Jacques Bourgeois

Jacques Bourgeois is a recognized authority on European Union (EU) law, with over four decades of experience in private practice and public service. He advises Sidley lawyers and clients around the globe on all aspects of EU law, with a specific focus on trade and competition matters. He assists clients with complex EU trade and market access issues, including anti-dumping investigations and anti-subsidies. He also has extensive experience advising on matters related to the World Trade Organization (WTO). He advises on EU competition matters related to restrictive business agreements and dominant positions, as well as on the review and clearance of mergers and acquisitions. Since 2006, he has served as Chairman of the Competition Commission advising the Belgian government. Most recently, Jacques Bourgeois has been advising clients on various aspects of the legal and policy implications of Brexit. Prior to entering private practice, Jacques served for over 25 years as a senior official with the European Commission. From 1987 to 1991, he was the principal legal adviser of the Commission in charge of foreign trade policy and, later, antitrust policy. Previously, he served for several years as head of the Trade Policy Instruments Division in the Directorate-General for External Relations, and was responsible for the implementation of the EU’s regulations on anti-dumping and subsidies, as well as for safeguard measures and protection against illicit commercial practices. He originally joined the Commission as a member of Legal Service in 1965 and was responsible for personnel issues, matters of institutional domain, agriculture and fisheries policy, and external relations. Jacques Bourgeois is Professor of the College of Europe (Bruges), guest professor at the University of Gent and was a visiting professor at the University of Michigan Law School in 1976. He was appointed to the Jean Monnet Chair at the University of Bonn during the 1992-1993 academic year. He studied economics at the University of Louvain in Belgium and participated in the MCL program of the University of Michigan Law School from 1959 to 1960. Mr. Bourgeois speaks Dutch, French, English, German, Spanish and Italian.