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Wilko van Weert  Partner
+32 (0)2 511 5340
wilko.vanweert@sjberwin.com

Wilko van Weert is a partner in SJ Berwin’s Brussels office. A Dutch national, Wilko is a fully qualified lawyer in Brussels with hands-on experience in EU competition law, regulatory matter and trade. Having advised and litigated in these areas of law, Wilko not only brings to the firm his longstanding experience as a private practitioner, but also his experience as a regulator, as former senior counsel with the Dutch Competition Authority (NMa).

Wilko has acted for a large number of clients throughout the industrial spectrum, including high-tech electronics, automotive, aviation, biotechnology, oil and paper, but his particular experience with matters that have a strong intellectual property angle have given him an edge in dealing with IP-based competition law issues. This has allowed him to work extensively on Media and broadcasting matters as well as on matters in other sectors involving patent pools and standards.  His recent involvement in the CISAC cartel case on authors rights management and in a number of cases involving the mp3 patent pool are only some illustrations.

In addition to his advisory practice, Wilko has advocated and litigated matters before the European Commission and the EU Courts in Luxembourg, most recently in a cluster of high-profile merger control cases against the European Commission.

Special attention merits Wilko’s representation of international trade associations in Brussels. Wilko leads a dedicated team within SJ Berwin’s Brussels office that looks after the typical needs of international trade associations. Trade associations typically bring together competitors in a particular sector in order to lobby, share industry information or produce statistics, thus leaving their members potentially exposed to serious risks under competition law. Compliance and dawn-raid readiness are therefore essential key to protect the interests of the association and its members.  In addition to competition law, Wilko team advises the association on matters of corporate law and trade and customs law.

In EU regulatory, clients, notably in the high-tech electronics sector have turned to Wilko for advice on EU environmental law and other regulations to ensure that their products meet the regulatory requirements necessary to bring products to market in the EU.

In addition to his mother tongue, Dutch, Wilko speaks English, French, Japanese and German.
He regularly lectures EU law at Nihon University in Tokyo.

Legally trained in the Netherlands, Wilko started his legal career with LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene and MacRae in Brussels; he further worked as senior counsel to the Director General of the Dutch competition Authority and with EU competition and trade specialist firm Stanbrook & Hooper.