Sheppard Mullin Adds Two Partners in Brussels

BRUSSELS/LOS ANGELES, November 23, 2015 — In a further move to anchor the firm’s position as a key Global Competition player, Sheppard Mullin has announced the hire of partners Isabelle Rahman and Wim Vandenberghe who will join the recently established EU Competition and Regulatory practice in Brussels.
 
The firm has now carefully selected established Brussels practitioners emanating from leading international firms. Last month, partner Jacques Derenne joined from Hogan Lovells, where he was head of the firm’s EU Competition practice in Brussels.  Former Mayer Brown partner and European Commission official Robert Klotz also joined Sheppard Mullin as a partner in October.
 
In addition to those joining in Brussels, partner Michael Cohen joined Sheppard Mullin in San Francisco last week in the firm’s Antitrust and Competition practice group.  He joined from Paul Hastings, where he co-founded and subsequently chaired the firm’s global Antitrust and International Competition practice. 
 
Isabelle Rahman and Wim Vandenberghe join Sheppard Mullin from Dechert and bring substantial complementary competition and regulatory experience to the team.
 
Isabelle Rahman has been a trusted competition adviser for over two decades counselling on a wide range of business compliance issues in relation to pricing practices, distribution, licensing and joint ventures. She regularly represents companies in EU and national cartel proceedings as well as merger proceedings. Isabelle services clients in a wide-range of industries including chemicals, food, life science / pharma, media, airlines and consumer products. 
 
Wim Vandenberghe specialises in EU regulatory as well as competition law. He advises on various internal market regulatory issues affecting the entire product cycle in a broad range of sectors including industrial equipment, chemicals, pesticides, food, consumer products and medical devices. He also provides competition law and general EU law advice and has particular expertise in regulated industries, notably the energy sector.   
 
They join the current team in Brussels, which also includes trade experts Curt Dombek and Reid Whitten who boast over forty years’ combined experience in the trade regulatory field, as well as EU Competition IP/Antitrust specialist Oliver Heinisch, who joined in August from Simmons & Simmons and divides his time between Brussels and London.
 
Guy Halgren, Sheppard Mullin chairman, said: “We have made a decisive move to bring together a superb team of EU competition and regulatory lawyers to offer our growing international client base a practice with an extraordinary depth of experience and breadth of qualifications.  The addition of Isabelle and Wim further demonstrates our commitment to serve our clients at the top level of EU competition.”
 
Gary Halling, Sheppard Mullin’s Antitrust and Competition practice group leader, and Jacques Derenne, the head of the EU Competition and Regulatory practice, commented: "We welcome Isabelle and Wim. They bring complementary skills and expertise to further strengthen the group and position Sheppard Mullin at the forefront of EU competition and regulatory law.” 
 
Isabelle Rahman said: “I am extremely pleased to join Sheppard Mullin, and it will be a pleasure to work with its first class EU and competition specialists in Brussels. With this team, Sheppard Mullin is well set to become a key player on the European and global competition scene and we are thrilled to be part of this”.
 
Wim Vandenberghe said: “This is an exciting opportunity as my practice in EU competition law and regulatory law fits in perfectly with Sheppard Mullin.  I look forward to working with these first class colleagues for top global clients.”  
 
About Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP
Sheppard Mullin is a full service Global 100 firm with 740 attorneys in 15 offices located in the United States, Europe and Asia.  Since 1927, companies have turned to Sheppard Mullin to handle corporate and technology matters, high stakes litigation and complex financial transactions.  In the U.S., the firm's clients include more than half of the Fortune 100.  For more information, please visit www.sheppardmullin.com.