EU & Competition law
Our specialisms
Cartels and cooperation / Abuse of dominance / Merger Control and Joint Ventures / Dawn Raids and Regulatory Investigations / State Aid / Competition Litigation / Financial Regulations / International Sanctions
The EU and Competition law team provides strategic advice on boardroom level and also directly advises to the business. We handle high profile, high complexity cases for large, multinational and national clients, strategic and cross border projects and disputes.
Our dedicated specialists are not only well-versed in the law, but also have practical experience with a particular understanding of the business of our clients and the markets on which they operate. With this expertise we focus on finding practical and commercially viable solutions for our clients.
We have longstanding relationships with the supervisory authorities in the Netherlands and this allows us to limit competition law risks for our clients and to effectively resolve disputes with competition authorities.
Litigation
The EU and Competition Law team has broad experience in representing clients in proceedings before Dutch and European competition authorities and courts.
We have particular expertise in supporting our clients in follow-on litigation, such as antitrust damage claims. When it comes to litigation, we actively collaborate with the Litigation & Arbitration team of Kennedy Van der Laan.
Market focus
We have been involved in many landmark cases in the financial and banking sector. We are regarded as the leading competition law firm in the banking sector in the Netherlands and have been involved in all major projects in the field of payments.
High profile clients in the fashion and retail sectors seek our expertise for specialist advice. Our work often involves complex cross-border projects across different territories, such as Western-Europe, Eastern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.
We also have special expertise in the healthcare/life sciences sector as well as the media, ICT and technology sectors.
As a spider in the firm’s web, our EU and Competition law team cooperates with all other teams of Kennedy Van der Laan. We have strong working relationships with top law firms in all major jurisdictions across the globe.
Market recognition
The Legal 500 EMEA 2022 - EU & Competition - Ranked
Annemieke van der Beek, Martijn van Bemmel and Martine de Koning co-head the EU and competition team at Kennedy Van der Laan, which has a leading position in the Dutch banking and finance sector, and is also active in the public transport and hospitality sectors. Van der Beek is particularly noted for her competition expertise in the payment services market. As part of an ongoing trend, the practice continues to see an increase in follow-on damages actions. In addition, it has seen a growth in mass claims following recent changes in the law. Elsewhere, the group provides compliance advice and represents clients in regulatory investigations, among other matters. In an ongoing mandate, van Bemmel and others are acting for Union Cyclist Internationale (UCI) and Cyclistes Professionnels Associés (CPA) in a dispute with Cycling Service over a new platform for managing prize money.
Practice head(s): Annemieke van der Beek; Martijn van Bemmel; Martine de Koning
Leading Individuals
Annemieke van der Beek
Testimonials
- 'They know our business very well and are able to provide advice that is really suited to our requirements.’
- ‘They are very quick to respond, know the business and know our challenges.’
- ‘We have been working with Kennedy van der Laan over the past 10 years in the field of competition law. The cooperation is good and successful. The team is well informed about our business and the relevant completion law issues.’
Chambers Europe 2022 - Competition/European Law - Ranked
What the team is known for
Kennedy Van der Laan assists financial sector clients with competition matters, including obtaining approval for joint ventures. The law firm also represents manufacturing sector clients in cartel damages claims. The team acts for clients from the fashion and luxury goods industries on contentious distribution matters. Additionally it has clients from the healthcare sector.
Strengths
A client appreciates the firm's "very quick and informed responses."
Notable practitioners
Annemieke van der Beek represents financial institutions, transport operators and food and beverage companies in competition cases spanning merger control procedures, ACM investigations and cartel damages claims.
Martine De Koning maintains a clientele of fashion retailers and luxury brands, advising them on distribution agreements.
Victor de Wolff (Financial Director GSN):
“We at GSN are especially happy with the cooperation model between ourselves and Kennedy Van der Laan. Thanks to a great mutual commitment to the preparation of the cases and a clear division of roles, we were able to choose the best strategy to follow in these cases together. With Kennedy Van der Laan we have developed a characteristic method of cooperation, in which GSN supplies the relevant facts, after which the team translate this business information into legally relevant information.
All in all, we are extremely satisfied; not only with the positive outcome of the various proceedings and summary proceedings, but also with the cooperation. The team of Kennedy Van der Laan, consisting of Annemieke van der Beek, Martijn van Bemmel and several other colleagues from other practice groups, always do their utmost to achieve the best result for us.”
Jeroen Sluijter (Vice President Legal Rabobank):
“I’ve been working with Annemieke van der Beek for many years. She combines thorough knowledge of competition law with a hands-on and very client orientated way of working. Besides that Annemieke is very capable to align interests of stakeholders leading to strategic relevant advantages for her clients. Her professional approach has led to unanimous positive results when dealing with competition authorities needed for carrying out strategic projects. Highly recommended!”
Marco Demmink (Secretaris Currence and Betaalvereniging Nederland (Dutch Payments Association)):
“Annemieke van der Beek is considered an authority on competition law in the payment industry. She has an extensive knowledge of payment system and its institutions; her network includes all the relevant key persons and she stays constantly up to date on all developments in this field. For this reason, her advisory work is broadly valued an appreciated.”
Dirk van Oostveen, (CEO Rotaform):
"I had sought Annemieke's advice on a complex topic of competition law. Together with her colleague Minke de Haan, she fulfilled my request in an excellent manner. Their well-wrought written advice had ample legal depth while being pragmatic and solution-driven at the same time. I was very happy with the outcome and would certainly not hesitate to recommend Annemieke to others who require high-quality legal services."
