Van Bael & Bellis shines in Chambers Global 2019 with top-tier rankings for its EU competition and international trade practices
- 27/02/2019
- News
Van Bael & Bellis has once again achieved outstanding results in Chambers Global 2019, recently published online, where the firm and its lawyers are described in superlative terms by clients and peers.
While the firm’s larger teams of EU competition and international trade continue to occupy the top bands, and our head of dispute resolution is “excellent”, our corporate M&A team is once again ranked amongst the top independents in the Brussels market.
Our international trade and WTO team receives accolades for being “really sharp” with a “very good reputation” and work that is “strong and robust” and for the lawyers’ ability to “easily understand [clients’] needs, including not only the legal issues but also the commercial aspects. They are very good at finding the best solution considering all aspects of the issue”. Jean-François Bellis “remains a prominent figure in the trade market in Brussels”. Philippe De Baere is “‘an outstanding professional’ with a wealth of experience in the field of trade disputes and customs”. Richard Luff is noted for his expansive experience in the trade law field: both on EU mandates and in WTO trade disputes. Benoît Servais is lauded as being “‘a very strong lawyer’, particularly praising his ability in disputes and noting that ‘he is very strong at the European courts’”. Fabrizio Di Gianni is praised by clients for being “very fast and giving very clear advice” and for his “positive and reasoned approach”. Pablo Muñiz is “very good at reverting to our needs and considering all aspects of the question”, while Yuriy Rudyuk “is described by clients as ‘constructive and inventive’”.
The EU competition team receives equally high praise. Jean-François Bellis is “like an encyclopaedia of EU competition and trade law, the best person for the cross-over between trade and competition”. David Hull is a “pragmatic lawyer with a cutting edge understanding of legal developments and regulatory trends, who offers very clear risk-based advice”. Clients appreciate that Andrzej Kmiecik “provides very thorough analysis, but also very pragmatic and practical solutions, and is always attentive to clients’ needs”. Porter Elliott is described as a “true expert in his field who gives very practical advice and is willing to pitch in and participate with the business”. Kris Van Hove is “responsive and does a good job of providing a broad overview but also giving concrete answers”. Clients appreciate that Markus Wellinger is “humble, open to discussions, very supportive and responsive, and is here to help”. Johan Van Acker displays a “really good understanding of [clients’] business and the commercial risk within a short space of time”. Fabrizio Di Gianni and Gabriele Coppo are both listed as Foreign Experts for Italy.
Corporate/M&A partner Michel Bonne is described by clients as a “very commercial, efficient lawyer with fast reaction times and good follow-up”.
Dispute resolution partner Catherine Longeval is praised for being “excellent, very detail-oriented and responsive”.