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Director, EHS Regulatory - Dr. Anna Gergely, a European Patent Attorney in a role equivalent to partner, with a PhD in analytical and quantum chemistry, brings to clients a unique combination of deep scientific understanding and cutting-edge regulatory knowledge in environmental legislation, focusing on chemicals, food, food contact materials, consumer products and workers' safety matters. She is particularly experienced in providing creative solutions to clients seeking compliance strategies that cover the full range of their technical and legal needs in areas such as: chemicals (under REACH and CLP), food, feed, food contact materials (risk assessment and composition compliance, marketing claims, and hygiene rules), medical devices, biotechnology, consumer products, such as cosmetics, toys and all applications of nanotechnologies.

Anne-Gabrielle Haie

Partner - Anne-Gabrielle Haie advises clients on a wide range of digital-related matters, with a strong focus on data protection, privacy and cybersecurity. In addition, she has developed considerable expertise on AI and blockchain. She advises clients on compliance with EU laws and risk management. Anne-Gabrielle also has strong experience advising clients on data privacy and cybersecurity issues related to strategic transactions and commercial negotiations. She further assists clients with cybersecurity preparedness and response to data breaches and other security incidents. Anne-Gabrielle's practice include representing clients in enforcement and litigation actions before European supervisory authorities and courts. Her clients include multinationals, start-ups and scaleups in diverse industries, and she has a strong track record in the Life Sciences and Technology sectors.

Charles Whiddington

Partner - Charles Whiddington represents companies in cartel and other antitrust investigations. He also provides strategic advice on licensing, assists clients to shape their distribution networks, and provides advice and representation on the competition aspects of mergers and joint-ventures. Over the years, Charles has represented a number of clients involved in national and international cartel investigations in a range of sectors including banking, airlines, liner shipping, energy, automotive, and travel agency fees. He has also advised electricity and gas companies in the European Commission's sector inquiries, antitrust investigations concerning third party access, as well as the application of electricity and gas network codes. Charles regularly acts in the energy, transport, and life sciences sectors and has successfully represented other clients on a wide array of antitrust and competition matters.

Darren Abrahams

Partner - Darren enables clients throughout the chemicals and life sciences supply chain to get and keep their products on the European market (in the UK and the EU). He focuses on defence of products through strategic advice, advocacy before institutions and agencies, and litigation before EU and national courts and tribunals. He has a wealth of experience with the regulation of biocidal products, plant protection products (agrochemicals), REACH, classification, labelling and packaging, GM food and feed, cosmetics, and endocrine disruptors.Darren also has particular experience defending clients resisting requests for access to confidential business information. For instance, he successfully defended the European Chemicals Agency in a high-profile case concerning its refusal to grant public access to information disclosing the identity and specific commercial activities of companies engaged with a number of allegedly hazardous substances. He also successfully led industry interveners in the Glyphosate appeal before the Court of Justice of the EU on the same issues.

Eléonore Mullier

Partner - Eléonore Mullier specializes in EU regulatory law and litigation. She advises clients who, whether based in the EU or not, come into contact with EU regulations affecting the placing on the EU market of their products. Eléonore's knowledge extends to the entire life-cycle of materials, from chemicals legislation (biocides, REACH, classification and labelling, POPs, PPPs, etc.) to product and waste legislation (CE marking, RoHS/WEEE, Ecodesign, medical devices, single use plastics, waste and end-of-waste). She also advises clients on the interface between these regulations and on cross-sectoral issues including the European Green Deal initiatives.Eléonore also has extensive experience representing clients before the European Court of Justice and the ECHA Board of Appeal and before both national and EU regulatory authorities (the European Chemicals Agency, the European Commission, and national competent authorities).

Eva Monard

Partner - Eva Monard's practice focuses on EU trade and customs law, WTO disputes, trade remedies such as anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigations, EU sanctions and trade controls, and EU internal market law. Eva represents international companies, associations, and governments. She represents clients before EU institutions, including the European Commission, and before customs authorities of various EU Member States. Eva has extensive experience in litigating trade and internal market cases before the EU courts. In the trade remedy area, she has assisted clients in more than 80 anti-dumping, anti-subsidy, and safeguard investigations in various jurisdictions, and has obtained annulments of trade remedies imposed on imports. She also advises clients on their obligations under EU export controls laws and sanctions by preparing compliance policies and by conducting due diligence of proposed transactions to ensure that clients meet their obligations as to EU trade controls (e.g., in relation to military or dual-use items) and sanctions. Eva advises clients on EU customs law, on issues such as classification, origin and valuation. She has guided several companies through pan-European customs investigations. Eva assists governments at all stages of World Trade Organization dispute settlement proceedings, before panels and the Appellate Body. She also advises clients on the compatibility of national legislation with WTO trade laws and free trade agreements.

Guy Soussan

Partner - Guy Soussan has more than 20 years of experience advising clients on EU and international reinsurance regulatory issues. He advises insurers and reinsurers, captives, and intermediaries on EU regulatory, legal, tax, antitrust, international trade, and compliance issues. In this role, he has assisted leading European and non-European groups in setting up and conducting business in Europe in order for them to benefit from the EU’s Single Market rules in insurance. Guy also focuses on prudential supervision of EU and international reinsurance undertakings under Solvency II, where he frequently provides advice on governance, the setting-up of new structures, group supervision, and the treatment of third-country groups. Additionally, Guy advises EU and French export control regulations, including controls and licensing regimes for military, commercial products, and technologies. He also provides advice and assistance with EU economic sanctions targeting specific countries such as Iran, Libya, Syria, and most recently, Ukraine, and Russia. His experience covers a wide range of industries, including manufacturing, energy, telecommunications, banking and insurance, petroleum and petro-chemicals, aerospace, and defense.

Renato Antonini

Partner - For over 20 years Renato Antonini has represented clients on global trade legal and regulatory issues, in particular advising on EU trade matters, WTO trade law, as well as on trade remedies investigations in other jurisdictions. Renato advises Sovereign states, and international companies operating globally, and across all industries, in particular in steel manufacturing, chemicals, energy, and financial services. Renato's EU trade practice concentrates on EU trade remedies investigations, EU customs, as well as EU sanctions and export control issues. His practice includes the assistance to governments in WTO disputes. He has a track record in achieving successful outcomes for clients before EU Courts, the European Commission and national regulators. Renato successfully assisted Jinan Meide Casting Co. Ltd, one of the largest manufacturers worldwide, in two landmark judgements of the European Court of Justice General Court concerning imports of threaded tube or pipe cast fittings, of malleable cast iron, originating from China. He also represented Jindal Saw Ltd, an international manufacturer headquartered in India, in two landmark judgments in cases concerning imports of tubes and pipes of ductile cast iron originating from India.

Ruxandra Cana

Managing Partner of Steptoe's Brussels office. Ruxandra defends industry interests through legal and regulatory challenges to EU market access, before both EU and national institutions and courts. Her practice is focused on EU regulatory law and litigation with a strong emphasis on chemicals and product regulations, such as REACH. She has notable experience and success with related matters concerning emerging issues such as nanotechnology. Ruxandra is a litigator well-known for her groundbreaking cases before the Court of Justice of the EU, as well as for her successful representation of clients in numerous appeals before the European Chemicals Agency's Board of Appeal (BoA). Many of the cases that Ruxandra handles have never before been argued: she develops new remedies and solutions to earn favorable outcomes for clients. For instance, she acted as counsel in the first successful direct action related to EU chemicals legislation before the EU General Court. She was also counsel in the only successful nano-related substance and dossier evaluation cases under REACH brought before the BoA, defending industry-wide interests. Ruxandra’s success for clients stems from her dedication to learn their business and be a trusted and pragmatic advisor. She has formed and continues to act as a trusted advisor to more than 30 industry groups. She further brings significant experience in EU rules on biocides and pesticides, cosmetics, medical devices, consumer products, food, and food contact materials.

Yongqing Bao

Senior Associate - Yongqing Bao advises governments and private parties on trade and investment issues, strategies for negotiating international trade agreements, and EU law. He is a qualified Chinese lawyer who has been practising international trade and EU customs law in Brussels for more than 10 years. Yongqing has a particular focus on China, having represented Chinese clients on more than 60 multijurisdictional trade defense and customs investigations. He has also advised clients in several investment-related projects in China and Europe. With his extensive knowledge of all aspects of trade remedy (anti-dumping, anti-subsidy, and safeguards) proceedings, Yongqing is well-equipped to assist clients during on-spot verifications, in the preparation of questionnaire responses, and in the negotiation of undertakings. He regularly represents private and public bodies before the EU courts in Luxembourg in trade remedy, public procurement, and EU internal market disputes. Yongqing also has broad experience with EU customs rules and procedures regarding product classification and origin, duty suspension, tariff quota, and export controls, as well as other EU regulatory matters.

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