Senior Associate

Pauline Abba

Languages

French
English
Dutch

Social media

A lawyer since 2016, Pauline joined CMS in April 2023 and specialises in public and administrative law, with a particular interest in public procurement and PPPs.

She advises both contracting authorities and economic operators in these matters. Her expertise covers the award and execution of all public contracts, including public procurement and concessions. She regularly advises clients in the construction sector, in the hospital and medical sector, in the education and cultural sector, as well as in the energy and IT services sectors.

In particular, she assists contracting authorities in the drafting of procurement documents, as well as in the follow-up of the procurement award (questions and answers, modification notices, etc.). Its expertise also covers the execution of the procurement.

She represents her clients in litigation before the Council of State, the judicial judge and the European courts.

In parallel to her career as a lawyer, Pauline is also an assistant in administrative law at the Université catholique de Louvain since 2016. In this context, she supervises seminars and carries out research in general administrative law.

She has spoken at several conferences in the field of administrative law and regularly gives presentations on public procurement.

She was a lawyer in another law firm specialising in public procurement law between 2016 and 2023 and a member of the coordination committee of the law review L'entreprise et le Droit between 2018 and 2022.

Publications

P. ABBA, M. LOMBAERT, C. MOLITOR et K. POLET, « Le contrôle des mesures de police administrative générale », in La police administrative générale (sous la dir. de D. Renders et C. Delforge), Bruxelles, Larcier, 2025, pp. 585-686.
P. ABBA et D. WILLEMS, « Quelques lignes directrices pour la conclusion d’un contrat de transaction relatif à un marché public » in La commande publique à la croisée des chemins – Overheidaankopen op een tweesprong (sous la dir. de D. De Roy, P. Thiel, M. Vanderhelst et K. Wauters), Bruxelles, Larcier, 2025, pp. 399-460.
V. DOR, Y. MUSSCHEBROECK, M. VILAIN XIIII, F. VERHOEVEN & P. ABBA, « La régularité des offres », Kluwer, 2024, 232 p.
P. ABBA, D. DE VALKENEER, A. PERCY, D. RENDERS, “Local Governance in Belgium”, in M. Nicolini et A. Valdesalici, Local Governance in Multi-LayeredSystems. A Comparative Legal Study in the Federal-Local Connection, Berlin, Springer, 2023, pp. 211-236.
P. ABBA, C. DELFORGE, L. LABRUYERE, « Les garanties procédurales applicables à l'agent statutaire » in D. RENDERS (dir.), La discipline dans la fonction publique, coll. Centre Montesquieu d’études de l’action publiques, Bruxelles, Larcier, 2023, pp. 183-301.
D. RENDERS, P. ABBA, S. GOBERT, E. ROMBAUX, « La gestion de la pandémie de COVID dans l’Etat fédéral belge », in J. FOUGEROUSE (dir.), La gestion de la Pandémie de COVID par les Etats, Bruxelles, Larcier, 2023, pp. 221-233.
D. RENDERS, P. ABBA , E. ROMBAUX, « L’action publique face au COVID-19 – Belgique », Annuaire Européen d'Administration Publique, vol. 43, 2023, pp. 27-86.
D. RENDERS, P. ABBA, A. VOLDERS, « Chronique de vie administrative – Belgique (2020) », Annuaire Européen d'Administration Publique, vol. 43, 2023, pp. 367-424.
K. WAUTERS, P. ABBA, « Marchés publics. Travaux – Fournitures – Services » In F. PICOD (dir.), Jurisclasseur "Europe traité", fasc. n°1052, Paris, LexisNexis, 2022, pp. 1-24.
L. CECI, P. ABBA, R. BORN, « Le médiateur, amicus curiae du juge ? » in D. RENDERS and M. BERTRAND (dir.), Le citoyen and l’administration face au juge et au médiateur institutionnel, Bruxelles, Larcier, 2021, pp. 297-334.
D.RENDERS, P. ABBA, A. VOLDERS, « Administrative law/Droit administratif – Belgium/Belgique », European Review of Public Law, 2021, vol. 33, pp. 929-1007.
D. RENDERS, P. ABBA, A. VOLDERS, « Chronique de vie administrative – Belgique (2019)», Annuaire Européen d'Administration Publique , vol. 42, 2021, pp. 343-381.
D.RENDERS, P. ABBA, A. VOLDERS, « Administrative law/Droit administratif – Belgium/Belgique », European Review of Public Law, 2020, vol. 32/3, pp. 1179-1231.
R. SIMAR, P. ABBA, « Titre VII, Sous-titre 3, Marchés publics de travaux and de services, Chapitres 1 à 3 », in Guide de droit immobilier, Kluwer, 2020.
P. ABBA, C. MOLITOR, E. WILLEMART, « L’acte créateur de droits », in D. RENDERS (dir.), La théorie du retrait d’acte administratif, Bruxelles, Larcier, 2019, pp. 65-130.
R. SIMAR and P. ABBA, « Sécurité juridique, légitime confiance, patere legem quam ipse fecisti. Transparence administrative ou principes transparents ? » in BEN MESSAOUD and F. VISEUR (coord.) Les principes généraux de droit administratif, Bruxelles, Larcier, 2017, pp. 91-131.
P. ABBA, « Le contrat de transaction en droit public », A. P. T., 2017/4, pp. 345-363.

Lectures list

Lecturer as part of the Certificate in Good Administration organised by UCLouvain
Since 2017 : Training courses on public procurement for both public and private clients
2017-2023 : Training courses for EMBUILD Wallonie 
24/03/2023 : Speech at the conference « La discipline dans la fonction publique » (with C. DELFORGE and L. LABRUYERE) (Louvain-la-Neuve)
21/03/2023 : Webinaire « Marchés publics and RGPD » for the Association belge du droit de la construction (with J. LIGOT)
12/11/2021 - 13/11/2021 : Speech at the conference Table ronde du Centre de recherches administratives de l’Université d’Aix-Marseille sur le « Droit souple. Quelle place pour les "normes molles" en droit administratif? » (with L. CECI, S. KOVAL, D. RENDERS) (Université d'Aix-Marseille)
30/09/2021 au 01/10/2021 : Speech at the conference « La gestion de la Pandémie de COVID par les Etats » (with D. RENDERS and E. ROMBAUX) (Université d'Angers).
18/02/2021 : Speech at the conference « Le citoyen and l’administration face au juge and au médiateur institutionnel » (Louvain-la-Neuve) (with R. BORN and L. CECI).
13/11/2020 : Speech at the conference table ronde du Centre de recherches administratives de l’Université d’Aix-Marseille sur « L’action publique face au COVID-19 » (with D. RENDERS and E. ROMBAUX) (Université d'Aix-en-Provence - distanciel).
28/03/2019 : Speech at the conference « La théorie du retrait d’acte administratif » (with E. WILLEMART and C. MOLITOR) (Louvain-la-Neuve).
01/10/2018 - 03/10/2018: Speech at the conference « The Ombudsman in an open and participatory society. General Assembly IOI-Europe » (with D. RENDERS) (Bruxelles).
01/06/2017 : Speech at the conference « Les principes généraux de droit administratif. Actualités and applications pratiques » (with R. SIMAR) (Bruxelles).

Education

2016 – Université catholique de Louvain, UCL, Belgium (Master of Laws)
2016 – Bar admission (Brussels, Belgium)

ERROR

Practice Areas

Public Procurement & PPP

Insights

Global Reach

Contact us