News | By location

Wednesday 22nd November 2006

SJ Berwin is pleased to announce the appointment of Wilko van Weert, who will be joining the firm's Brussels office in the New Year.  This will be a significant addition to SJ Berwin's EU & Competition pan-European service offering which, in addition to the new Dutch competition practice brought by Wilko, covers Germany, France, Spain, Italy and Belgium.  Wilko has been head of Bird & Bird's EU and competition law and regulatory practice in Brussels since 2003 and was formally Senior Counsel to the Dutch Competition Authority and the European Commission. He will be joined by French Associate, Indiana de Seze.

Wilko's experience covers the full range of both contentious and non-contentious Dutch and EU competition law, including Dutch and ECMR merger clearance work, cartel and behavioural investigations under Dutch and EU law and all general EU and Dutch competition law counselling and compliance advisory work.

Head of EU & Competition and International Practice Partner, Stephen Kon, says: "We have a very clear strategy for the growth of the EU & Competition practice, and Wilko's appointment is an integral part of that strategy.  We not only have an EU & Competition offering in all of the countries where we have an SJ Berwin office, but our international network of competition lawyers enables us to provide our clients with a one-stop shop for both domestic and EU competition law in an increasingly international area of work.  I am delighted that our successful EU practice is continuing to attract talented lawyers such as Wilko".

Ramón Garcia Gallardo, head of SJ Berwin’s Brussels office, commented: "We see Wilko's appointment as an outstanding opportunity to take the development of the Brussels office to its next stage.  Wilko’s practice will give us a Dutch competition law capability and good potential for further development of the EU and competition network.  Wilko is joining us at a significant time in our development as the growing Brussels team will be moving premises in December.” 

Wilko's arrival brings the SJ Berwin partners across Europe to a total of 156.

For further information, please contact:

Ramón Garcia Gallardo on +32 2 511 5340 (ramon.garcia.gallardo@sjberwin.com)

or Stephen Kon on +44 (0)20 7111 2237 (stephen.kon@sjberwin.com)

or Helen Thornhill on +44 (0)20 7111 5770 (helen.thornhill@sjberwin.com)

About SJ Berwin LLP

• SJ Berwin LLP is a full-service international legal practice with more than 550 lawyers across its offices in Berlin, Brussels, Frankfurt, London, Madrid, Milan, Munich, Paris and Turin.
  
  
• SJ Berwin's EU & Competition team won Competition Team of the Year at this year’s Legal Business Awards.  This is the third time the team has been named Competition Team of the Year, more than any other UK law firm.
   
  
• Head of EU & Competition, Stephen Kon was awarded Best Achievement in Copyright Practice at the World Leaders European IP Awards 2005.
  
  
• The EU & Competition department of SJ Berwin advises on mergers and JVs; state aid, cartel and monopoly enquiries; national and  EC complaints and litigation; notifications to competition authorities; regulatory work; IP and competition interface issues; advisory and compliance work; trade and customs; lobbying and arbitrage. 
  
  
• The EU & Competition Department of European law firm, SJ Berwin LLP is one of the leading UK and EU competition practices in Europe with strong working relationships with the European Commission and in the UK with the Office of Fair Trading ("OFT") and the Competition Commission. It has been a core practice area of the firm since its establishment in 1982.
  
  
• Clients include: Associated British Foods, AES, AKZO Nobel, Biogen, British Land, Coca Cola Enterprises, CSFB, Diamond Trading Company, Diageo, easyJet, Electricidade de Portugal, Expedia, Federcitrus, FENIN Ibersol, Fonterra, Generics (UK) Limited, Genworth Financial, Gruner + Jahr, Hellman and Friedman, Hilton Group, Hoffmann-La Roche, Ibersuizas, International Commodities Exchange (ICE), ITV, JVC, Kureha Chemicals, Ladbrokes, Landbell, Mediaset, Metronet, Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, Marks & Spencer, NEC, NTL, O2, Procter & Gamble, RBS/Natwest, Swedish Match, the BBC, United Biscuits, Universal Music, William Hill and WRAP.
  
  
• SJ Berwin was created and thrives as a leading-edge legal services business, focusing on the European and international market place. Our clients are sophisticated buyers of legal services, principally multi-national and entrepreneurial companies and financial institutions, whom we advise on a comprehensive range of services including Corporate Finance, Commercial, Real Estate, Banking, Reconstruction and Insolvency, Financial Services, Litigation, Employment & Pensions, EU & Competition & Tax.
  
  
• Our approach has resulted in the firm winning a number of recent awards including: Best Law Firm (Fund Formation) (Private EquityOnline and Private Equity International) 2006; No 1 in Legal Week’s Law Firm Satisfaction Survey 2005; UK Firm of the Year - Legal Week Awards 2005; Law Firm of the Year 2005 at the EVCA/Real Deals Private Equity Awards for the second consecutive year; Real Estate Team of the Year - Legal Business Awards 2005; Real Estate Team of the Year - The Lawyer Awards 2005; Jonathan Blake named Global Private Funds Lawyer of the Year by The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers; Jonathan Blake was admitted to The BVCA Hall of Fame, the only adviser to have done so.
  
  
• More information on SJ Berwin's services can be found at www.sjberwin.com