We represent clients in mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, venture capital and general corporate housekeeping matters.  Our practice includes the representation of buyers, sellers and investors in all types of acquisition transactions in a broad range of industries.  Our Brussels lawyers are skilled at solving an array of complex issues arising out of the incorporation, day-to-day corporate management and winding-up of large and medium-sized corporations.

Our public offerings practice includes handling public takeovers, as well as listings and offerings on securities markets. Our lawyers have been appointed as counsel to bidders and target companies in a significant number of national and international takeover bids and are regularly retained to handle all steps of such transactions.

We have significant experience in the areas of financial markets and investment regulation, including representing banks, investment advisers and other securities professionals in their relationships with Belgian regulatory authorities.

The Brussels office has built a significant litigation practice. Our lawyers are often asked to intervene as counsel or arbitrators in domestic and international arbitrations.  We are known for our experience in all major areas of business and corporate litigation, including shareholders' disputes, battle-for-corporate-control and professional liability actions.

The Brussels office regularly assists public and private corporations in internal restructurings and strategic alliances as they relate to a host of circumstances, including potential insolvency issues.

The conditions for conducting business in Europe are set by the various EU institutions. Although most European rules are implemented at the national level, the basic EU rules and principles are decisive in establishing their interpretation and application.  Our team regularly assists clients in cases involving interpretation issues at the EU level.  We have developed a particular focus on environmental, data protection and customs law.  We also represent clients in trade matters, such as dumping and subsidy cases.

Our antitrust team in Brussels comprises several lawyers of different nationalities who work in close cooperation with antitrust specialists in the other Willkie offices. We are regularly involved in cartel and monopolization cases before the European Commission and national competition authorities. We defend the interests of our clients in administrative proceedings before the authorities, and actively litigate antitrust matters before national and community courts. The integration of our litigation and substantive antitrust experience allows us to provide clients with comprehensive service to meet all of their antitrust needs. Counseling activities include pricing issues, distribution arrangements and horizontal cooperation agreements. The team also offers a variety of additional antitrust-related services such as compliance programs and audits that assess whether clients' business practices present significant antitrust risk, in which cases we quickly develop measures to reduce the risk.

The Brussels and U.S. offices closely coordinate their activities with respect to international transactions that require approval of antitrust authorities. Our lawyers are skilled in assessing the jurisdictions in which merger filings are required (or advisable), preparing the filings and coordinating the merger advocacy process across borders. We have a significant track record in avoiding the imposition of any divestment of assets on behalf of clients. In both Europe and the U.S. our lawyers have gained a reputation for avoiding second-stage investigations through effective advocacy within strict regulatory time constraints.

Our Brussels lawyers have developed a significant practice advising clients on state aid issues. The practice focuses on avoiding state aid liabilities in corporate transactions and in financing operations. The team also intervenes in procedures before the EU Commission and litigates state-aid issues before the EU courts in Luxemburg.

Since the early 1990s, the Member States of the European Union have opened network industries to competition. The Brussels team has developed deep experience in dealing with the complicated regulatory issues that this liberalization presents in various Member States. Our activities in this area focus on industries in the energy, telecommunications and water supply sectors.