Bredin Prat

The firm: Bredin Prat is a Paris-based law firm specialising in business law, particularly high-level mergers and acquisitions (including major French privatisations) and litigation. The Paris office has acquired widely recognised expertise in the field of domestic and EU competition law through its highly respected partners Robert Saint-Esteben and Hugues Calvet.

The Brussels office was founded in 1999 and in 2003, Marc Pittie became the Brussels-based partner in charge of the office. Through his previous experience in private practice and as a clerk at the Court of First Instance in Luxembourg, Marc Pittie has profound experience in international transactions, as well as behavioural cases before the European Commission and the European courts. He leads a team of six EU-specialised lawyers, all members of the Paris or Brussels Bars.

The Brussels office has also developed an in-depth understanding of the internal politics of the Commission, has good working relationships with its officials and is experienced with litigation before the European Community courts.

The Brussels practice is fully integrated with the Paris office’s competition law practice group, for a total of 16 lawyers dedicated to EU and national competition law.

Areas of practice: The firm advises on all aspects of competition law, including merger control, abuse of a dominant position, cartels, state aid, regulatory matters and commercial transactions. Its Brussels-based lawyers are able to give advice and opinions on EU, French and Belgian law in French, English and Dutch, and can represent clients before European and national jurisdictions.

Having been involved in many major cases involving both French and multinational companies, the firm has gained special expertise in complex and highly-sensitive transactions and litigation cases.

The Brussels office has acquired specific experience in the telecoms, entertainment and banking sectors, as well as various industrial sectors.

Through the Paris office, the firm is able to offer a full range of services, advising on all M&A, corporate and tax matters. Through its ‘Best-Friends’ network, Bredin Prat also offers assistance on an international scale, especially as regards international antitrust filings and clearances in the context of multi-jurisdictional transactions and multi-jurisdictional cartel investigations.