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Global Competition Review

2021:  Highly recommended
Annabelle Lepièce and Dirk Van Liedekerke lead eight associates in the antitrust group at CMS, which is known for its state aid work. The team advises around 30 European airports – including new client EasyJet – on such matters. Van Liedekerke also has expertise in the telecommunications sector, defending Proximus during investigations by both the competition authority and sector regulator into a RAN-sharing agreement with Orange Belgium. Additionally, the team represents Proximus in a claim for damages against rival Telenet and also secured the Belgian Competition Authority’s unconditional Phase I approval for the company’s €130 million acquisition of Mobile Vikings from DPG Media. 

FIFA is another notable client. The firm represents football’s governing body before Belgium’s Supreme Court as football club Seraing challenges its sanctions under competition law and before an appellate court as its player transfer rules are contested on similar grounds. In the pharma sector, CMS continues to act for MediCare-Market in its complaint against the Belgian Order of Pharmacists as the competition authority follows the Market Court’s 2020 order to review the €1 million fine it imposed on the association for hindering Medi-Market’s development. It also assisted Medi-Market with a follow-on damages claim that was ultimately settled.