Our team provide advice on the UK/EU interface, on broader trade and international commercial law issues and on EU law.
From our office in Brussels, as well as other locations, our lawyers provide advice to clients on a broad range of trade and international commercial law issues, as well as on EU law.
Trade law and related subjects - Click here for a description of our services and examples of our work in relation to trade law and related subjects.
Advice on the UK/EU interface requires knowledge of the agreements between the United Kingdom and the European Union, in particular the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement and experience advising on EU law. Specifically, we help clients in relation to the following:
EU rules and regulations – for exporters to the EU, we advise on interpretation of EU rules and regulations and engaging with the EU regulators to obtain clarification or decisions on open issues.
EU competition law – representing UK businesses accused of breaching EU competition law (which is still possible post-Brexit), and complaining to the EU Commission where UK businesses face unfair competition in the EU due to anti-competitive agreements or practices.
EU policy and legislative drafting advice – EU and UK businesses affected by EU rules and regulations can have their voice represented at trade associations but can also directly voice their concerns to the EU institutions as legislation is debated and amended prior to adoption. We support clients in such representative actions.
State aid - Raising complaints where EU-based competitors may be benefitting from State aid that is unlawful pursuant to EU law.
Public international law – the UK and its relations with other countries is subject to public international law. This covers many subjects on which we advise clients according to the issues at hand, such as the United Nations Conventions on the Law of the Sea, or the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
Examples of our work include:
- Advising Oxfam in relation to United Nations policies, laws and procedures and analysis of EU and Member States’ laws and policies, in relation to promotion of and adoption of the UN Arms Trade Treaty, and subsequent implementation measures of that treaty by the signatory States
- Producing a report to a major tobacco manufacturer on the rules and regulations across 25 EU and non-EU countries concerning the pricing of cigarettes and identifying the legal and economic benefits that would come from the adoption of better regulatory norms
- One of our lawyers was the lead author of a report for Huawei proposing a methodology to examine the government effects of removing its product from the market as regards competition law and cybersecurity law. Read the report here
- Acting for a shipping conglomerate by presenting arguments to the EU about alleged subsidies provided to an Asian competitor in the context of its bid to acquire a European-based competitor
- One of our lawyers was the lead lawyer author of the study requested by the European Commission entitled, ‘Legal, economic, and regulatory aspects of ATM data services provision and capacity on demand as part of the future European air space architecture’, where our lawyer addressed the competition and regulatory aspects, including liability and insurance of changes to the structure of air transport navigation, in particular the data aspects of such changes, see the EU website where report is published
