Lars Kjølbye

Lars Kjølbye is a partner in the firm’s Brussels office, with broad experience in EU competition law. Mr. Kjølbye’s practice focuses on complex cases in the areas of abuse of dominance, restrictive practices, and merger control. He has extensive experience across a number of industry sectors including software, electronics, energy, aviation, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, media, banking, sports, and consumer products. Mr. Kjølbye has practiced in Brussels since 2008. Mr. Kjølbye spent ten years at the European Commission’s Competition Directorate General (“DG Competition”) including heading the energy and environment antitrust unit from 2006 to 2008. Under Mr. Kjølbye’s leadership, the unit undertook a comprehensive inquiry of European gas and electricity markets and contributed extensively to the Commission’s proposals for a third energy liberalisation package. The unit also prosecuted several important abuse of dominance cases under Article 102 of the European Treaty addressing issues raised in the sector inquiry. From 2003 to 2006 Mr. Kjølbye was deputy head of the case scrutiny and support unit of DG Competition, responsible for assisting case teams with economic and legal analysis, formally reviewing initial case reports, statements of objection and draft decisions and assisting the Commission’s Legal Services unit with respect to cases pending before the EC courts. From 1999 to 2003 Mr. Kjølbye was part of a small team that drafted Regulation 1/2003, which established a new procedural framework for applying Articles 81 and 82. In addition, Mr. Kjølbye drafted the guidelines on the effect on trade concept, the guidelines on technology transfer agreements and the guidelines on the application of Article 101(3) of the Treaty. From 1997 to 1999 Mr. Kjølbye worked in the pharmaceuticals and consumer goods unit as a case officer. Before joining DG Competition, Mr. Kjølbye served as a referendaire at the European Court of Justice.