Belgium: Latham & Watkins relocates partner to boost global practice

Latham & Watkins announced Monday that competition partner Marguerite “Maggy” Sullivan will move to the firm’s Brussels office as the firm aims to expand its global antitrust practice.

Sullivan, who has worked on various competition matters throughout Europe, Latin America and Asia, has established her expertise in complex litigation involving cartel investigations and other matters.

The lawyer will official join the Brussels office to join the firm’s Antitrust & Competition Practice Group on January 1, 2015.

Sullivan’s move echoes that of Michael Egge, who also moved to the Brussels office and is now Latham’s Global Co-chair of its competition practice. In a statement regarding Sullivan’s move, Egge stressed the importance of growing the firm’s global antitrust work.

”The global antitrust enforcement environment is more interconnected than ever and follow-on damage litigation is increasing outside of the US,” he said.

The complete press release by Latham & Watkins can be read below.

Brussels…Latham & Watkins LLP1 is pleased to announce that antitrust and competition partner Marguerite (“Maggy”) Sullivan will relocate to the Brussels office. Sullivan’s practice focuses on global cartel and follow-on damage actions. Sullivan has defended corporate clients in cartel investigations in North America, Asia and Europe and has deep expertise in complex civil and class actions, including multi-district litigation. She is involved as lead defense counsel in some of the largest and most complex antitrust matters, including the auto parts multi-district class actions. Sullivan has handled antitrust investigations on the ground in Europe, Latin America and Asia.

Sullivan’s move, coming two years after a similar move by partner Michael Egge, is part of a continuing strategy by Latham to further integrate its global antitrust practice.

Egge, who also serves as Global Co-chair of Latham’s Antitrust & Competition Practice Group, noted: “The global enforcement environment is more interconnected than ever and follow-on damage litigation is increasing outside of the US. Our clients value seamless global service so we are positioning our expertise strategically to better serve client needs, and to stitch ourselves closer together as an integrated service platform. Adding Maggy’s US and global litigation and cartel expertise to our talented team in Brussels is exciting for us and our clients. Maggy is going to be a wonderful complement, and a differentiator.”

Jean Paul Poitras, Office Managing Partner of Latham & Watkins in Brussels, added: “Defense of cross-border antitrust cases, including cartel investigations, is increasingly complex as our clients face a complicated web of regulatory schemes and simultaneous civil damage actions in multiple jurisdictions. Against this backdrop, we are pleased to welcome Maggy to Europe; her vast experience in the US, Europe, Asia and Latin America will be an asset to our clients and she will continue to support the further integration of our global capabilities across the major antitrust disciplines of mergers, cartel, conduct investigations and litigation.”

With a team of more than 45 lawyers located in key member states and Brussels, the Latham European competition practice handles the most complex and cutting-edge matters before the European Commission, national competition authorities and European courts, advising clients on cartel defense; merger clearance; compliance and counseling; distribution issues; intellectual property-competition law interface; joint ventures and other cooperation agreements; private antitrust damages claims; sector inquiries; and state aid.

Composed of more than 25 lawyers and representing eleven nationalities, Latham’s Brussels office is the hub of the firm’s European antitrust and competition practice. In the last two years, Latham has added Sven Völcker and Lars Kjolbye, two leading experts on EU competition law and practice.

Sullivan will make the move officially as of January 1, 2015, and will be based in Brussels for the next couple of years. She will focus on international cartel investigations and private damages litigation and continue to lead numerous antitrust class actions in the US.

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