Frédéric Louis focuses on all aspects of EU competition law, in particular, behavioral investigations (cartels and abuse of dominance), merger clearances and State Aid. In addition, he has extensive litigation experience, having represented clients in more than 100 proceedings before the European courts in Luxembourg. Mr. Louis also advises on other aspects of EU regulatory law, including product regulations and data protection. He has been centrally involved in pioneering transparency litigation, having won a series of cases mandating freedom of access to information held by the EU institutions. He also litigates and represents clients before Dutch, French and Belgian courts (including antitrust damages claims) and competition authorities.

Practice

Mr. Louis's competition practice includes behavioral investigations (including internal investigations and leniency applications); complaints and litigation; merger clearances; State Aid investigations; and complaints and counseling. He advises clients across a wide variety of industry sectors, from basic industries (construction materials, chemicals, fertilizers) to consumer goods, including service industries (telecommunications, banking, media and sports). 

Mr. Louis's litigation experience before the EU courts ranges over various aspects (including freedom of commerce and constitutional issues) with a focus on competition litigation. Mr. Louis has argued cases before the Grand Chamber of both the General Court and the Court of Justice of the EU.

Mr. Louis has advised Japanese and multinational companies on data protection law and general compliance issues, including jurisdiction and territorial scope, information notices, anonymization and pseudonymisation, cross border flows of personal data, foreign law enforcement requests in the context of cartel investigations issues, and online marketing.

Mr. Louis is antitrust and regulatory counsel to a dozen European and worldwide industry associations. He has advised and litigated on behalf of clients on numerous EU regulatory issues, including advertising, banking, communications, cybersecurity, data protection, energy, environment, health and safety, product liability, public procurement, freedom of commerce and provision of transborder services. He has represented the EU Commission, the European Central Bank and the Single Resolution Board. 

Professional Activities

Mr. Louis is a contributor to various law publications on all topics of competition law and is general secretary of Les cahiers de droit européen, an academic European law journal.

Experience

  • Cartel investigations and litigation

    Over the years, Mr. Louis has defended a number of clients which were the subject of adverse cartel proceedings initiated by the EC Commission, obtaining mostly favorable outcomes for his clients. He represented Guardian in its appeal to the European Court of Justice, which reduced the fine that the Commission originally imposed in its flat glass decision by over € 44 million. He also won a rare annulment of a cartel decision for another clients, as well as a reduction of €205 million on a fine of €326 million imposed by the EU Commission. He is currently involved in multiple investigations before the Commission and several material anti-trust authorities. He has considerable experience in settlement proceedings.
  • Abuse of dominance

    Mr. Louis has filed a number of complaints with the EC Commission alleging abuse of dominance and has defended clients against such allegations. He has won a very rare annulment of a decision imposing an EUR 19 million fine on one of his clients. 

  • Behavioral counseling

    Mr. Louis has particular experience in counseling as to the appropriate industry response under competition law to ESG requirements. He has assisted numerous clients in the structuring of commercial contracts, including joint ventures, R&D co-marketing agreements, distribution agreements and licenses of intellectual property rights.
  • Merger clearance

    Mr. Louis has extensive experience in merger clearances before the European Commission, including transacting in the banking, pharmaceutical, chemicals and communications sectors. He represented clients in two successful Phase II merger clearance matters and in a number of highly complex Phase I matters.

Recognition

  • Named to Lawdragon’s 2024 List of 500 Leading Global Cyber Lawyers.
  • Featured in Who’s Who Legal: Thought Leaders – Competition 2018 and in the 2019 edition of Who's Who Legal: Competition
  • Recognized for his work in competition/European law in the 2015–2018 editions of Chambers Europe and the 2013-2020 editions of Chambers Global: The World's Leading Lawyers for Business
  • Recognized in the 2013–2023 editions of the Best Lawyers in Belgium for his work in Competition/Antitrust Law
  • Listed in the 2014–2016 editions of Expert Guides as a leading attorney in Brussels in the area of Competition/Antitrust Law
  • Selected as a leader in his field in the 2009 and 2013–2016 editions of Who's Who of Competition Lawyers and Economists
  • Named to Global Competition Review's selective list of "40 under Forty" leading competition lawyers in 2008
  • Recognized for his European competition and competition/antitrust practices in the 2006/2007 and 2009/2010 editions of the PLC Cross-border Competition Handbook

Insights & News

Credentials

  • Education

    • LLM, University of London, 1992

    • Free University of Brussels, 1991

      magna cum laude
  • Admissions

    • Brussels

  • Languages

    • Dutch

    • French

    • Spanish

    • German

    • Italian

    • Portuguese

    • English

Credentials

Notice

Unless you are an existing client, before communicating with WilmerHale by e-mail (or otherwise), please read the Disclaimer referenced by this link.(The Disclaimer is also accessible from the opening of this website). As noted therein, until you have received from us a written statement that we represent you in a particular manner (an "engagement letter") you should not send to us any confidential information about any such matter. After we have undertaken representation of you concerning a matter, you will be our client, and we may thereafter exchange confidential information freely.

Thank you for your interest in WilmerHale.