AI Magazine Issue 1 2017

56 Acquisition International - January 2017 Pappas & Associates is a law firm located in Brussels and specialised in European Law. This law firm recently enjoyed the recognitions received from the Best European Law Firm – Belgium and the Excellence Award for Internal Market Law. We were lucky to speak with the firm’s founder Spyros A. Pappas, who reveals more the firm’s role as a privileged defender and adviser. ts ‘legal diversity’ is based on its particular structure bringing together lawyers and regulatory experts from many Member States, as well as on its European network. Be it litigation, arbitration or policy advice in the field of European policies, namely in the fields of competition (anti-trust, mergers, state aids), internal market, health and consumer protection, Pappas and Associates is a privileged defender and adviser. The firm was founded in 2004 by Spyros Pappas, who reverted to private legal practice in 2001 after several years of service as Director-General in the European Commission, where he held the portfolios of Consumer Policy, Information, Communication, Culture and Audio-visual Policy and finally Education and Culture. Prior to this he was a Professor of Law and Director General at the European Institute for Public Administration (EIPA-Maastricht) and a Judge at the Supreme Administrative Court of Greece (Conseil d’Etat). Honesty, Quality, Credibility andModesty I First of all, how does it feel to have been given this award and to what do you most owe this success? It gives a feeling of satisfaction and pride. As for the award, I take that it is owed to credible and honest advice, expertise in European Law and quality of work. Successful cases before the European Commission and the Court of Justice of the EU are just a tangible proof of consistency. What areas have you focused on and what challenges have you overcome to be given this prestigious award? Competition law, namely in the State aids field, likewise in the fields of public procurement, media, environment and energy policy. Through the cases we have dealt with we contributed to the definition of the procedural steps in state aid investigations by the Commission, the meaning of conflict of interest in public tenders, the freedom of broadcasters to form their programmes, the access to documents when it comes to emissions into the environment and the opening of the electricity markets. Can you provide an overview of your company, your clients and the services you offer? We are a Boutique Law firm with a dozen of lawyers coming from various Member States, two of whom originate from the Supreme Administrative Court and the European Commission coupled with one expert from the agrochemical sector to tackle legal cases involving chemical substances. We offer policy advice and legal defence before the Commission and the European Courts. Some of the clients are multinationals and most of them SMEs. Please tell us more about your approach towards client service. What do you see as the most relevant and vital areas to focus on when it comes to providing the best possible service? If it is about policy advice, the systemic analysis of the case and the structure of an action plan the philosophy of which consists of doing the minimum necessary, this being the right think the right time Company: Pappas & Associates sprl sc Name: Spyros A. Pappas Email: [email protected] Web: www.pappaslaw.eu Address: Stevin 49/51, Brussels 1000, Belgium Phone: +32 2 2315704 FD160099