Herbert Smith Freehills LLP regularly represents clients in trade disputes and arbitration, with the team's expertise encompassing WTO and ICSID disputes around customs and sanctions measures as well as, increasingly, complaints under the EU's Foreign Subsidies Regulation. Regulatory questions are also a key area of focus for the team, which advises multinational companies and trade associations in connection with EU sanctions and export control measures. Lode Van Den Hende leads the practice and is an expert in WTO litigation and international trade regulation. Other key contacts include Eric White, who regularly advises clients on post-Brexit UK-EU trade relations, and Morris Schonberg, an expert in subsidy control matters.
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘HSF delivers outstanding performance in the most complex EU law issues. They provide well-structured and practical advice with the focus on the client’s objectives. They achieve positive judgments in the EU General Court and the Court of Justice.’
‘Eric White is one of the most experienced European jurists. He leverages his deep understanding of the EU founding principles and precedents of their application and regulations to develop winning strategies.’
‘The team has outstanding capabilities in advising clients on new matters where there are no legal precedents - it truly stands out for its innovative approach. In particular, it has already established itself as a thought leader in relation to the Foreign Subsidies Regulation, a new instrument introduced recently by the European Commission.’
‘Lode Van den Hende stands out for his clear advice to clients on a very broad range of competition matters. He is a go-to name on competition matters in the energy sector, in particular, and has an outstanding profile in this sector. In addition, Morris Schonberg is also a rising star - he has exceptional knowledge and is outstandingly dedicated.’
‘Good leverage of a team with prior government experience.’
‘Eric White is a calm and measured voice in any storm, and brings solid perspective as a former EU Commission official to trade problems.’
Key clients
- The Southern African Customs Union
- British Sugar
- British American Tobacco
- AerCap
Work highlights
- Acted for AerCap in claims under its aviation insurance policies relating to the loss of aircraft and engines in Ukraine and Russia following Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the imposition of international sanctions.
- Represented the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) in a bilateral dispute with the EU under the EU-Southern African Development Community Economic Partnership Agreement concerning a SACU safeguard measure on certain EU poultry imports, one of the first trade arbitrations under an EU FTA.
Lawyers
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Lode Van Den Hende