Stefaan Raes
Partner
Stefaan Raes has a broad and longstanding experience in European and national competition law, both as a judge and as the president of the Belgian Competition Authority.
As a judge, and, before that, as an attorney, he equally has a broad and longstanding experience in litigation, not only in competition law, but also in other areas of economic law, such as sector regulation, market practices and intellectual property rights, as well as in cases of civil liability.
Stefaan has been an attorney at the Brussels bar (1981-1994), a judge in the Court of first instance of Brussels (1994-1998), a judge in the Court of appeal of Brussels (1998-2004), president of the Competition Council (the Belgian Competition Authority, 2004-2013), and afterwards again a judge in the Court of appeal of Brussels (2013-2015). In the Court, he has presided the chamber having jurisdiction over cases of competition law.
Stefaan is the author of numerous publications in the fields of civil procedure and economic law. He has been active both in research and teaching in the field of civil procedure, at the Law Faculty of the KU Leuven (1986-1994).
He is licentiate in law of the University of Leuven (KU Leuven 1980) and Master of Laws (LL M) of the University of Chicago Law School (1981).
Stefaan has joined Liedekerke as a Partner in April 2015.
Contact
Studies
University of Chicago Law School (Master of Laws) 1981
Catholic University of Leuven (Licentiate in Law) 1980
Relevant expertise
Defends undertakings in cartel and abuse of dominance investigations by the EU Commission (languages: French and English) and is currently involved in some 15 such investigations conducted by the Belgian Competition Authority (languages: Dutch, French and English)
Defends the target in the most high profile merger control by the Belgian Competition Authority at present (in the pharmaceutical sector)
Defends the European Chemicals Agency in the Case C-350/15 P before the European Court of Justice (identification of a substance of very high concern under REACH) (procedural language: English)
Co-author of more than twenty advisory opinions of the Competition Council to the Federal Regulator for Postal Services and Telecommunications on definition of markets, designation of operators with substantial market power, and remedies, in the sector of electronic communications
Author or co-author of more than two hundred judicial opinions by the Court of Appeal of Brussels, rendered between September 2013 and March 2015, in competition law, sector regulation, civil liability (also of entities of public law), administrative law and matters of general jurisdiction
Assistance to clients in three merger control cases before the Belgian Competition Authority
Assistance to clients in one cartel investigation by the European Commission and three cartel investigations by the Belgian Competition Authority
Publications
Hoofdstuk over België, in The Cartel and Clement Review, Fourth Edition, 2016, Christine A. Varney Ed., Law Business Research, p. 5-15, met Pierre Sabbadini
Belgian Competition Law Enforcement: Way To Go!, Commercial Dispute Resolution, Volume 6, Nummer 5 september-oktober 2015, p. 26-29, www.cdr-new.com
Exotic Fruits (Bananas) tegen Commissie: Toelaatbaarheid van bewijs en bewijslast van het voortdurende karakter van een enkele inbreuk, Journal of European Competition Law & Practice 2016, Vol. 7, N° I , p. 27-29, met Pierre Sabbadini
Recognition
Stefaan Raes is ranked as “Leading Individual” in the practice area of Competition – Legal 500, 2021
Clients describe Stefaan Raes as "extremely efficient and always excellent to work with," adding that he is "always proactive and on time." – Chambers Europe, 2021
Stefaan Raes is recommended in the practice area of Competition (Belgian Law). – Legal 500, 2020
Interviewees report that Stefaan Raes "can give very useful insight on a file," and describe him as "responsive, pragmatic and available." Raes frequently assists clients with competition litigation cases before the BCA. He has a number of clients from the telecommunications and pharmaceutical sectors – Chambers Europe, 2020
Stefaan Raes is recommended in the practice area of Competition – Legal 500, 2019
According to clients, Stefaan Raes understands both "the legal angle and the practical perspective - he understands the needs of the business." – Chambers Europe, 2019
Memberships & Admissions
Member of the Brussels Bar
Languages
- Dutch
- French
- English
