Lawyers / Professionals

 
Matthew Hall       
Partner
rue des Colonies 56 (bte 3)
1000 Brussels, Belgium 
T: +32 (0)2 629 42 34
F: +32 (0)2 629 42 22
mhall@mcguirewoods.com
 

Mr. Hall focuses his practice on all aspects of EU and UK competition law. He has substantial experience with merger control, State aid, cartels and issues arising out of trading agreements and practices, such as abuse of dominance, distribution and agreements between competitors. He advises main parties and third-party complainants, and he has regular dealings with the European Commission, UK Competition Commission, UK Office of Fair Trading, and other government bodies and regulators. He also has extensive experience of EU and UK public procurement law, acting for a very wide range of purchasers and providers.


Representative Matters
  • Merger Control
    • Various transactions subject to the EU Merger Regulation (including phase one and two clearances subject to remedies).
    • UK fertilizer and process chemicals joint venture (phase two UK clearance subject to remedies).
    • UK industrial cheese equipment acquisition (phase one UK clearance subject to remedies).
    • Appeal to the EU General Court in relation to a clearance decision under the EU Merger Regulation.
  • General Competition Law including Cartels
    • Advice in relation to European Commission and UK Office of Fair Trading cartel investigations in various industries.
    • Competition compliance advice, training and audits in a range of industries.
    • Advice to a large industrial gas purchaser in relation to the competition and regulatory issues raised by its EU-wide gas purchasing arrangements.
    • Advice to an EU-based importer of DVD players on the Article 101 and 102 TFEU issues raised by a licensing dispute with a patent holder and patent pool.
  • State Aid
    • Appeal to the EU General Court by a ferry operator in relation to a European Commission decision concerning alleged aid granted to one of its competitors.
    • Appeal to the EU General Court by an airline in relation to alleged aid granted to it by an EU government.
    • Advice in relation to a range of infrastructure projects.
    • Advice in relation to various complaints to the European Commission.
  • Public Procurement
    • Advice in relation to a range of infrastructure projects including the London, UK orbital motorway (M25) and the Docklands Light Railway (London, UK) extensions.
    • Advice on a range of other matters for purchasers and providers, including defence procurements, town centre development agreements, university development projects, energy-from-waste projects and privatisations.
    • Advice in relation to actions before the UK courts.
    • Advice in relation to various complaints to the European Commission.

Practices & Industries
Honors
  • Listed in International Who's Who of Business Lawyers (Public Procurement Chapter), 2011, 2012
  • Listed in International Who's Who of Public Procurement Lawyers, 2010, 2011
  • Listed in Legal Business European Legal Experts (EU and Competition Law), 2008, 2009, 2010
  • Named in The Legal 500 Europe, Middle East and Africa (EU and Competition law), 2006, 2008
  • Listed in Legal Experts Europe, Middle East & Africa (EU and Competition Law), 2012

Previous Experience
  • Partner, Ashurst LLP, Brussels, Belgium, 2003-2009; Solicitor, 2000-2003
  • Solicitor, Ashurst LLP, London, UK, 1994-2000

Publications
  • Editor, McGuireWoods EU/UK Competition Law Legal Updates, 2010-Present
  • UK Competition Law Section for Organization of Advocates Specialising in International Services (OASIS), Report on Principal UK Legal and Tax Developments Since April 2010, 2011
  • UK Competition and Public Procurement Law Sections for Organization of Advocates Specialising in International Services (OASIS), Report on Principal UK Legal and Tax Developments Since April 2009, 2010
  • "The International Comparative Legal Guide to: Public Procurement," Contributing Editor and Contributor of EU and England & Wales Chapters, Global Legal Group, 2009, 2010
  • Co-editor, Ashurst Competition Newsletter, 2004-2009

Articles
Books
  • "Public-Private Partnerships: A Practical Analysis," Globe Law and Business, First Edition, 2006; Second Edition, 2010

Seminars
  • "Vertical Agreements and EU Competition Law: Practical issues," Petits Recyclages Kleine Recyclages 2010-2011, Brussels, 2011
  • "The New EU Public Procurement Remedies Directive," London and Birmingham, UK, 2009
  • "Deal or No Deal: Challenges to Public Infrastructure Procurement," London, UK, 2009
  • "Competition Law Issues in the Credit Crunch," London, UK, 2009
  • State Aid Seminar, London, UK, 2009
  • "Merger Control for Dealmakers," London, UK, 2008
  • "The New EC Merger Regulation," Washington, D.C., 2004

Speaking Engagements
  • "EU Case Law Update," Procurement Lawyers' Association 2nd Annual Conference, London, UK, 2010
  • "Cartels and Compliance," Fair Trade Institute, Tokyo, Japan, 2009
  • "Competition Law Issues in the Credit Crunch," Japanese Institute of International Business Law, Tokyo, Japan, 2009
  • "Joint Ventures and Other Cooperative Arrangements in an Economic Downturn," Japan Institute for Overseas Investment, Tokyo, Japan, 2009
  • "EU Settlements," Modernization of Antitrust Law in the US and Europe Conference, Stanford Institute for Public Policy Research, Stanford University, California, 2008

Professional Affiliations
  • Vice Chair, EU Committee Competition & Trade Task Force, British Chamber of Commerce in Belgium, January 2011-Present
  • Steering Group, Procurement Lawyers' Association (UK), 2008-2010
  • American Bar Association
    • Steering Group, Section of International Law International Antitrust Committee, 2010-Present
    • Section of Antitrust Law
  • European Competition Lawyers Forum
  • The Law Society Competition Section (UK)
 

EDUCATION

University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK, M.A. Honours Degree in Law, 1995 (B.A., 1991)

College of Law, London, UK, Solicitors' Final Examination, First Class Honours, 1992

 
 

ADMITTED

Solicitor of the Senior Courts of England & Wales 1994

Brussels (Belgium) Bar E List 2002

 

PLACE OF BIRTH

Watford, UK