Since opening in 1990, the Brussels office has brought excellence, creativity, and practicality to our representation of clients in Europe.  The European Legal 500 recently noted our innovative approach to practice, stating that: “we single out Washington, DC regulatory heavyweight Covington & Burling, which in packaging legal advice together with strategic consultancy services is attempting to re-define what it means to be a law firm in Brussels.”

Four distinctive strengths set us apart in the Brussels market.

• High Technology Regulation:  While active on behalf of companies throughout the economy, we are especially well known as a market leader in advising companies in high technology sectors, including the pharmaceutical, medical device, biotechnology, novel foods, internet, electronic commerce, and new media sectors.  These industries tend to be highly regulated, rely heavily on intellectual property, and often are active in processing sensitive data.  We have deep expertise in the regulatory regimes governing these sectors and the specific challenges they present.  Illustrative clients include Qualcomm, Microsoft, Merck, Convergys, PhRMA, and Sony, among many others.  Many of our clients in these sectors have been with us for more than a decade -- a clear sign of their confidence in us.
• Government Affairs & EU Policy:  For many years, we have been one of the leading law firms in Brussels helping to ensure that industry’s voice is heard in the EU legislative process and in administrative decision making.  Our capabilities in this field are greatly enhanced by our senior European Policy Advisor, Wim van Velzen, who served with distinction for over a decade in the European Parliament, where he was Vice President of the European People’s Party, the largest political grouping in Parliament.  We have been active in dozens of legislative campaigns, often involving cutting edge proposals affecting such matters as the regulation of electronic commerce, software patents, online advertising, data protection, animal testing of cosmetics, electronic waste take back rules, product liability, chemicals regulation (REACH), noise emission levels, advanced therapies, and numerous other measures affecting the life sciences and information technology industries.  Our services include legislative analysis, mobilizing coalitions, advocacy, strategic advice, and legislative and administrative procedural expertise. We also have particular experience in developing outreach efforts in relation to Commission competition law investigations.
• EU Litigation:  Another distinctive strength is our expertise in litigation before the European Court of Justice and the Court of First Instance, where we have been involved in some seventy cases in recent years.  Our clients include the Council of the European Union, Microsoft, Merck, ScheringPlough, Qualcomm, the European Low Fare Airlines Association, and the Association of Corporate Counsel Europe. Frequently, these matters have involved novel legal questions of both substance and procedure, including the first ever challenge by a third party to a Community marketing authorization of a pharmaceutical product, the scope of legal privilege enjoyed by in house counsel, the enforcement of procedural rights, and access to documents.
• Transatlantic Policy:  We are extremely well positioned to assist clients on complex legal and policy issues with a strong transatlantic dimension.  Stu Eizenstat, widely regarded as one of the most effective ambassadors ever to have represented the US before the European institutions, chairs the firm’s International Trade and Finance Group.  Stu has maintained close ties with senior European policy makers.  He also continues to be active in the World Economic Forum and the Transatlantic Business Dialogue, and he serves as co-chair of the European American Business Counsel. We are equally fortunate to have as colleagues Al Larson, former Under Secretary of State, and Christopher Roberts, former Director-General of Trade Policy in the United Kingdom.  We offer our clients a one-stop-shop for matters that require coordinated efforts on both side of the Atlantic in areas such as trade, product regulation, merger control, cartels, and export controls. 
   

Accolades

• Chambers Global (2008)
  • Competition/Antitrust, Belgium
  • Data Protection
  • International Trade/WTO, Belgium
  • Life Sciences
  • Life Sciences - Regulatory/Compliance
• Chambers Europe (2007-2008)
  • Competition/European Law, Belgium
  • EU Regulatory & Public Affairs
  • International Trade/WTO
  • Regulatory, Pharma/Life Sciences
• Legal 500 EMEA (2008)
  • Competition, Belgium
  • Customs, trade, WTO and anti-dumping, Belgium
  • EU Regulatory, Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology
  • Intellectual Property
  • EU Regulatory - Information Technology 
• The Practical Law Company’s Cross-Border Quarterly Handbook (April-June 2008)
  • First Place, Life Sciences Industry Super League (third consecutive year)
  • First Place, Life Sciences Regulatory Super League (fifth consecutive year)
• The Practical Law Company (PLC) - Which Law Firm? (2006-2008)
  • Competition / Anti-Trust, EU Life Sciences
  • Competition, European Union
  • Regulatory, Belgium and EU Life Sciences
• Managing Intellectual Property Global Awards, "US IP Firm in Europe" for EU and regulatory work (2008)
• Managing Intellectual Property World IP Survey, "Copyright Firm of the Year," Belgium (2008)
• WORLDLeaders IP Awards, shortlisted in the worldwide category "Excellence in Domain Name Policy Implementation" (2008)
  

In the News

Covington’s Tielemans Appointed to European Commission’s Data Protection Expert Group
11/12/2008

Covington Expands Global Reach with Beijing Office
7/23/2008

Covington Expands International Group With Addition of Ambassador Spiegel
6/2/2008