Bram Hoorelbeke

In relation to EU competition law, Bram advises clients on a wide variety of competition law issues including merger notifications and Article 101 and 102 TFEU cases. Bram also advises on State aid cases and the application of the EU Foreign Subsidies Regulation. Bram also has extensive experience in government procurement procedures launched by European Union institutions. In addition, Bram deals with follow-on damage actions and competition-law-related claims before Belgian courts of law. Besides these competition-law-related matters, Bram advises clients on general EU law, such as free movement, customs, etc.

With regard to Belgian competition law, Bram assists clients in the notification and follow-up of concentrations, and in complaints and procedures before the Mededingingscollege/Collège de la concurrence (Belgian Competition Council) and the Belgian courts of law.

His sector experience includes fast-moving consumer goods, sports, the automotive industry, telecoms, platform economy, pharmaceuticals, semiconductor, chemicals and financial technologies.

• Successfully represented Global Blue, a multinational company active in VAT-refund services and direct currency conversion, in a European Commission investigation into alleged abuse of dominance. The European Commission closed the case without imposing a fine or commitments.

• Representing a leading Belgian insurance provider in a damage action case based on competition law infringements before the Belgian commercial court.

• Representing a leading Belgian insurance provider in multiple investigations by the Belgian Competition Authority relating to the insurance sector.

• Represented an international fashion company as immunity applicant in a cartel investigation in the EU, UK and US.

• Representing an IT wholesaler in a cartel investigation by the Dutch Competition Authority.

• Advising a private equity firm in preparing for upcoming EU Foreign Subsidy Regulation notifications.

• Advised leading payment technology solution provider on competition law compliance of envisaged changes to the network rules.

• Successfully represented an elevator company before the Belgium courts in several damages actions following the elevators and escalators cartel.

• Assisted a client in the animal feed phosphates sector in the first ever "hybrid" cartel settlement case adopted by the European Commission.

• Acted for a large multinational retail chain in the Belgian Competition Authority's first cartel settlement decision concerning the Belgian grocery sector.

• Represented a generic medicines company in challenging the EU General Court's judgment on patent settlements.

• Represented several companies in the ongoing procedures before the EU General Court seeking the annulment of the European Commission's decision regarding Belgian Excess Profit Rulings (SA.37667 Excess Profit exemption in Belgium – Art. 185§2 b) CIR92).

• Member, Brussels Bar