Master Lawyer Jacques BOURGEOIS

JACQUES BOURGEOIS is a recognized authority in European law, with over four decades of experience in private practice and public service. He advises Sidley’s lawyers and clients worldwide on all aspects of European law, with a particular focus on trade and competition issues.Jacques has represented clients before the European Commission, the Council of the European Union, and other EU institutions, as well as before European courts in Luxembourg and Belgium. He assists clients in complex EU trade and market access matters, including antidumping and antisubsidy investigations. He also has extensive experience advising on World Trade Organization (WTO)-related issues, having chaired a WTO dispute settlement panel and represented clients in high-stakes WTO dispute resolution proceedings.Jacques advises the Belgian government on EU competition matters related to restrictive trade agreements and dominant positions, as well as on the review and authorization of mergers and acquisitions. Since 2006, he has served as president of the Competition Commission.Before entering private practice, Jacques worked for more than 25 years as a senior official at the European Commission. From 1987 to 1991, he was the Commission’s chief legal adviser responsible for external trade policy and later for antitrust policy. Previously, he served for several years as head of the Trade Policy Instruments Division in the Directorate-General for External Relations, overseeing the implementation of EU regulations on antidumping and subsidies, as well as safeguard measures and protection against unfair trade practices. He joined the Commission in 1965 as a member of the legal service, where he was responsible for personnel matters, institutional issues, agricultural and fisheries policy, and external relations.