Mr. Gyselen joined the firm after a long career in government, primarily at the European Commission (EC). His competition law practice encompasses strategic and compliance advice, representations before the EC and some EU Member State agencies as well as litigation in the European Union (EU)'s General Court or Court of Justice.
Government Experience
Prior to joining the firm in 2004, Mr. Gyselen held several senior positions at the EC's Directorate-General for Competition (DG COMP). As Head of Unit, he played a key role in many high-profile cartel and abuse cases, in particular in the sectors of banking, insurance, food, and pharmaceuticals. Prior to that, as special assistant to the Director-General in DG COMP, he oversaw the entire range of EU competition enforcement policy activities, including the introduction of EC merger control, and acted as liaison officer between DG COMP and the Commissioner in charge of competition policy and his personal staff.
In the earlier years of his career, Mr. Gyselen was a member of the EC's Legal Service and a law clerk at the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg where he clerked for Judge Joliet.
Mr. Gyselen is involved in EC competition cases "across the board" (i.e., mergers, antitrust, and state aids). Since 2008, Mr. Gyselen is a Non-Governmental Advisor (NGA) to the EC. In that capacity, he has spoken at annual conferences or workshops organized by the International Competition Network (ICN).
Experience
- Danaher/GE Biopharma: co-counsel to Danaher in connection with its purchase of GE's health care life sciences biopharma business. The EC conditionally cleared the transaction in December 2019 following a phase I investigation and issued its purchaser approval decision in March 2020.
- Tronox/Cristal: counsel to Cristal in connection with its sale of inter alia its titanium dioxide pigment business. The EC conditionally cleared the transaction in July 2018 following a phase II investigation.
- Abbott/Alere: co-counsel to a third party intervener (a medical equipment manufacturer). The EC conditionally cleared the transaction in January 2017 following a phase I investigation.
- Visa Inc. / Visa Europe: counsel to Visa Inc. in connection with its acquisition of Visa Europe. The EC unconditionally cleared the transaction in June 2016 following a phase I investigation.
- Liberty Global / BASE Belgium: counsel to a third party intervener (a virtual mobile network operator). The EC conditionally cleared the transaction in February 2016 following a phase II investigation.
- Intel/McAfee: counsel to Intel in connection with its purchase of security software firm McAfee. The EC conditionally cleared the transaction in January 2011 following a phase I investigation.
- Sea-Invest/EMO-EKOM: counsel for Sea Invest in connection with its purchase of a controlling minority share in EMO-EKOM, the largest stevedoring terminal for coal and iron ore in Europe. The EC unconditionally cleared the transaction in August 2006 after a phase II investigation.
Perspectives
Recognition
Competition (2009-2011, 2014, 2017–2020, 2022)
Competition: State Aid (2020, 2022)
Life Sciences—Transactional (2020, 2022)
Credentials
- LL.M., Harvard Law School, 1983
- LL.M., College of Europe, 1979
- LL.B., University of Leuven (KUL), Belgium, 1978, magna cum laude
- Bachelor Degree, Philosophy, University of Leuven (KUL), Belgium, 1978, magna cum laude
- Brussels, Belgium
- Senior Official, Directorate-General for Competition, European Commission
- Dutch
- English
- French