Baptist Vleeshouwers

As Counsel in our Competition & EU Law practice in Belgium, I provide advice on EU and Belgian competition law, trade defence matters, the Digital Markets Act (DMA), and foreign direct investment (FDI).

My practice encompasses all aspects of competition law, including antitrust, State aid issues, and merger control. I have represented numerous clients before the Belgian Competition Authority and the European Commission. I also advise companies on gatekeeper obligations under the DMA and have represented clients in designation investigations before the Commission. My competition law expertise also includes competition private damages claims and compliance, and I also advise clients in relation to antitrust issues in the AI stack.

In addition, I represent clients in trade defence procedures, both at the administrative level before the European Commission and in legal proceedings before the Courts in Luxembourg. I also represent clients before the Belgian Interfederal Screening Commission in the context of FDI screening procedures.

Being a lawyer at our firm allows us to work in integrated international teams, across various geographies and (legal) cultures, while using award-winning legal tech products to help us provide qualitative advice in an efficient manner. I believe this allows us to find original legal solutions in an evolving world and facilitates engaging with clients in novel ways.

In addition to my position at Bird & Bird, I also regularly speak at international conferences and educational programmes, such as the ERA Academy of European Law and the European University Institute's Centre for Digital Society.

• Advised and represented numerous multinational companies in large antitrust cases, including cartel investigations, leniency and immunity applications, market investigations, etc.
• Represented Securitas, a multinational guarding and security services provider, in a cartel investigation by the Belgian Competition Authority (BCA)
• Represented an international e-book and audiobook publisher in the European Commission's investigation into Apple's in-app purchase (IAP) terms for e-books and audiobooks
• Represented two parties in a European Commission gatekeeper designation investigation under the Digital Markets Act
• Represented a large-language model developer in the context of several antitrust investigations by the European Commission and in the context of a call for contributions on generative AI
• Represented several industry trade associations on competition law compliance, providing training, monitoring meetings for compliance, and advising on incidents. Also advised on commitments, standard-setting, and other engagements within trade associations
• Represented a Baltic telecommunications company in a State aid complaint and a complaint regarding the incorrect transposition of EU telecommunications rules against a Member State and its incumbent operator
• Represented the European Thermal Paper Association in anti-dumping investigations before the European Commission and several proceedings before the General Court and the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg