Bird & Bird demonstrates a notable track record in handling major cartel and abuse of dominance cases across regulated sectors. Practice head Hein Hobbelen is notably active in competition litigation matters, with deep knowledge in the technology, communications, pharmaceuticals and energy sectors. Anne Federle is a merger control specialist with particular focus on the automotive industry. Baptist Vleeshouwers is an expert in antitrust investigations. José Rivas left the firm in April 2025.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Accolades
Client satisfaction: NPS ®
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- ‘The team is incredibly knowledgeable and yet retains its pragmatism and awareness of business needs.’
- ‘Anne Federle is a supreme professional and simply a rock star in this area!’
- ‘Very strong and cohesive team.’
- ‘Hein Hobbelen is an excellent and very experienced lawyer.’
Key clients
- Securitas
- Patria Oyj
- Radisson Hotel Group
- Honda R&D UK
- Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners
- Air Products PLC
- Lexmark International Technology SARL
- Adient
- Aptiv
- BorgWarner
- Clarios
- Cooper Standard
Work highlights
Defending an international sports federation against an antitrust complaint to the European Commission.
Represented Securitas successfully as leniency applicant in the high-profile Belgian cartel investigation into the security and guarding sector.
Practice head
Hein Hobbelen
Other key lawyers
Anne Federle; Baptist Vleeshouwers