Brussels Legal - General Legal

Antitrustitalia's founders on its creation and activities

Brussels Legal sat down with the founders of antitrustitalia, a recently launched networking group for Brussels-based Italian antitrust professionals, to talk about its creation and activities.

Kyrill Farbmann, Associate at Jones Day

Brussels Legal sat down with Kyrill Farbmann, an Associate at Jones Day specialising in Antitrust & Competition Law.

Sam Hare, Trainee in the European Parliament Legal Service

Brussels Legal sat down with Sam Hare, Trainee in the European Parliament Legal Service.

Advocating labour rights: June Sørensen, International Trade Union Confederation

Brussels Legal sat down with June Sørensen, Human Rights and Trade Union Rights specialist at the International Trade Union Confederation.

The creation of Vermulst Verhaeghe Graafsma & Bronckers - and everyday life in a boutique-style law firm

Peter Verhaeghe, Marco Bronckers and Yves Van Gerven, Partners at VVGB

Brussels Legal sat down with three of Vermulst Verhaeghe Graafsma & Bronckers’ partners and talked about the creation of VVGB and everyday life in a boutique-style law firm.

Luca Prete, Legal Service of the European Commission

Brussels Legal sat down with Luca Prete, Legal Service of the European Commission, to discuss his high-profile career in EU law, WTO litigation, and his passion for legal battle..

EU Law: Frank Schoneveld, Partner, McDermott Will & Emery LLP

Brussels Legal sat down with Frank Schoneveld from McDermott Will & Emery to discuss his adventurous career in the practice of all things EU law.

Antitrust & Trade Law: Francesco Carloni, Howrey

Brussels Legal caught up with Francesco Carloni of Howrey LLP to find out what drew him to a career in antitrust and trade law in Brussels.

Tax Law: Howard Liebman, Partner, Jones Day

Brussels Legal sat down with Howard Liebman to discuss tax law, what he likes about it and how he ended up embarking on an over three decade-long career in the field.

Arbitration Law: Niuscha Bassiri, Associate at Hanotiau & van den Berg (HVDB)

Brussels Legal sat down with Niuscha Bassiri, Associate at HVDB (Hanotiau & van den Berg) to discuss her fast-paced career as an arbitration lawyer in Brussels and beyond.

Mastering Legal Writing

Marisa Kakoulas has shared her top ten tips for fine-tuning legal writing with us.

Wilfried De Wever, President of Effectius

Brussels Legal ran into Wilfried De Wever from Effectius, a Brussels based NGO working on improving the effectiveness of justice systems in the world.

Michel Bonne, President of the Brulex Organising Committee, Counsel at Van Bael & Bellis

Have you ever wondered if lawyers in Brussels with a passion for football are able to find time to play the beautiful game? Brussels Legal sat down to hear the thoughts with Michel Bonne, who runs brulex, a 5-a-side football league made up of Brussels law firms.

Dr. Anna Gergely, Director EHS Regulatory, Steptoe & Johnson LLP

Brussels Legal talked to Dr. Anna Gergely, an analytical and quantum chemist who now practices regulatory law.

Rainer Wessely, Senior Associate at Hogan Lovells

Brussels Legal sat down with Rainer Wessely to discuss his work at Lovells (now HoganLovells) and his past at the European Commission's DG Competition.

Pauline Tawil, Former Stagiaire in the European Commission Legal Service

Brussels Legal caught up with Pauline Tawil, a former Stagiare in the European Commission's legal service to find out what a stage in the commission is like in practice.

International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims

Brussels Legal speaks to the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT) about their work, their background and the United Nations Convention Against Torture.

Dr. Jörg Hladjk, Associate at Hunton & Williams

To most people, working as a lawyer in Brussels can only mean one thing: competition law. While it is true that there are few international firms in Brussels without a competition practice, there are many other fields that are often overlooked by applicants. One of these "niche" but growing areas is that of data protection and privacy. Brussels Legal sat down with Dr. Jörg Hladjk, associate in the European Data Protection and Privacy Practice at Hunton & Williams, to find out more.

Margarita Peristeraki, Référendaire at the Court of First Instance in Luxembourg

To most people, the “European bubble” is delimited by certain quarters in the city of Brussels. To others, this bubble has important and often forgotten offshoots. One of these offshoots is in Luxembourg, where the Courts of the European Communities are based. Brussels Legal spoke to Margarita Peristeraki on her impressions of her time in Luxembourg as a référendaire at the Court of First Instance.

Antonio Capobianco, Principal Administrator at OECD in Paris

Where would you go to develop your legal career? Italian-qualified lawyer Antonio Capobianco has experience of working in three Member States at the national, private practice and international level.

Mr. Capobianco talked to Brussels Legal about the insights gained from his professional progress in the field of competition law.

Wolter Kymmell, former Belgian country representative of the Association of Corporate Counsel Europe

The Association of Corporate Counsel Europe is an association for in-house counsel. Brussels Legal asked Mr. Wolter Kymmell, the former Belgian country representative, more about the association and its activities.

Robert Klotz, Partner at Hunton & Williams

After almost twelve years as an European Commission official, Robert Klotz, a German-qualified lawyer, has joined Hunton & Williams as a competition law partner.

Brussels Legal spoke with Mr. Klotz about why he decided to leave the Commission and his reasons for becoming a partner in private practice.

Geert Somers, Partner at time.lex

In 2007 time.lex, a niche Brussels-based law firm specialising in information, communication technology (ICT) law, was created.

Brussels Legal spoke with Geert Somers, one of the firm's three founding partners. We asked Mr. Somers about the reasons for the firm's creation, its structure and development over its first year.

Alessandra Fratini and Paolo Vergano, Partners at FratiniVergano

A new law firm, FratiniVergano, opened in Brussels on 11 November 2007 lead by name partners Alessandra Fratini and Paolo Vergano.

Brussels Legal spoke with Ms. Fratini and Mr. Vergano about why they started the firm, what challenges have arisen so far and how they plan to develop the firm.

Daniel Sharma, Partner at DLA Piper

In recent years two international business developments have been well-documented: rising foreign investment in India; and the increasing prominence of Indian business abroad. As both trends are likely to continue, what are the implications for business advisors such as lawyers?

David Ortega, Organización de Consumidores y Usuarios (OCU)

After several years working in private practice, David Ortega left Brussels to return to Spain to work in for OCU, Spain's consumer rights organisation.

Brussels Legal spoke with Mr. Ortega about his Brussels experience and how it has helped with his current work.

Marleen Mouton and Yolande Meyvis, Co-founders of Laun

How many associates think of starting their own law firm? But how many actually do? If some female lawyers chances of partnership change after having children, then what can they do?

Several years ago, two corporate lawyers, Marleen Mouton and Yolande Meyvis, were faced with these issues. So they decided to create their own firm, Laun (short for "Lawyers Unlimited"), specialising in corporate and corporate finance law.

Brussels Legal spoke with Ms. Mouton and Ms. Meyvis about why they decided to create their own firm and, with Laun's first year anniversary approaching, how the experience has been so far.

Jean Russotto, Partner of Steptoe & Johnson (Brussels)

After opening in 2002, Steptoe & Johnson's Brussels office expanded in 2004 with the absorption of Oppenheimer Wolff & Donnelly's Brussels office.

Brussels Legal spoke with Jean Russotto, senior partner in Steptoe & Johnson's Brussels office, about the office's creation and development.

Aurélie-Anne Gilly and Elsa Schropp, Former Stagiaires in DG Competition

What benefit and insight do young international lawyers gain from training at the European Commission? Brussels Legal spoke with two lawyers, Aurélie-Anne Gilly and Elsa Schropp, who have been working as stagiaires in different parts of DG Competition.

We spoke about their respective stage experiences and what advice they would give to antitrust lawyers undertaking a stage in DG Competition. Our interview starts with talking to Ms. Gilly and is then followed by our interview with Ms. Schropp.

Partners Ulrich Soltész (Gleiss Lutz), Olivier Clevenbergh (Stibbe) and Craig Pouncey (Herbert Smith)

The law firm alliance between Gleiss Lutz, Stibbe and Herbert Smith took a more visible form earlier this year when all three Brussels offices moved into the brand new Central Plaza building.

Brussels Legal spoke with three Brussels-based partners: Ulrich Soltész (Gleiss Lutz), Olivier Clevenbergh (Stibbe), and Craig Pouncey (Herbert Smith). We discussed the nature of the firms' alliance (called "the Alliance") and the significance of sharing the same premises in Brussels.

Conor Maguire, Solicitor and Founder of Brussels Matters

Brussels Matters is a forum that allows all lawyers practising or affected by EU law to participate in discussions, either in person or by teleconference, about topical legal developments with senior EU officials in Brussels.

Brussels Legal asked Conor Maguire, a solicitor who set up Brussels Matters, about the forum.

Carsten Venemann, Associate at Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek and Vice-President of AIJA's European Law Commission

AIJA (L'Assocation Internationale des Jeunes Avocats) is an international organisation for lawyers under the age of 45 years. Brussels Legal asked Carsten Venemann, an associate at Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek and current Vice-President of AIJA's European Law Commission, about the organisation.

Eric Cusas, Managing Partner of Field Fisher Waterhouse in Brussels

Field Fisher Waterhouse was a newcomer to the Brussels legal market in April 2007, when it opened its Brussels office.

Brussels Legal spoke with office managing partner, Mr. Eric Cusas, about why the office has opened, the group of lawyers starting it and the plans for future office development.

Andreas Weitbrecht, Office Managing Partner, and Jean Paul Poitras, Partner, of Latham & Watkins in Brussels

Latham & Watkins' Brussels office opened in February 2002 and is celebrating its fifth anniversary. Brussels Legal spoke with Andreas Weitbrecht, office Managing partner, and Jean Paul Poitras, a Brussels-based partner, about the office's development during this period.

Damien Geradin, Director of the Global Competition Law Centre

The Global Competition Law Centre (GCLC) started on 1 January 2004. Over the past three years the GCLC has grown rapidly in terms of its research, events, sponsors and participants.

Brussels Legal spoke with Professor Damien Geradin, Director of the GCLC, about why the GCLC was started, how it has developed and its future plans.

Peter Citron, Head of Practice Development and Knowhow at Hogan Lovells

Peter Citron, a Brussels-based UK-qualified competition lawyer, has worked for a number of years in private practice and in-house. Mr. Citron returned to private practice over a year ago to take up a newly created position as the now HoganLovells' Competition and EU Head of Practice Development and Knowhow.

Brussels Legal spoke with Mr. Citron about his professional experience in private practice and in-house and the challenges and opportunities of his new role.

Mario Todino, Resident Brussels Office Partner, Gianni Origoni Grippo

In mid-December 2006 Gianni Origoni Grippo & Partners announced the opening of the firm's Brussels office from 1 January 2007.

Brussels Legal spoke with Mario Todino, resident Brussels office partner, about the firm's arrival in Brussels.

Götz Drauz, Partner at Howrey LLP in Brussels

After 25 years working at the European Commission, Götz Drauz left in May 2006 to become a partner in private practice.

Prior to his departure, Mr. Drauz was one of the Commission's top antitrust officials and the regulator's most senior merger official.

Brussels Legal spoke with Mr. Drauz about his reasons for entering private practice, the professional adjustment his new role requires and his reflections on some past and present antitrust matters.

Herman Sobrie, Legal Manager of EURid

In December 2005 Herman Sobrie, a Belgian-qualified lawyer, became Legal Manager (equivalent to General Counsel) at EURid, the Brussels-headquartered organisation responsible for the launch and management of the new .eu internet domain name.

After working for 30 years in private practice and in-house, this switch meant moving to a different type of organisation.

Brussels Legal spoke to Mr. Sobrie about his function within EURid, the legal issues that have arisen during EURid's "start-up" phase and about moving from a multinational to a not-for-profit organisation.

Andrea De Matteis, Partner of Labruna Mazziotti Segni

Would you stop practising in Brussels, return to your home jurisdiction and start a new department from scratch?

After 10 years spent working for 2 international law offices in Brussels and twice at DG Competition, Italian antitrust lawyer Andrea De Matteis returned to Italy to become Head of the Competition practice of Labruna Mazziotti Segni.

William Baer and Marleen Van Kerckhove, Partners of Arnold & Porter in Brussels

Arnold & Porter's Brussels office was established in August 2003 and has steadily grown since then.

Brussels Legal spoke with William Baer, Head of the firm's antitrust practice, and Marleen Van Kerckhove, Head of the European antitrust practice and of its Brussels office, about the office's creation and development.

Trevor Soames, Managing Partner of Howrey LLP in Brussels

In the past, Howrey's Brussels office has recruited a number of high-profile competition and IP lawyers from the European Commission and private practice. This was the office's most significant expansion since opening in September 2002.

Brussels Legal spoke with Howrey's Brussels Managing partner, Trevor Soames. We discussed the past and future development of the office and the challenges of managing this growing, vibrant practice.

Richard Weiner, Maurits Lugard and Stephen Kinsella, Partners in Sidley Austin

Sidley Austin's Brussels office was established in August 2003.

On the occasion of the office's third anniversary, Brussels Legal spoke with three of Sidley Austin's Brussels partners about the office's rapid development and unique nature.

Indra Van Gisbergen, Globalization of Justice Project Officer at Avocats Sans Frontières

Brussels-based Avocats Sans Frontières (ASF) is dedicated to supporting the rights and legal systems of peoples in many troubled parts of the world.

Brussels Legal spoke with ASF's Indra Van Gisbergen about the organisation and how international lawyers in Brussels can help with its current projects.

Michael Rosenthal and John ('Jack') Martin, Partners at Hunton & Williams

In March 2006 Hunton & Williams announced the creation of its Brussels-based European competition law practice.

Brussels Legal spoke with the two recently-appointed partners developing this practice in Brussels, Michael Rosenthal and John ('Jack') Martin.