K&L Gates

Client Satisfaction

Antoine de Rohan Chabot is counsel in the Brussels office and is a member of the antitrust, competition and trade regulation group. Over the past 12 years, Antoine has developed experience in a broad range of areas in European Law and French Law. His practice focuses on advising clients in a variety of industrial sectors, including transport, and aviation, e-commerce cross-border issues, energy, hydrogen, pharmaceuticals, medical devices and cosmetics, manufacturing, chemicals and IT on the legal aspects of their business activities, with a particular emphasis on international contracts, and EU and French regulatory compliance. Antoine also regularly advises clients on global compliance programs regarding antitrust, the rules and procedures governing State aid, and EU public procurement directives. He also advises on EU and French competition and consumer protection legislation, including unfair commercial practices, misleading and comparative advertising, and advises companies on distribution agreements including competition, and e-commerce cross-border issues relating to distribution agreements in Europe. Antoine has extensive experience advising clients on EU and French foreign direct investment screening mechanisms, in particular on the assessment of transactions under French FDI control legislation, and has coordinated several Phase I and Phase II FDI filings in France.

Calvina Bostick

Emanuel Rouvelas

Francesco Carloni

Francesco Carloni is a partner in the firm’s Brussels and Milan offices where he is a member of the Antitrust, Competition, and Trade Regulation practice group. Francesco has extensive experience in notifying mergers and joint ventures with the European Commission and national competition authorities in Europe, coordinating the notification of international transactions globally, and advising on all aspects of antitrust law, including vertical agreements, anti-cartel enforcement, collaborative arrangements, unilateral conduct, e-commerce, EU sector inquiries, public consultations, and state aid. He has been involved in some of the most high-profile and complex merger control cases, including in-depth (Phase 2) investigations and remedies. He offers compliance training and develops customized compliance programs adapted to clients' specific risk profiles. He has extensive experience in the fashion and luxury sector where he represents a number of the most iconic brands globally. He advises leading corporations in a variety of sectors including fashion and luxury, pharmaceutical, IT, digital maps, telecommunications, aviation, chemicals, liner shipping, food, dairy and automotive industries. A New York and Italian-qualified lawyer, Francesco graduated from the University of Rome “La Sapienza” and received two LLMs from the College of Europe, Bruges, and Georgetown University Law Center, where he was a Fulbright scholar. He is also the author of several articles on antitrust law–most recently, he was the author of the second antitrust survey on the luxury and fashion sectors, Journal of European Competition Law & Practice (2022)–and often participates as a speaker at conferences and seminars on European and Italian competition law.

George Kontakis

Jeffrey King

Jennifer Paterson

Jennifer Paterson is a partner in the International Arbitration and Litigation and Dispute Resolution teams of the firm's Dubai office, based in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). Jennifer regularly advises and represents both regional and international clients in a wide range of commercial disputes. She has experience representing clients in local and international arbitration proceedings administered many of the major arbitration centers, including the ICC, LCIA, DIFC-LCIA, DIAC, and ADCCAC, as well as ad hoc proceedings. Jennifer has full rights of audience before the DIFC Courts and the Courts of England and Wales. She also works closely with local counsel in respect of litigation pending before the UAE Courts. Jennifer has been instructed as trial counsel in a broad range of contested matters, including complex commercial contracts, oil and gas, construction, real estate, insurance and employment disputes. In addition to being able to navigate complex disputes in a variety of local and international forums, Jennifer counsels clients on a range of compliance issues and internal investigations. She is recognized by The Legal 500 EMEA in Dispute Resolution: Arbitration and International Litigation and by The Legal 500 Arbitration Powerlist Middle East 2023 for Private Practice Arbitration.

Jeroen Smets

Jeroen Smets is a partner in the firm’s Brussels office. He concentrates his practice on corporate, mergers and acquisitions, private equity, structured and leveraged finance matters with a particular emphasis on management buy outs and acquisition finance. Jeroen advises Belgian and foreign corporates and financial institutions on a wide range of domestic and cross-border corporate transactions including mergers and acquisitions, capital markets work, private equity and venture capital transactions as well as general corporate advisory work. He focuses in banking and finance related transactions including real estate and acquisition finance and structured finance, senior and mezzanine lending, security packages, and provides advice on regulatory and general banking law. He has extensive experience with coordination of cross-border transactions and the negotiation and structuring of complex leveraged buy-outs and both share- and asset deals and has acted on some of the landmark private equity deals in Belgium, including the first ever public to private transaction in the market. His client base is diverse and encompasses Belgian companies, multi-national corporations, long-established private companies and new ventures and Belgian and foreign financial institutions. Jeroen has extensive international experience and has lived and worked in Brussels, Moscow and New York.

Jonathan Sutcliffe

Jonathan Sutcliffe is a partner in the firm's Dubai office where he is a member of the international arbitration practice group. Jonathan has significant experience in international arbitration and dispute resolution and has acted for numerous clients on a diverse range of international commercial arbitration, ADR, and litigation matters in the energy, construction, hospitality, real estate, defence, insurance, international joint venture, and film sectors, and on investor-state disputes. Jonathan is a member of the firm’s hydrogen group. Jonathan also sits regularly as an arbitrator, including under the rules of arbitration of the ICC, DIFC-LCIA, DIAC, and ADCCAC, and in ad hoc arbitrations. He is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. Jonathan is qualified in England and Wales, and New York and is registered as an advocate in the DIFC Courts.

Leah Baucom

Mélanie Bruneau

Mélanie Bruneau is a partner in the firm's Brussels office. She advises on a broad range of areas in European Law. Her practice focuses on advising clients a variety of industrial sectors, including transport, and aviation, energy, hydrogen, pharmaceuticals, medical devices and cosmetics, manufacturing, chemicals and IT on the legal aspects of their business activities, with a particular emphasis on regulatory compliance. Mélanie advises large multinationals on all aspects of EU competition law. She has significant experience in cartel investigations and sector inquiry investigations. Mélanie was also involved in the first cartel settlement and in the first hybrid cartel settlement before the European Commission. Mélanie regularly advises clients on global compliance programs regarding antitrust. She performs internal audits and compliance trainings. She frequently advises on the rules and procedures governing State aid and EU public procurement directives. In terms of compliance, Mélanie also advises on anti-corruption (including the OECD Convention, UK Bribery act and US FCPA) and on the anti-money laundering legislation. Mélanie has significant experience in advising on vertical agreements including exclusive distribution and supply as well as selective distribution and franchising. She also has lots of experience in advising on horizontal issues including joint ventures, collaboration, cooperation, R&D as well as consortium agreements. She frequently advises on resale price maintenance (RPM) and price discrimination issues on behalf of some of the largest companies in the world. Mélanie frequently advises on restrictions of active and passive sales, non compete provisions but also on termination of distribution agreements. She also advises on parallel import restrictions and more generally on free movement of goods. Mélanie regularly advises on commercial agency agreements (including on compensation and termination issues). She also advises on consumer protection legislation including unfair commercial practices as well as misleading and comparative advertising. She advises companies on distribution agreements including e-commerce cross-border issues and distribution networks in Europe. Mélanie has assisted various clients in the setting up of their commercial websites in compliance with the e-commerce, e-sign and data protection legislations. Over the past 15 years, Mélanie has developed a strong experience in a wide range of transport, aviation, ground handling and airport related matters where she advises clients on EU and French regulatory issues and complex contractual arrangements. This includes noise reduction, regulatory issues associated with the transportation of chemicals, pharmaceuticals, perishables, jewelry and high-value goods but also on slot allocation. Mélanie has advised on the emissions trading schemes (ETS) for aviation, on the guidelines for State aid to airports and airlines and on passenger rights. She also has experience in EU sanctions, customs and export controls. Mélanie is a member of the Paris and Brussels Bars. She has contributed to Practical Law Company (PLC) on international sales and marketing.

Michael Scanlon

Mohammad Rwashdeh

Mohammad Rwashdeh is special counsel in the dispute resolution team of the firm's Dubai office, based in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). Mohammad regularly advises and represents both UAE-based and international clients in a wide range of commercial, intellectual property, civil and criminal disputes. Mohammad has full rights of audience before the Courts of Jordan. He is also licensed as a legal consultant by the Dubai Department of Legal Affairs and works closely with local counsel in respect of litigation pending before the UAE Courts. Mohammad has been instructed as lawyer and counsel in a broad range of contentious and non-contentious matters, including complex commercial contracts, arbitration, corporate, insolvency, anti-corruption, intellectual property, construction, real estate, sharia law, education and training, insurance, data privacy law and employment. Mohammad has experience in arbitration and enforcing local UAE judgments and arbitration awards overseas, as well as enforcing international and foreign judgments and arbitration awards in the UAE and Jordan. In addition, Mohammad has experience in legislation, policy, compliance, investigations and due diligence matters.

Nazanin Aleyaseen

Nazanin Aleyaseen is a partner in the arbitration team and has served as counsel or arbitrator in complex commercial proceedings before the ICC, LCIA, DIFC, DIAC, and ADCCAC and as an advocate in the DIFC Courts. Nazanin is the founding member of the internal investigations and employment practice in the Middle East and has conducted internal investigations into allegations of fraud and misconduct. She has advised multinational corporations with operations in the MENA region for over a decade in a wide range of industries including entertainment, oil and gas, construction, health care, and manufacturing and she has been recognized as a leading lawyer in the UAE by Chambers Global and The Legal 500. Nazanin is a member of the prestigious American Employment Law Counsel (AELC) making her one of the few AELC members to practice law outside the United States. Nazanin joined K&L Gates in 2012 and sits on the firm's global associate development committee, Women in the Profession Committee, the diversity committee and the pro bono committee.

Nikolaos Peristerakis

Nikolaos Peristerakis is a partner in the firm’s Brussels office. He is a member of the Antitrust, Competition & Trade Regulation practice group. Nick has more than 20 years of experience advising and representing clients in merger control and antitrust investigations. He has handled the EU and global merger clearance process for hundreds of public M&A, joint venture and private equity transactions. He has also led or co-led numerous high-profile Phase I remedy and Phase II cases before the European Commission and globally. Nick has also handled several complex antitrust and abuse of dominance matters before the European Commission. Key matters include the representation of a leading semiconductor company in the first interim measures case in more than two decades imposed by the European Commission in an abuse of dominance proceeding, and the representation of a major Wall Street bank in the European Commission’s Credit Default Swaps investigation (GCR Behavioral Matter of the Year in 2016). Nick has represented clients in a wide range of sectors, technology, digital platforms, semiconductors, telecoms, media, aerospace, basic industries, consumer goods, food

Patrice Corbiau

Patrice Corbiau is a founding partner in the firm’s Brussels office. His practice focuses primarily on Belgian and international corporate and commercial law. Patrice experience includes advising corporations on a wide range of corporate and commercial transactions. He frequently advises international corporations on complex M&A transactions and joint ventures having cross-border aspects. He also regularly advises on multijurisdictional commercial and contract matters, including on the drafting and negotiations of all types of commercial agreements, distribution agreements, consortium agreements, lease agreements and licensing agreements, as well as on E-commerce, fair trade practices and consumer protection in multiple EU jurisdictions. He has substantial experience in litigation and arbitration. Patrice is particularly active in the healthcare, manufacturing, transport and logistics, real estate, chemical and technology sectors.

Petr Bartoš

Petr Bartoš is an associate in the firm's Brussels office. He is a member of the Antitrust, Competition, and Trade Regulation practice group. Petr is an EU trade and regulatory lawyer, with a public affairs experience. He regularly provides legal and policy advice in matters concerning EU trade, notably EU restrictive measures and export control, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and EU regulatory law, with a particular focus on digital regulation. Petr has advised clients on all sides of their international trade operations, helping them to ensure their compliance with EU trade legislation, including by assisting them with developing of internal compliance policies and processes. He also reviews prospective transactions with respect to their likelihood of affecting security or public order triggering potential FDI reviews, and coordinates multi-jurisdictional FDI notifications.

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