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DWF appoints leading international trade partner in Brussels

19 February 2018
Brussels
International trade partner Vassilis Akritidis has been appointed to DWF's Brussels office where he will lead on international trade and WTO issues as the business continues to invest in the growth of its global teams. 
Vassilis joins from McGuire Woods and prior to his position there he was a long term partner (together with DWF Head of EU Competition Jonathan Branton) in Squire Patton Boggs legacy firm Hammonds. Vassilis joined DWF together with associate Florentine Sneij.

Vassilis has more than 20 years' experience focussing on international trade and WTO law, public procurement, EU Competition law including State Aid, EU internal market issues and litigation before national courts, and the European Courts in Luxembourg.

Long recognised as a leading expert in international trade, Vassilis is also an experienced litigator and a regular writer and speaker in related topics.  He has considerable experience in the field of EU law and in particular anti-dumping, anti-subsidy and safeguard investigations, in customs matters, EU sanctions and export controls, market access and in advising Governments and private parties on WTO law and practice and dispute settlement. He has worked for private companies, professional associations and governments located in most EU Member States, India, China, Brazil, Thailand, Taiwan, Croatia, Russia, Ukraine, Korea, Turkey, UAE, and the U.S. He is familiar with the administrative practices and trade defence laws in several jurisdictions, including the EU, Russia/Eurasian Economic Union, Brazil and Turkey. Vassilis also works in the field of EU antitrust law and in issues related to the functioning of the EU internal market.

DWF has seen considerable growth in Europe in the last 12 months, with office openings in France, Germany and Italy.

Jonathan Branton, DWF Head of EU Competition, said:  "Vassilis is a key appointment for DWF as the business continues to grow its global footprint. It is great to be working with him again. He is one of the few top trade/WTO lawyers in Europe and while international trade between the EU and the rest of the world will continue to be vital, this will be an increasingly important issue between UK/ EU following Brexit, and Brussels is where the skills in these areas have traditionally been."

Vassilis Akritidis added: "As a large, internationally-oriented business, DWF holds significant opportunity in building up an EU practice in Brussels’ major regulatory hub. With a strong reputation in its work around Brexit and with a rapidly expanding office network, DWF will be ideally placed to exploit new opportunities in Europe and beyond. I am delighted to work with Jonathan again and to play a key role in the growth of DWF’s Brussels office and in creating more synergies between Brussels and DWF’s other European and global offices."

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