Brussels

Avenue Louise 240, Box 5
B-1050 Brussels
TEL: +32 2 626 0500
FAX: +32 2 626 0510

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Office Information

Our Brussels lawyers draw on a broad range of knowledge and experience. British, Belgian, Dutch, French, Greek, Swiss, Canadian and US lawyers advise on matters involving their national legal systems and on issues raised in the context of the European Union (EU), the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and other international fora.

Practice Areas
The Brussels office represents national and multi-national companies, European and International trade associations and public institutions. With over 30 years’ experience, the office provides legal services in the following areas:

• EU and International Trade
• EU Competition and Antitrust
• EU Consumer Protection
• EU Environment and Life Sciences
• Financial Services and Insurance
• International Tax
• Technology and E-commerce
• Telecommunications
• Belgian Corporate and Commercial

European Union (EU)
Brussels is the political and legislative centre of the European Union. The activities of the EU institutions have a fundamental impact on commercial operations across the 27 EU Member States. Advice on the formulation and application of EU law and effective representation of corporate interests before the EU institutions are essential to ensure market access, efficient commercial operations and continuing regulatory compliance.

Our services include:

• Analysis of new regulatory proposals
• Legal advice in support of lobbying
• Review of the implementation and application of EU law in the Member States
• Advice on the validity of EU laws
• Challenging Member State laws through EU administrative procedures or judicial proceedings
• Challenging (or intervening in support of) EU decisions before the EU Courts
• Advice on compliance with International laws of measures adopted by the EU or its Member States

EU and International Trade
Steptoe’s EU trade and regulatory practice advises on the formulation and application of EU law and effective representation of trade and commercial interests before the EU institutions. 

We generally act on behalf of exporters to the European Union and EU importers affected by antidumping, subsidy and safeguard proceedings. We also work closely with the European Commission to pursue representations to third-country governments under the EU’s Trade Barriers Regulation (TBR)  when our clients in the EU are affected. We advise on the compatibility of EU and Member State regulations with the relevant international rules, especially those reflected in the WTO Agreements.

Other aspects of our trade practice involve strategic advice to corporate clients and governments on aspects of international trade law and negotiation of bilateral trade arrangements (FTAs and other preferential trade) and multilateral agreements affecting trade relations. We also offer significant experience in analysing and advising on draft EU regulations that impact exporters’ market access, whether the regulatory initiative is still in the draft stage (pre-Commission approval) or in the form of formal Commission proposals for adoption by the Parliament and Council (co-decision). 

To see further information about the firm's International Trade practice please click here.

EU Competition and Antitrust
Our Brussels office has longstanding experience in handling both European Community (EC) and national-level competition questions. We advise on horizontal (including cartels) and vertical antitrust issues arising from agreements under Article 81 and from abuse of a dominant position under Article 82 of the EC Treaty, as well as merger and other transactional antitrust matters. 

EU Consumer Protection
Our lawyers regularly advise on the EU and national consumer protection legislation applicable to the manufacture and promotion of products or services. We advise in relation to the following areas concerned with guarantees, product safety, data protection, advertising and marketing:

• Data protection compliance
• Manufacturer guarantee and repair obligations
• Product launch
• Product recall and withdrawal
• Product safety
• Sales and payment methods
• Trade associations
• Unfair commercial practices

EU Environment and Life Sciences
Our lawyers and regulatory specialists advise clients on the range of environmental and life science regimes applied in the European Union. Our clients are leading multinational and national companies in their respective sectors, European and international industry associations, EU institutions and international organisations. Clients consult us in four principal areas:

• Regulatory monitoring and advice to help keep clients abreast of the latest legal developments
• Legal lobbying on legislative and policy proposals in order to assess potential impacts and support initiatives to shape decision-making processes
• Advice on the application of, and compliance with, legislation and standards
• Llitigation before the European Courts

Our advice includes working with clients to help them effectively manage the range of regulations applying to their products sold to consumers and to industrial purchasers or users. Our environmental and life sciences practice assists clients in understanding and taking advantage of related market opportunities created by EU legislation. We also assist clients in complying with major industrial operations that can be regulated by EU environmental law and in keeping up to date as standards change.

In the environmental and food spheres, we assess national laws that apply to clients’ operations for their compatibility with, and validity under, EU law. We represent clients before relevant EU institutions and/or national authorities when intra-EU trade barriers are identified.

As part of our broader legal and due diligence assistance on corporate transactions, we advise clients on the environmental risks accompanying acquisitions and disposals in Europe. We also have particular experience in the area of environmental liability, product liability and product safety (including product recalls).

Financial Services and Insurance
The firm advises extensively on matters involving the impact of EU banking regulations and related policies on EU Member States. We have particular experience in sensitive matters such as the directive on taxation of savings income, money laundering and the EU's relations with key third-country financial centres. Three partners in the office are recommended for Banking & Finance in the Legal Business European Legal Experts 2007 directory.

Our Brussels EU insurance law team—one of the leading teams in the Brussels market—has extensive experience in advising clients on how best to comply with the sometimes bewildering and confusing regulatory regimes and—crucially—on how to exploit opportunities created by the liberalised EU environment.

Our advice covers the regulatory regimes set out in the EU directives and national implementing provisions, compliance with ‘home country’ and ‘host country’ rules; in addition, clients benefit from our comprehensive input on other essential legal and regulatory questions including:

• Identification of suitable jurisdictions for pan-European sales
• Incorporation and authorisation
• Establishment or freedom of services basis of operations and ‘general good’ questions
• Product design, marketing, distribution and administration
• Tax treatment of the product
• Human resources
• Prevention of money laundering
• Protection of personal data
• Corporate governance and market conduct compliance

International Tax
The Brussels office tax practice, operating in close co-operation with the firm’s tax group based in Washington, DC, concentrates on planning for individuals and companies doing business in multiple jurisdictions. The development of tax-efficient and commercially sound structures requires a knowledge and understanding of applicable legislation in our clients’ countries of residence and, of course, the jurisdictions in which they intend to carry out their activities. National legislation must often be interpreted in the light of bilateral income tax treaties and, where required, the rules, regulations and guidelines of international organisations such as the European Union and OECD.

As well as advising on all compliance issues, we assist in the development and subsequent implementation of agreed-upon structures including helping clients to form companies or other legal entities.

Technology & E-commerce
We advise on market-access issues and are involved in the Europe-wide debate on a number of matters relating to the Internet and e-commerce, including:

• Electronic signatures
• Encryption
• Online copyright protection
• Data protection
• Applicable law and jurisdiction
• The interplay between e-commerce and the financial services regime

Our strong presence in Brussels and complementary experience in the United States enable us to compare technology developments on both sides of the Atlantic and to provide clients with a complete range of advice and services in this significant field of law.

Telecommunications
Our internationally recognised Telecommunications Group provides legal advice on a broad range of telecommunications-related commercial, regulatory and infrastructure matters, particularly those with an international and European Union dimension. Steptoe’s telecommunications lawyers have an in-depth understanding of the commercial and technological aspects of the telecommunications industry and continually monitor market developments in Europe and North America.

We advise both established and start-up service providers, including carriers, co-location providers and other service providers, on a wide range of matters. Services commonly provided include obtaining individual licenses, acting in acquisitions or disposals of other telecom operators, and drafting commercial service agreements.

Belgian Corporate and Commercial
Olislaegers & De Creus is an independent Belgian law firm located in Brussels that also serves as the Belgian law practice for Steptoe & Johnson LLP. The firm has practices in commercial and dispute resolution, corporate and financial services.

The commercial practice advises on a wide range of commercial and business contracts and matters, including cross-border transactions. The lawyers have a strong background in distribution contracts, outsourcing and general service contracts, unfair trade practices, product development contracts, rental and leasing agreements, insurance matters, product liability, unfair trade practices and consumer protection matters, Belgian competition law and general business contracts. The dispute resolution practice of Olislaegers & De Creus ranges from mediation and litigation before the courts to arbitration proceedings.

The corporate practice handles a full range of M&A transactions, joint ventures, corporate finance deals, corporate governance matters and corporate disputes including shareholder and post-acquisition disputes, insolvency proceedings, interim relief and injunctions. The practice has significant experience in corporate restructuring activities, business reorganizations and debt restructuring of enterprises, and represents creditors' rights in the context of reorganizations, insolvency proceedings and liquidations.

Olislaegers & De Creus also has extensive experience in advising and representing clients on all aspects of commercial finance transactions and regularly deals with the creation of security interests in all types of assets. Olislaegers & De Creus advises clients on the regulation of the Belgian financial markets and of financial services and providers, on the duties of information and disclosure for listed companies and on investor protection matters.

Olislaegers & De Creus is recommended by the European Legal 500 for its corporate and M&A, and dispute resolution practices.