Yvan Desmedt has advised clients for more than two decades on EU and national-level competition law, as well as advisory and litigation matters in regulated industries (telecoms, postal, energy, and financial services). He is the Partner-in-Charge of the Amsterdam Office, with a regular presence in the Brussels Office.
Yvan's competition law experience includes merger control at the EU and national levels as a notifying party or third-party opponent. Examples include assisting global corporates such as Carlyle, GE, Newell Brands, Toyota, and SAP in various transactions. He also has acted for complainants in transactions leading to significant structural remedies (Universal/EMI).
His antitrust experience at the EU level includes the interchange fee investigation for Mastercard, the roaming investigation, and the Power Cable and cargo cartels, as well as national proceedings in Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and Luxembourg. Yvan regularly advises on commercial agreements, including joint ventures, distribution, and licensing. He also advises trade associations, including the GSM Association (mobile network operators), APPLiA (the European Association for Household Appliances), and the Federation of European Stock Exchanges (FESE), on compliance and EU regulatory issues.
Yvan has significant litigation and advisory experience in the regulated industries. He advises fixed and mobile telecommunications and postal operators across Europe in proceedings before competition authorities, regulators, and civil and administrative courts. He also assists telecom clients in other matters such as frequency auctions, licensing issues, site-sharing, and access agreements.
Also active in international trade and export control, Yvan recently advised on trade protection procedures in the field of raw materials/chemical derivatives and on dual-use regulations.
Video
Experience
Additional Publications
- April 2019
"La nouvelle loi postale belge: premières analyses et réflexions", published in RDC - March 2019
'De een zijn dood, de ander zijn brood: De handelsbeschermende maatregelen van president Trump en de mogelijke impact ervan voor het bedrijfsleven in de EU en Nederland', Tijdschrift Ondernemingsrecht 2019(3), pp. 161-171 - December 2017
European General Court Rules (Again) on Mandatory Access and Interoperability in Software Industry, Cyberspace Lawyer, Vol 22 Issue 11 - March 2014
The First Competition Law Case in the Belgian Postal Sector: Should the Messenger Have Been Shot twice? - 2013
"Net neutrality: from a catch-all to a catch 22?” in Strowel (éd), Net Neutrality in Europe, Collection de l’IEJE de l’université Saint Louis, Bruylant - April 2013
The Belgian Parliament enacts a new competition law,e-Competitions, n°51813 - 2013
New Fining Guidelines in Belgium: if not a spotlight, then a glimmer?, European Competition Law Review, Issue 3 - May 2009
European Ombudsman's first decision on access to file in antitrust investigation, European Competition Law Review
Additional Speaking Engagements
- June 6-7, 2019
Conference ERA/EMR on EU law in the Media Sector - November 6, 2018
Competition Law and Regulation in the Telecoms & Communications Sector 2018 - November 28, 2017
Breakfast Workshop on Dawn Raids - October 17-18, 2017
Competition Law and Regulation in the Telecoms, Media & Technology Sectors - October 18-19, 2016
Competition Law and Regulation in the Telecoms, Media and Technology Sector 2016 - October 14, 2016
Seminar Crisis: How to Manage? - June 6, 2016
27th Annual Communications and Competition Conference - November 18-19, 2015
IBC’s Legal’s 21st Annual Competition Law, Telecom, Media & Technology (TMT) Sector 2015 - October 6, 2015
Annual Conference of the International Bar Association - September 1, 2015
Antitrust and State Aid Presentation to University of Hohenheim’s Aviation MBA Program - November 6, 2014
Competition Law in the Broadcasting Sector 2014 - March 19, 2014
Telecoms Conference Series: Demystifying EU telecoms consolidation - October 17, 2013
The New Belgian Competition Act and Recent Developments in Belgian Competition Law - May 29, 2013
Antitrust Law in the Aviation Industry - April 29-30, 2013
International Bar Association's 24th Annual Communications and Competition Conference
"Very effective, responsive and business-oriented, providing practical and tailored advice."Legal 500 EMEA
- New York University (LL.M. 1999; BAEF Fellow/Fulbright Scholar); Free University of Brussels (J.D. summa cum laude 1998); Universita degli Studi di Siena (Erasmus Exchange, 1998)
- Brussels and registered in the Netherlands as a European lawyer
Named a "foreign competition/European law expert for the Netherlands" and noted as "excellent in all aspects," Chambers Global (2018)
"Extremely thorough and gives thoughtful analysis" (2020) and ‘a young and dynamic lawyer,’ who offers ‘on-the-spot guidance,’ Chambers Europe (2019)
"They stand out for their expertise and ability to meet expectations; their availability and rapid response; always solution-oriented. Highlighting Yvan Desmedt as an stand-out partner." Legal 500 EMEA (2021)
- Dutch, English, French, German, Italian