McDermott Will & Emery Appoints Leading Competition Partner to Brussels Office
BRUSSELS (1 July 2010) – International law firm McDermott Will & Emery LLP is pleased to announce the expansion of its global Antitrust and Competition Law practice with the addition of partner Wilko van Weert to its Brussels office. Wilko joins McDermott’s highly rated EU competition practice from SJ Berwin, where he was a partner.
Wilko will focus his practice on EU competition law, with a particular emphasis on the interface between competition and intellectual property law. He has extensive experience in this important area through his representation of clients in the media and broadcasting sector, including in the CISAC cartel case and a number of matters involving the MP3 patent pool. He also has extensive experience in the life sciences and energy sectors. He has advocated and litigated matters before the European Commission and the EU Courts in Luxembourg, most recently in a number of high-profile merger control cases against the European Commission.
In addition to his experience as a private practitioner, Wilko also brings his enforcement agency experience to McDermott, having served as senior counsel to the Director General of the Dutch Competition Authority.
Commenting on the appointment, Clive Stanbrook OBE QC, head of the EU Competition Law practice in Brussels, said: “I am very pleased to be working with Wilko again. His appointment is a key part of our continued growth plans for the EU competition practice and Wilko will enhance our already excellent capabilities.”
Commenting on his move to McDermott, Wilko van Weert stated: “I am delighted to be joining McDermott’s EU competition team. There are some exciting developments going on in competition law at the moment, and McDermott’s Brussels office is at the cutting edge of these developments in a number of areas.”
“Wilko substantially enhances our EU competition law capabilities in areas that are of key importance to the Firm’s global growth strategy. His addition to our team in Brussels also underscores our commitment to continue to grow our Competition Law practice in Europe,” added Joe Winterscheid, head of the Firm’s global Antitrust and Competition Law practice.
EU Competition Practice
McDermott Will & Emery’s EU competition practice provides sophisticated competition advice before the European Commission and Courts, as well as before national competition authorities. The team counsels clients on the whole spectrum of competition issues, including merger control, cartel defence, single firm dominance, class actions, EU and Member State litigation, public procurement and State aid. The European practice supports the Firm’s global antitrust & competition practice to service our international client base.
Wilko van Weert
Wilko’s practice focuses on EU competition, EU regulatory and EU trade law, with a particular emphasis on the interface between competition and intellectual property law. This is reflected in his significant representation of clients in the media and broadcasting sector, as well as those in industries such as high-tech electronics, automotive, aviation, biotechnology, oil and paper.
Wilko has advocated and litigated matters before the European Commission and EU Courts, most recently in a number of high-profile merger control cases against the European Commission. He has also successfully handled corporate claims for damages resulting from illicit cartel behavior.
McDermott Will & Emery
McDermott Will & Emery is an international law firm (amongst the top 20 both in the United States and globally) with more than 1,000 lawyers who practice from the Firm's offices in Boston, Brussels, Chicago, Düsseldorf, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Miami, Milan, Munich, New York, Orange County, Rome, San Diego, Silicon Valley and Washington, DC, and a strategic alliance in Shanghai with MWE China Law Offices.
