Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I

Benoît Le Bret has recognised experience in competition law, particularly in the field of State aid (financial services, transport, environment, energy, agriculture) and cartels. Benoît specialises in various European regulations (structural funds, gambling, transport and aerospace, energy, telecoms, e-commerce) and is able to draw on a particularly high level of expertise gained in financial services and transport. He has in-depth knowledge and understanding of internal market rules and of community actors and procedures (legislative co-decision, complaints and infringements, EU budget), and has a wealth of experience in negotiating with the EU Commission as well as EU agencies and authorities such as ESMA. He currently represents and advises clients in the private equity and venture capital industry for all EU-relevant regulatory matters, as well as large firms such as KKR and SNCF respectively for portfolio companies-related matters and for EU railway reforms and possible State aid. He handles State aid cases in various Member States (France, the Netherlands, Luxemburg, the UK, Estonia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Romania and Greece) and sectors (automotive, healthcare, electricity etc.). Benoît regularly drafts complaints to the EU Commission to redress or protect the interests of his clients in a broad range of sectors, including the press, tax, environment, public tenders, gambling, energy and mining. For instance, following a complaint regarding the violation of EU public tender law, Benoît successfully contributed to restoring Alstom's access to a major contract in Romania.

Clément Bouvarel

Admitted to the Paris Bar in 2017, Clément Bouvarel is an associate within the International Trade and Competition Law team. He specialises in International trade defence instrument (antidumping, antisubsidy and Safeguard procedures), European law (FTA, trade barrier regulation, customs) and WTO law. Clément's expertise covers European Union trade defence investigations, third countries trade defence investigation (Morocco, Egypt, Turkey, Gulf Cooperation Council), WTO law, European export control and trade sanctions and disputes before European Courts. He notably assisted the European steel industry against unfair practices from various countries as well as the Spanish ceramic industry in Moroccan and Gulf cooperation council anti-dumping proceedings. Clement also specialises in advisory and regulatory assistance for trade related issues such as FTA and WTO compliance in several industrial sectors (steel, metallurgical goods, manufactured goods, energy, agriculture, paper...). Clément studied at the Ecole Normale Supérieure de Cachan (Law, Economy and Management department) and holds a Master's Degree (Master 1) in European Law from Rennes I University, a Master's Degree (Master 2) in International Trade Law from Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense and a Master in Laws (LL.M) from Trinity College Dublin. He speaks French and English.

Laurent Godfroid

Laurent Godfroid is a partner in Gide’s Brussels office, admitted to the Brussels and Paris Bars. He has extensive experience dealing with EU and French Competition Law, be it mergers, vertical and horizontal cartels, abuses of dominant position or state aids, which he has been practising for more than 15 years. He is also specialised in analysing EU legislation, and questions of interpretation the latter may raise, in the context of legislative proposals or concerning existing texts. On this basis, he assists clients before the European Commission and the French Competition Authority or the Community courts in Luxembourg and also European agencies such as EMA and ECHA. Laurent specialises in several markets: rail and road transports, space industry, agricultural law, agro-chemicals, pharmaceuticals, Internet, and pay and free TV.

Olivier Prost

Olivier Prost has been a partner at Gide's Brussels office since 2002. He is admitted to the Paris Bar (1993) and the Brussels Bar (1994). In 2008, he was appointed as a French foreign trade advisor (Europe section). Olivier started the international trade law and WTO litigation practice at Gide. He advises companies and governments in the use of trade defense instruments (anti-dumping, anti-subsidy and safeguard measures). He is also very active in several areas which are becoming increasingly important to international trade due to the impact of globalization: market access and regulatory barriers, tax discrimination, health and environment, energy, trade secret and export control. He intervenes also in the formulation, interpretation and implementation of EU laws in several industries regularly affected by trade laws, including in European and international litigation.

Romain Rard

Admitted to the Paris Bar in 2012, Romain Rard is a partner within Gide's Economic & European Law team, working out of the firm's Brussels office. His practice focuses in particular on EU regulatory matters (financial services, telecoms, media, transport, chemical industry, etc.) and on French and EU competition law (State aid, merger control, and antitrust). Romain represents European and national trade associations, as well as leading market players, and in this capacity advises on rule-making and policy implementation process of European institutions and EU agencies. Romain has developed in-depth knowledge of EU processes and gained solid expertise regarding prudential matters, taxation, and anti-money laundering, as well as ESG matters and sustainable finance. Romain is a graduate of Lyon III and McGill Universities. He speaks French and English.

Ségolène Pelsy

Admitted to the Paris Bar in 2008, partner Ségolène Pelsy specialises in all aspects of competition law. As regards merger control, Ségolène handles complex transactions that may require the negotiation of innovative commitments. She has, for instance, acted on the acquisition of ready-meals player William Saurin by Cofigeo and on the first use by the Minister of the Economy of his right to raise a case on other grounds than those of competition law (Phase III). Moreover, she has assisted SNCF on the notification to the European Commission of the creation of railway companies Eurostar and Thalys. She has also acted for clients as third parties (plaintiffs) in Phase II operations such as Arianespace and ChemChina / Syngenta. As regards anticompetitive practices, Ségolène has been working on the procedure brought against Google by the European Commission for abuse of dominant position. She has assisted one of the main plaintiffs, and is now assisting it as intervener before the EU General Court. Additionally, Ségolène has significant experience of cartel procedures and the management of related internal audits (compliance training), and assists trade associations active in Brussels in this regard. Lastly, Ségolène advises companies in competition law in countries outside of Europe, in close partnership with the firm's other international offices located in particular in North Africa. She holds an LL.M. in European law from the Institute for European Studies (Brussels), a Master's degree in French and English law from the University of Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne, as well as an LL.B. in European and international law from King's College in London.

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