Covington Strengthens EU Competition Practice with Johan Ysewyn and Peter Camesasca

Covington Strengthens EU Competition Practice with Johan Ysewyn and Peter Camesasca

4/30/2014

Brussels, 30 April, 2014 — Covington & Burling is pleased to announce that Johan Ysewyn and Peter Camesasca are joining the firm's Brussels office as partners, where they will play substantial roles in the firm’s global antitrust and competition practice. The additions of Mr. Ysewyn and Dr. Camesasca will strengthen the firm’s existing EU competition team in Brussels, which includes Miranda Cole, Damien Geradin and Henriette Tielemans.

“This is an important step toward our goal of building a premier competition practice in Brussels that will serve clients around the globe,” said Timothy Hester, chair of Covington’s management committee. “Johan and Peter bring a wealth of competition experience in areas that are vitally important to our clients -- compliance, disputes and investigations. As the global markets accelerate, our clients’ businesses face an ever changing set of challenges, which our EU competition group is well positioned to address.”

Thomas Barnett and Deborah Garza, the chairs of Covington’s global antitrust and competition law practice group, noted: “Johan and Peter are two of the most impressive practitioners in Brussels today, and their arrivals strengthen our ability to handle large and complex matters, including cartel investigations, and underscores our commitment to serving our clients’ needs globally.”

Mr. Ysewyn and Dr. Camesasca have been recognised by GCR, Chambers Europe and Legal 500 EMEA over the past few years.

Mr. Ysewyn advises on all aspects of EC, international and Belgian antitrust law, including merger control, compliance, cartel and leniency issues, and abuse of dominance cases. His work on global and European cartel investigations cuts across a range of sectors, including the financial services, oil and gas, life sciences, and beverages industries. Mr. Ysewyn also has significant experience in state aid. He will serve as head of Covington’s European competition practice. Mr. Ysewyn was most recently a Brussels-based partner in the competition practice of an international law firm.

Dr. Camesasca has advised US and EU clients across a diverse range of sectors, including aviation, maritime transport, harbors and shipyards, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, electronics and semiconductor industries, as well as telecommunications and internet services. His experience includes cases under Articles 101 and 102 TFEU, national and multijurisdictional merger and joint venture notifications, the IP/antitrust cross-over, investigations by multiple enforcement authorities and transcontinental antitrust litigation and monopolisation issues. Dr. Camesasca is returning to Covington’s partnership in Brussels after a two year stint running his own practice.

“The arrival of Johan and Peter’s return to Covington are very exciting news for our European and broader international competition practice,” added Peter Bogaert, managing partner of Covington’s Brussels office. “It brings us fully on track with our plans to grow in Brussels, and we feel this is a watershed moment for the EU competition group, which produces cutting edge work for a range of clients, including AstraZeneca, Expedia, Microsoft, Samsung, and many others.”

Dr. Camesasca noted: “Covington is an outstanding firm with a long tradition of leading global regulatory practices. Its antitrust group is expanding aggressively, and it is exciting to be back and to be part of this ambitious plan. With an ever-growing network around the globe, the firm is a perfect place to serve high tech businesses facing challenges in the IP/antitrust arena, as well as maritime transport clients in all their forms.”

Both Mr. Ysewyn and Dr. Camesasca are admitted to the Brussels Bar. Mr. Ysewyn earned his degree from Ghent University. He is fluent in Dutch, English and French. Dr. Camesasca studied at the University of Antwerp, and received his Ph.D. from Rotterdam University. He speaks Dutch, English, French and German.

Covington’s global antitrust practice is widely recognised for its excellence, including rankings in Chambers Europe, Chambers USA, Legal 500 EMEA and GCR100. According to Chambers Europe 2013, Covington’s “enterprising team has grown rapidly in recent years and enjoys increased market recognition.”