Senior EC Competition Official Luc Gyselen Joins Brussels Office

BRUSSELS / WASHINGTON, D.C., May 24, 2004 – Arnold & Porter LLP announced today that Luc Gyselen, a senior official with the Directorate-General for Competition (DG COMP) at the European Commission, will join the firm’s Brussels office as a partner on July 1. Arnold & Porter opened its Brussels office in August 2003 and since expanded with the addition of several associates. The firm’s Brussels competition/antitrust team is now comprised of ten lawyers.

“Luc is a great addition to our firm,“ said firm chairman Michael Sohn, “An EU official of his reputation and expertise adds significant depth to our international antitrust group and our European competition capabilities. His insight will offer our clients in Brussels the added value that they have come to expect from us in the United States.”

Since 1999, Mr. Gyselen has directed DG COMP’s Food and Pharmaceuticals unit, which includes a team of some 15 case handlers overseeing a rich portfolio of cartel and abuse cases. He previously spent five years heading the Financial Services unit.

During his career as an EU official, Mr. Gyselen has worked for three European institutions. After two years at the European Parliament, he joined the European Commission’s Legal Service where he practiced EU competition law. In 1987, he moved to Luxembourg for three years, assisting Judge René Joliet at the EU’s Court of Justice. He rejoined the European Commission in 1990 to become special assistant to Claus-Dieter Ehlermann, then Director-General of DG COMP. In 1994, he became director of the Financial Services unit, and in 1999, moved to Food and Pharmaceuticals.

Mr. Gyselen holds degrees in Law and in Philosophy from the University of Leuven, Belgium, and an LL.M. from Harvard. He specialized in European law at the College of Europe, Bruges, Belgium, where he also served as a teaching assistant before launching his government career.

Over the years, Mr. Gyselen has published several major articles on important policy issues. His recent critical analysis of the European case law on fidelity rebates has attracted attention at a time when DG COMP has started to review its policy on abuses of dominant position.

“I’m excited about the opportunity to join Arnold & Porter’s first-rate team of antitrust/competition lawyers and help expand the firm’s competition practice in Europe and the U.S.,” Mr. Gyselen said. “I feel very lucky to have held so many interesting positions at the EU, but look forward to this new challenge.”

William Baer, former Director of the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Bureau of Competition (1995-2000), heads Arnold & Porter’s antitrust practice, which has over 65 attorneys in the U.S. and Europe. The firm’s Brussels office is headed by top EU competition lawyer Marleen Van Kerckhove. She is joined by Mr. Baer and UK competition lawyer Tim Frazer, who both spend significant portions of their time in Brussels, along with competition partner Susan Hinchliffe, and a team of four associates. Under Ms. Van Kerckhove’s leadership, the Brussels office has been successful in attracting work from such significant clients as ArvinMeritor, Cisco Systems, Komatsu, General Electric, and Pfizer.

Arnold & Porter LLP has received international recognition for its antitrust practice. The 2004 edition of Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business ranked Arnold & Porter the #1 antitrust law firm in Washington for the second consecutive year. Chambers & Partners has previously named Arnold & Porter the #1 antitrust firm in the U.S. (2003) and in North America (2001). PLC Global Counsel's Competition Super League 2004 ranked Arnold & Porter among the top ten firms in the world, recommending the firm for its counsel on U.S. and EU competition issues.