Association Football)

DigitalEurope

Wolters Kluwer

Work highlights

  • Represented a compliant in the European Commission’s investigation regarding Apple’s in-app purchase (IAP) terms for the iOS App Store. The case is at the forefront of legal developments in the area and follows other cases such as the complaint brought by Spotify against Apple’s IAP terms.
  • Provided legal analysis covering EU Member States’ implementation of the European Electronic Communications Code (EECC). The project includes extensive analyses of the transposition proposals across the EU countries regarding consistency with the EECC, the legislative process and the final transposition acts.

Belgium > Industry focus: Retail Tier 2

The retail team at Bird & Bird is a strong choice for a range of blue-chip clients operating across the worlds of food and beverage, luxury goods, and fashion, to name a few. The group is often engaged in business-to-consumer contract matters, including refund policies, terms of sales, social media influencer agreements and subscription terms. The team is also noted for its expertise in technology, with a number of retailers seeking them out for assistance with transformative e-commerce rollouts. With over 25 years' experience in the sector, practice head Jean-Christophe Troussel is recommended for his wide-ranging abilities, handling a mix of tech and IP-intensive mandates, both contentious and transactional in nature. One of the 12 expert members of the Belgian Council of Intellectual Property, Benoit Van Asbroeck is reputed for his capabilities in both IP and IT matters.

Practice head(s):

Jean-Christophe Troussel

Other key lawyers:

Key clients

Ontex

Anheuser-Busch InBev

Royal A-Ware BV

Burger Brands

Kontoor Brands

Volkswagen AG

Kraft Heinz

Booking.com

PPG (EWC)

Le Pain Quotidien

Work highlights

  • Advised Booking.com on regulatory questions and commercial agreements related to payments between hotels and travellers who book on its websites.

Belgium > Not-for-profit Tier 2

A strong line-up of industry associations and scientific institutions turn to Bird & Bird for the breadth of its capabilities in regulatory, compliance, and other technical advisory issues – often with a distinct cross-border aspect. Jointly steered by Paul Hermant and Brent Springael, the team frequently assists clients with articles of association filings, as well as corporate structuring and IP issues. Other key names to note include industry association specialist Anne Federle and counsel Cedric Berckmans, recommended for his expertise in organisational and structural concerns facing NFPs.

Practice head(s):

Paul Hermant; Brent Springael

Other key lawyers:

Key clients

European Commission

DigitalEurope

European Thermal Paper Association (ETPA)

Essenscia (Bio.be)

ACE (Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment)

GRACE (Global Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment)

International Platform of Insects for Food and Feed (IPIFF)

Work highlights

  • Advising bio.be on the EU regulatory framework regarding cells and tissues as well as the implementation in several EU Member States of the EU Directive on the use of human cells and tissues as well as the ATMP regulation.
  • Providing guidance to ACE (Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment) and GRACE (Global Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment) to ensure compliance with Belgian and EU competition law during their meetings.
  • Providing support to the International Platform of Insects for Food and Feed (IPIFF), the EU sector organisation for the insect production sector.

Belgium > Customs, trade, WTO and anti-dumping Tier 3

Bird & Bird has expertise in EU customs compliance, including economic sanctions and export control matters where it acts for international clients. The group is active for clients in a diversity of sectors including the energy and chemical industries. Hein Hobbelen acts for clients in anti-subsidy and EU anti-dumping proceedings, and is particularly active in EU trade defence matters. Brian Mulier supports companies and businesses with his understanding of WTO rules and the resulting implications.

Practice head(s):

Hein Hobbelen; Brian Mulier

Other key lawyers:

Baptist Vleeshouwers

Testimonials

Hein Hobbelen is a highly reputed long-standing EU competition and trade lawyer in Brussels. He is extremely well connected and you always get pragmatic advice that is valuable for the business.

‘Baptist Vleeshouwers is very knowledgeable and nice and easy to deal with.’

Key clients

European Thermal Paper Association (ETPA)

Ahlstrom-Munksjö Oyj

Papierfabrik August Koehler SE

Ricoh Industries

Elastic

Work highlights

  • Supported the European Thermal Paper Association (ETPA) as counsel in an anti-dumping expiry review investigation before the General Court.
  • Represented Finnish multinational industrial company Ahlstrom-Munksjö in the context of the Commission’s suspension review concerning anti-dumping duties on imports of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) originating in China.
  • Advised software company Elastic about compliance with export control classification and related licensing obligations with regard to encryption-based source code being exchanged in several EU countries.

Belgium > Competition: EU and global Tier 4

The team at Bird & Bird has continued to expand its profile in Brussels, handling complex merger control, cartel, state aid, and abuse of dominance cases, both advising global clients on investigations as well as representing them before the European Commission and EU courts in litigation. The practice is led by José Rivas, an experienced antitrust litigator with a strong record in securing major victories for clients against the Commission in precedent-setting cases, and Hein Hobbelen, who combines multi-jurisdictional cartel expertise with regular involvement in trade disputes, particularly relating to foreign subsidies. Anne Federle specialises in cross-border merger control cases within the automotive sector. Other key areas of focus include pharma, TMT, energy, and chemicals.

Practice head(s):

José Rivas; Hein Hobbelen

Other key lawyers:

Baptist Vleeshouwers; Anne Federle

Testimonials

‘A go to team in Brussels navigating clients through competition and trade cases in a pragmatic, business-focused and efficient way.’

‘Hein is a highly reputed long-standing EU competition and trade lawyer in Brussels – if you contact him, you always know you get excellent, business-friendly and pragmatic advice that adds real value to our business.’

‘As in-house counsel in the United States, I appreciate outside counsel who understand the perspective I am likely to have, and can thus explain topics such as EU competition law in a context that is understandable to me. Bird & Bird is excellent in doing this; in my experience, they have a keen sense of the client’s needs and perspective, and thus do not provide me with too much or not enough detail.’

‘I have worked specifically with Hein Hobbelen and Baptist Vleeshouwers. I think that both Hein and Baptist embody the characteristics that I find most valuable in outside counsel: a willingness to understand the perspectives, tolerances, and limitations of the client. Outside counsel from other firms often try and over-engineer solutions, whereas I find that Hein and Baptist have both the knowledge and confidence to come up with pragmatic solutions.’

Key clients

easyJet

Aegean Airlines

Pontegadea

Robert Bosch GmbH

The European Commission

Burberry

FIFA

Panasonic

Air Products PLC

Ralph Lauren

ASML

John Bean Technologies – JBT

Inditex

John Deere

UAB “Gargždų Geležinkelis”

HIMSA

Ottobock

KYOCERA Document Solutions Deutschland

European Thermal Paper Association (ETPA)

Carpatair

Aptiv

Borg Warner

CLEPA

Rubycon

HIMPP

Work highlights

  • Representing a complainant in the European Commission’s investigation regarding Apple’s in-app purchase (IAP) terms for the iOS App Store.
  • Assisting Pontegadea, the holding company of the Inditex group, with the merger control and other regulatory filings required for their acquisition of joint control, together with Telefónica, of “Telxius Telecom”, a telecoms submarine cable infrastructure company.
  • Representing in a high-profile cartel investigation.

Belgium > Employment Tier 4

Bird & Bird draws on support from the firm’s global network to advise on the full range of employment issues. Practice head Pieter De Koster has broad expertise in contentious and non-contentious matters, including compliance and industrial relations issues, with counsel Anton Aerts also noted.

Practice head(s):

Pieter De Koster

Other key lawyers:

Anton Aerts; Cecilia Lahaye

Key clients

ABN-AMBRO

Infosys

Zoom Communications Inc

Plastipak

Burger Brands

Cytiva (including Danaher)

Quantum Simulation Technologies (QSimulate)

Workday

Wolters Kluwer

Esko-Graphics BV

ABN-AMRO

Aptiv (formerly Delphi Automotive plc)

PPG (EWC)

Marsh (part of MMC Group)

SD Worx

Teva Pharmaceuticals

Optel

Colgate-Palmolive

John Bean Technologies

Blue Yonder

Milestone Systems

Vlerick Business School

Elanco

Work highlights

  • Assisting Wolters-Kluwer with its day-to day employment and immigration work, including a dispute with an employee, the relocation of Russian and Belarusian employees to Belgium following the war in Ukraine, and the relocation of highly qualified staff from third countries such as India.
  • Assisted Vlerick Business School with a detailed screening of its current partnership structure and service agreements in light of new legislation and case law, with an emphasis on tax, social security and labour risks.
  • Regularly assisting Zoom with both collective and individual labour law issues.

Belgium > Tax Tier 4

Headed by Brent Springael, Bird & Bird‘s tax practice provides strategic advice, with a particular focus on clients in the R&D and IP sectors. Structuring is a key strength for the firm, which also assists clients facing audits. The team was strengthened in November 2022 with the hire of Olivier Bertin from DALDEWOLF.

Practice head(s):

Brent Springael

Other key lawyers:

Key clients

ArcelorMittal Group

Mastercard

Qlik Group

Quantum Simulate

Capsugel/Lonza

Coopervision

Cardiovascular Center Aalst

SABAM

Certa Insurance

Action Refund

Vlaamse Nieuwsmedia

Pleo

PDC*Line

NuNet

Mediafin

EORTC

Work highlights

  • Regularly assisting a number of Belgian subsidiaries of the Arcelor Mittal Group, a world leader in high-quality steel production, with regard to R&D-related matters.
  • Regularly advising SABAM on copyright-related tax matters.

Belgium > Commercial, corporate and M&A Tier 5

Bird & Bird advises on M&A, joint ventures, and commercial transactions, alongside corporate governance and operational issues, with broad expertise across the tech, financial services, and life science sectors, among others. Clients include domestic and international businesses, alongside research organisations. Paul Hermant leads the team, combining transactional and regulatory experience, while senior associates Pieter-Jan Van Houdenhove and Cedric Berckmans are also key members of the team, noted for their work on M&A, corporate finance, and commercial agreements.

Practice head(s):

Paul Hermant

Key clients

Network Research Belgium S.A.

Precision Medicine Group

Floridienne S.A.

FHP BV, Creafund NV, Hyloris Pharmaceutical S.A, Purna Pharmaceuticals

Rayner

PRACE

So Easy Systems Sp.z.o.o.

Univercells Technologies SA

Creafund NV

Panasonic / Oh-Ebashi LPC & Partners

Munt Dental NV

Floridienne

Mijo Concepts BV

U&I Learning NV

Germany > Antitrust

Embedded within its global firm network, Bird & Bird LLP's antitrust team is extensively active in German and European antitrust law. The practice focuses on merger controls, including the interface to FDI, antitrust compliance, internal investigations and contentious antitrust proceedings; the group has additional particularly strong expertise in related IP issues such as license agreements, R&D and FRAND. IP-related antitrust law is also the focus of practice head Jörg Witting in Düsseldorf, who is further well versed in antitrust and merger control proceedings. Anne Federle, who divides her time between Düsseldorf and Brussels, also specialises in merger control.

Practice head(s):

Other key lawyers:

Key clients

adidas AG

Adient PLC

Amway GmbH

BorgWarner

Canon

Cerberus Capital Management

China State Shipbuilding Corp. (CSSC)

Eurofiber Nederland B.V.

FSC (Forest Stewardship Council)

Husqvarna AB

HY24

John Bean Technologies Europe B.V.

Kaz Europe Sàrl

LiveKindly Company Inc

MasterCard Europe SA

Melitta Gruppe

Nexteer Automotive

Nokia

Nordic Unmanned AS

Panasonic

PPG

Pro7/Sat1

Rubycon

Societe General/ALD SA

Sony Music Entertainment Germany GmbH

The Heavy Duty Manufacturer Association

Vitruvian

Work highlights

  • Representing Melitta in cartel damages proceedings and advising various national companies on antitrust issues regarding cooperation, due diligence and compliance.
  • Merger control advice at national and EU level to HY24 regarding various hydrogen investments, including a minority stake in H2 Mobility Deutschland GmbH.
  • Antitrust and merger control law advice to Adient PLC on the sale of its global automotive textiles business to Sage Automotive Interiors (part of Asahi Kasei).

The firm: Bird & Bird is an international law firm, with a long-established reputation for having a rare and invaluable grasp of strategic commercial issues. The firm combines exceptional legal expertise with deep industry knowledge and refreshingly creative thinking, to help clients operating at the forefront of their industries to achieve their commercial goals.

Bird & Bird has over 1,400 lawyers and legal practitioners with broad advisory transactional and contentious capability, with a particular focus on key industry sectors. The firm has an extensive international reach with 31 offices across Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East, offering a seamless, cross-border service between locations and sector and practice groups.

The Belgian office, which brings together 40 lawyers from more than ten different countries, offers expert advice across a broad range of areas including corporate, commercial, competition, employment, privacy and data protection, intellectual property, regulatory and tax. The team has strong expertise in the life sciences, electronics, technology and communications, aviation and aerospace, energy, and food and beverage sectors. Furthermore, the Belgian office is also the hub of Bird & Bird’s international competition and EU practice.

Located in Brussels, the heart of the European decision-making community, the firm is able to closely follow and influence the developments of European law, particularly in its chosen sectors. This enables it to keep its clients abreast of key developments in EC law.

Areas of practice: Underpinned by deep client and industry knowledge, the firm’s key sectors include:

Automotive: advising on all stages of a life cycle of a motor vehicle, from initial design, to sales and distribution, through to disposals.

Aviation, aerospace, defence and security: advising on asset management and financing, civil aviation matters, including airlines, regulatory and competition issues, and aerospace and defence, including PPP/PFI and product liability.

Electronics: advising clients operating in or serving the electronics industry, from R&D and component manufacturing, to technology licensing agreements.

Energy and utilities: advising large multinationals, investors, project companies and large energy consumers on electricity generation, energy trading, renewable energy, cleantech and climate change, and upstream oil and gas.

Financial services: advising global clients in the financial services sector, such as global retail and investment banks, investors and hedge funds, on transactions, regulatory issues, commercial contracts and dispute resolution.

Food and beverage: advising on a full range of areas, including branding, labelling, health claims, fair trade and patents on novel foods.

Life sciences and healthcare: advising clients in biotechnology, bioinformatics and pharmaceutical companies on licensing and drug development agreements, R&D collaboration, IP acquisitions and joint ventures.

Media and entertainment: advising clients from across the media spectrum on a wide range of issues, including exploitation across all forms of digital media and emerging areas, such as user-generated content exploitation.

Sports: advising clients such as national and international sports governing bodies, event organisers and sponsors on issues including exploitation of commercial rights, brand management, regulatory and disciplinary issues.

Technology and communications: advising on matters ranging from smaller innovative projects to some of the largest, most complex and ground-breaking transactions and disputes of recent years. Its team includes lawyers with a particular focus on communications, devices and components, digital tech and eCommerce, and software and services as well as a number of more specialist industries including data centres, postal and satellites.

DepartmentNameEmailTelephone
Arbitration Benoit Van Asbroeck
Banking and finance Paul Hermant
Brands and trade marks Jean-Christophe Troussel
Brands and trade marks Benoit van Asbroek
Commercial Benoit Van Asbroeck
Competition and EU José Rivas
Competition and EU Anne Federle
Competition and EU Scott McInnes
Competition and EU Hein Hobbelen
Copyright Jean-Christophe Troussel
Copyright Benoit Van Asbroeck
Corporate Paul Hermant
Dispute resolution Marc Martens
Dispute resolution Benoit van Asbroek
Employment
Patents and know-how Bruno Vandermeulen
Patents and know-how Marc Martens
Patents and know-how Jean-Christophe Troussel
Privacy and data protection Benoit Van Asbroeck
Regulatory and administrative Marc Martens
Public sector contracts and disputes Marc Martens
Tax Brent Springael
Number of lawyers : 1,200
at this office : 40
Dutch
English
French
German
Greek
Italian
Spanish
Other offices : Aarhus
Other offices : Abu Dhabi
Other offices : Beijing
Other offices : Bratislava
Other offices : Budapest
Other offices : Copenhagen
Other offices : Dubai
Other offices : Dusseldorf
Other offices : Frankfurt
Other offices : Hamburg
Other offices : Helsinki
Other offices : Hong Kong
Other offices : London
Other offices : Luxembourg
Other offices : Lyon
Other offices : Madrid
Other offices : Milan
Other offices : Munich
Other offices : Paris
Other offices : Prague
Other offices : Rome
Other offices : Shanghai
Other offices : Singapore
Other offices : Stockholm
Other offices : Sydney
Other offices : The Hague
Other offices : Warsaw

Bird & Bird is an international law firm with a focus on helping organisations being changed by technology and the digital world. With over 1,400 lawyers in 31 offices across Europe, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific, the firm is ready to help clients wherever they are in the world. Bird & Bird’s history stretches back to the 1830s, with the firm formally established in 1846. Even back then, the firm’s excellence in client service and passion for key industries attracted leading innovators.

As technology allowed innovations and ideas to travel more quickly, the need to protect the ideas and innovations of its clients encouraged the firm to expand its international capabilities. In 1998, Bird & Bird became one of the first law firms to organise around key sectors, enabling it to share its deep industry knowledge more effectively across the firm.

Bird & Bird combines this commercial understanding of its clients’ businesses with its leading legal expertise and the international reach its clients need to achieve their goals.

Main areas of practice

For the past decade, Bird & Bird has been the go-to international legal firm for companies working with disruptive technology. Whether traditional businesses leveraging cutting-edge technology or start-ups changing the status quo, the firm guides its clients through all the regulatory, legal and commercial aspects of this fast-moving environment. Bird & Bird’s lawyers combine exceptional legal expertise with deep industry knowledge and refreshingly creative thinking, to help clients operating at the forefront of their industries to achieve their goals.

The firm currently works with over half of the first 100 companies in the Fortune 500 and nearly two-thirds of the world’s 100 most innovative companies, as named by Forbes. Over a third of Bird & Bird’s clients have been with the firm for more than a decade; testament to the high-level of service and legal expertise it delivers.

Bird & Bird’s wide-ranging practice in Latin America has been going from strength-to-strength since its inception ten years ago, working on projects across Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay. These projects have involved transactional work, dispute resolution and regulatory matters across multiple sectors including energy and projects, transport and aviation, food and beverage, TMT, life sciences and healthcare, employment, and financial services.

The firm’s offices in Madrid and London have spearheaded Bird & Bird’s activity in the region, making the most of Madrid’s connection in culture and language, as well as the extensive experience and expertise in the region of its individual lawyers. As a result, the firm has developed a very strong network of relationships with some of the most renowned and prestigious local firms in Latin American Countries.

DepartmentNameEmailTelephone
Sectors
Automotive Christian Kessell
Aviation and defence Paul Briggs
Aviation and defence Leo Fattorini
Energy and utilities Matt Bonass
Energy and utilities Hermenegildo Altozano
Financial services Christian Bartsch
Financial services Stefano Febbi
Retail and consumer Mark Abell
Tech and comms Graeme Maguire
Practice areas
Commercial Simon Shooter
Commercial Fabian Niemann
Competition and EU law Pauline Kuipers
Competition and EU law Morten Nissen
Corporate Stefan Silvestri
Corporate Peter Veranneman
Dispute resolution Peter Knight
Finance Trystan Tether
Finance Raimondo Maggiore
Franchising Mark Abell
Intellectual property Morag Macdonald
Intellectual property Christian Harmsen
Outsourcing Mark Leach
Privacy and data protection Arian Mole
Privacy and data protection Ruth Boardman
Real estate Jonathan Baker
Regulatory and administrative Jan Byok
Tax Andrew Brown
Trade and Customs Richard Eccles
Trade and customs Brian Mulier
Partners : 310
Other fee-earners : 1,300
Total staff : 2,225