Bart divides his time between Amsterdam and Brussels. He specialises in EU and cross-border competition law matters and represents companies in their multi-jurisdictional competition cases. He has a special interest in technology-driven industries, building on his experience in representing high-tech companies in complex competition matters and his involvement in Europe-wide patent litigation involving substantial competition law issues.
Bart has significant experience in acting as coordinating counsel in multi-jurisdictional merger filings and he has established working relations with first tier competition experts in all major jurisdictions. He has successfully litigated in abuse of dominance cases and regularly advises clients on related topics. His work includes advising and defending clients in investigations by European and national regulators. He also regularly advises multinational clients on aspects of competition law in contractual relations, in particular involving IP rights.
Bart was recognised by Who’s Who Legal 2017 as a ‘Most Highly Regarded’ future leader in competition law and in Who’s Who Legal 2019 he is recognised as a Thought Leader in Competition Law.
Bart regularly publishes in competition law journals and is a member of the Dutch Competition Law Association.
ICT Group and a consortium led by NPM Capital agree on recommended public offer
IMCD acquires Matrix Ingredients: distribution business in Singapore and Malaysia
Vopak to acquire 29% share in an FSRU-based LNG import terminal in Pakistan
Philips to sell majority interest in Lumileds to Apollo Global Management
15 April 2021
Below-threshold referrals to Commission may make all M&A deals subject to review
31 March 2021
18 March 2021
EU and UK extend toolkit to force review of M&A transactions
17 February 2021
Guidance on green cooperation: Dutch competition authority leads the way
17 February 2021
Green competition: how consumer law can help prevent misleading sustainability claims
18 December 2020
17 December 2020
Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act: Commission flexes its muscles
16 November 2020
Fake online reviews – back as area of enforcement by competition authorities
14 October 2020
Foreign investment screening in Dutch vital sectors – what we know so far
14 October 2020
Investment screening in the Dutch telecoms sector as of 1 October 2020
29 September 2020
16 September 2020
Dutch competition authority first to give provisional view on sustainability initiatives
13 July 2020
Mind the gap: European Commission publishes White Paper on Foreign Subsidies
16 June 2020
Ex-ante regulation and new competition tool: now is the time to decide direction of travel
2 June 2020
24 April 2020
20 March 2020
Coronavirus and competition law – state aid, merger control, crisis cartels and price hikes
16 March 2020
Trend: discrimination between online customers remains firmly on EU’s radar
12 February 2020
28 January 2020
16 December 2019
Our IAPP panel on convergence of data-related enforcement in digital age – key insights
15 October 2019
New Whistleblower Directive introduces obligations for companies and EU member states
15 October 2019
More scrutiny of data in M&A deals under merger control, including traditional sectors
16 September 2019
The real deal: rulings against M&A deals show need for the right merger control strategy
16 September 2019
Industry politics and digital economy drive new European Commission’s competition agenda
17 July 2019
Trend: parallel trade and geo-blocking in the distribution chain scrutinised
17 July 2019
The Hague Court of Appeal gives guidance on standard essential patent licensing and FRAND
10 July 2019
Competition Law in the Digital Age: platforms and digital mergers – Best Friends newsletter
17 April 2019
Trends: anti-trust, consumer and privacy regulation increasingly converge
14 March 2019
ECN+ Directive misses the boat on compliance and one-stop-shop leniency programmes
14 February 2019
No industrial politics exception for European rail champion under EU merger control
14 February 2019
Adword restrictions: Commission’s Guess decision creates uncertainty for brand owners
15 January 2019
Competition authorities to empower consumers, employees, and smaller businesses in 2019
13 December 2018
New regulation bans geo-blocking and discrimination in online EU sales
14 November 2018
2 November 2018
De Brauw appoints Martje Verhoeven-de Vries Lentsch and Bart de Rijke as partners
16 October 2018
Curtailing agent’s pricing policy by threatening contract termination is price fixing
16 October 2018
16 October 2018
14 September 2018
Tech giants beware: Google’s record-breaking fines may have global ripple effect
14 September 2018
14 September 2018
Decisive influence can create parental liability for cartel wrongdoing of ‘subsidiary’
12 July 2018
Commission jumped the rails in Czech train operator’s dawn raid
12 July 2018
Are you ready for the digital revolution in competition law?
12 July 2018
Pharma sector on Dutch competition regulator’s radar: more antitrust enforcement imminent
13 June 2018
13 June 2018
13 June 2018
No more hide and seek: international competition enforcement to intensify
17 May 2018
Multinationals beware: wider group may be liable for data violations under new EU rules
17 May 2018
17 May 2018
Wake-up call: recruiting and hiring practices may be anti-competitive
17 May 2018
ECJ: discriminatory conduct by dominant companies not always abusive
15 March 2018
Common ownership dampens competition’s fierceness – or does it?
15 March 2018
Walking the tightrope between tough negotiations and unfair trading
15 February 2018
15 February 2018
Misleading info by pharma firms may constitute “by object” infringement
18 January 2018
2018 set to be dynamic antitrust year for online distribution models
14 December 2017
Brand owners get more headroom for limiting online third-party platforms
14 December 2017
Straightjacket on cross-border sales restrictions further tightened
14 December 2017
Beware of commitment: Commission tying the knot may still leave you exposed
16 November 2017
General Court annuls Commission’s decision to clear Liberty Global / Ziggo deal
16 November 2017
16 November 2017
Courts give further guidance on selective distribution restrictions
17 October 2017
14 September 2017
Intel: ECJ confirms effects-based approach to exclusivity rebates
13 June 2017
13 June 2017
The clock is ticking – have you made your distribution contracts competition-proof?
11 May 2017
Commission warning: double-check accuracy of your merger info
11 May 2017
Commission recovers from turbulence and re-adopts air cargo decision
11 May 2017
Commission can use cartel intel from agencies active in areas other than competition
11 May 2017
Parent companies may pay for subsidiary’s time-barred wrongs
12 April 2017
UPS/TNT block annulled: need for speed does not trump right of defence
12 April 2017
12 April 2017
12 April 2017
13 March 2017
Never fear, the national law implementing the Damages Directive is here
13 February 2017
13 February 2017
Online sales restrictions: the Commission puts its money where its mouth is
15 January 2017
Proposed EU ePrivacy Regulation: major changes ahead for conducting business online
13 December 2016
Sustainability and competition: check the ACM’s decision tree
9 December 2016
13 November 2016
For your eyes only: no disclosure of settlement to other cartel members
13 November 2016
13 October 2016
13 October 2016
Warning: competition authorities may keep tabs on your distribution contracts
13 October 2016
13 October 2016
13 July 2016
13 July 2016
A subsidiary’s disobedience no reason to let parent company off the hook
13 July 2016
Shopping around for ban on sales via internet platforms makes EU approach welcome
15 June 2016
You’ve been disconnected: the Commission blocks British telecom merger
15 June 2016
Have public money to burn? Check the Commission’s guidance first
11 May 2016
EU competition authorities tighten the screws on resale price maintenance
12 April 2016
12 April 2016
Double-check your online sales contracts: initial results on geo-blocking published
12 April 2016
Information requests in competition investigations: no fishing please
12 April 2016
Cold storage companies froze competition with premature merger discussions
9 March 2016
9 March 2016
15 February 2016
You’ve got mail: message may be proof of participation in a concerted practice
13 January 2016
12 January 2016
Ignorance is no longer bliss: liability for anti-competitive actions by third parties
12 January 2016
European Commission back to the drawing board after air freight fright
9 December 2015
The handyman can: national competition authorities may get bigger enforcement toolbox
10 November 2015
10 November 2015
13 October 2015
13 October 2015
12 October 2015
9 September 2015
Big brother is listening: regulator ACM may use other agencies’ telephone taps as evidence
9 September 2015
Sweet and sour deal for vinegar producers: first cartel settlement by ACM
9 September 2015
“Stretched” calculation method may produce higher fine for vertically-integrated companies
6 July 2015
Dutch court rejects passing-on defence: full amount of damages claimed should be paid
10 June 2015
Do the maths: cartel fine calculations for joint ventures and foreign sales
11 May 2015
Dutch court considers providing a redacted EU cartel decision not to be part of its job
11 May 2015
Let’s get digital: prepare for extreme scrutiny of online vertical restraints
14 April 2015
Conditions for qualifying as a serial cartel offender clarified
14 April 2015
Don’t offer a helping hand: cartel facilitators no better than participants
11 March 2015
Go fish! Advocate General limits European Commission’s ‘accidental’ dawn raid discoveries
11 March 2015
Shop till you drop not possible under the European competition network
11 March 2015
The devil is in the detail: Commission may publish more detailed cartel decisions
9 February 2015
Investment firms can be sanctioned for cartel conduct by former portfolio companies
14 January 2015
Under pressure? For the time being the ACM maintains liberal approach to vertical restraints
14 January 2015
The European Commission knocking at the door? Prepare and beware!
10 December 2014
European Court of Human Rights: dawn raid violates the right to respect for home
10 December 2014
ACM: regulation resolves possible market domination in Dutch telecommunications sector
12 November 2014
Damages Directive adopted: wave of antitrust damages actions looms
10 November 2014
Access denied: right to damages does not open the Commission’s cartel files
10 November 2014
Dutch courts willing to take a stance on cartel damage claims
10 November 2014
13 October 2014
Cartel members may argue that damage caused by cartel was passed on to customers
13 October 2014
Back to the drawing board: General Court misinterprets the cartel prohibition
10 September 2014
Competition in brief – new case law, regulation and articles weeks 33/34
10 September 2014
Competition in brief – new case law, regulation and articles weeks 29/30
10 September 2014
Competition in brief – new case law, regulation and articles weeks 31/32
10 September 2014
10 September 2014
Want to confess your involvement in a cartel? Check your timing
10 September 2014
Beware of gun-jumping: the Commission shoots off record fines
18 July 2014
Competition in brief – new case law, regulation and articles weeks 27/28
9 July 2014
Tribunal quashes fine for breaking a seal affixed during dawn raid
9 July 2014
District Court anchors follow-on damages claim in the Netherlands
9 July 2014
Cartel members may also be liable for damages from sales by non-cartelists
19 June 2014
Competition in brief – new case law, regulation and articles – week 23/24 June 2014
11 June 2014
New technology transfer block exemption now in effect: stricter regime
11 June 2014
De minimis and bid rigging: Tribunal clarifies market share calculation
11 June 2014
Vertically integrated companies may face higher cartel fines
21 May 2014
Competition in brief – new case law, regulation and articles – week 19/20 May 2014
12 May 2014
The ACM can base its cartel fine on EU-wide turnover instead of Dutch turnover
30 April 2014
Competition in brief – new case law, regulation and articles – week 15/16 April 2014
9 April 2014
9 April 2014
ECJ sets boundaries for disclosure of cartel documents to damages claimants
9 April 2014
How the cookie crumbled: court upholds blocked bakery merger
10 March 2014
10 March 2014
Get ready for the Dutch Competition Authority’s new dawn raid guidelines
10 March 2014
Highest Italian court: use of patent rights can conflict with competition rules
10 March 2014
Hefty fines ahead: Minister intends to quadruple cartel fines
25 February 2014
Competition in brief – new case law, regulation and articles
10 February 2014
Court limits naming and shaming by Dutch competition authority
10 February 2014
14 January 2014
Competition in brief – new case law, regulation and articles
9 January 2014
Excessive delay in hearing cartel cases no reason to cut fine
9 January 2014
Buckle up: Commission speeds up its merger notification procedure
9 December 2013
9 December 2013
9 December 2013
9 December 2013
Exclusive purchasing clauses can have an anti-competitive object
11 November 2013
Parental liability for competition law violations of a 50/50 joint venture upheld
11 November 2013
Damages claimants have to make do with EC’s public cartel decision
11 November 2013
Fast and precise: Dutch courts in cartel damages proceedings
10 October 2013
Inspectors at the door: European Commission and ACM issue new guidance for dawn raids
10 October 2013
Mind the gap: Prohibition on acquiring stakes falling short of control
30 August 2013
2 August 2013
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