Hendrik Viaene

Hendrik Viaene is a managing partner with McDermott Will & Emery based in the firm’s Brussels office. He focuses his practice on competition law, regulated markets and regulatory law. He advises clients across a wide range of related issues including state aid, cartels, licensing agreements, merger filings, M&A negotiations, abuse of dominance cases, and distribution agreements. Hendrik assists governments as well as privately and publicly owned companies. He has a wealth of experience in a range of sector such as energy, chemicals, paints, automotive, financial data, recycling and waste management, telecom, construction, renewables, media, private equity and the financial industry. Hendrik represents companies before national competition authorities and before the European Commission in state aid, cartel, merger, and abuse of dominance investigations. He also assists governments and companies on defence strategies as well as compliance programmes to avoid fines or having to refund or recover state aid. Hendrik has successfully guided clients through first and second phase investigations in merger clearance proceedings before competition authorities across the globe. He also counsels clients on compliance audits, immunity and leniency initiatives, and general risk avoidance in relation to competition law. Hendrik has additional experience in intellectual property rights licensing initiatives specifically with regard to restrictions imposed by competition law. During his career he has represented clients in proceedings before the European Commission, the European Court of Justice, the Belgian Competition Authority, the Brussels Court of Appeals, the New Caledonian Competition Authority, the Paris Court of Appeals, and the Luxembourg Competition Authority. He acted as co-counsel for other clients for most major competition authorities worldwide, and he also audited a number of competition authorities’ operations and output as a subject matter expert.