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Dave Anderson

Dave Anderson

Partner

Brussels

Office Managing Partner

T: +32 (0) 2 792 2421

M: +32 474 271583

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Biography

Dave Anderson is a Partner in the firm's Antitrust & Competition team and leads the firm’s Brussels office. He is an American and is qualified in the US, UK and Belgium.

His practice focuses on EU and international antitrust aspects of mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, cartels, commercial agreements and abuses of dominant positions. Dave also advises on EU regulatory law, the EU Foreign Subsidies Regulation and foreign direct investment regimes.

He is very active on behalf of clients on the policy side of international antitrust. Dave is a Non-Governmental Adviser to the European Commission on the work of the International Competition Network (ICN), a body comprising all of the world’s major antitrust agencies.

Dave is an Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Liège and a Senior Researcher (Competition Law) at the VUB/Brussels School of Governance.

Dave Anderson is a very experienced lawyer with all qualities you expect from a trusted advisor; the best any client can get especially for merger control.

Legal 500 2025

Advise clients across a wide range of industries including technology, electronics, energy, transport, chemicals, mining and minerals, retail food and professional services.

 

Advise clients on regulatory processes and strategies in the EU, Asia, and the Americas.

Guides US-based multinationals through EU and regulatory systems worldwide.

Advise the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and competition agencies in Europe, Asia, Africa and South America on competition law reform and capacity building.

A leading international competition lawyer

Dave is recognised as a leading international competition lawyer by Chambers, Legal 500 and Global Competition Review.

  • "David has a broad knowledge of competition law across jurisdictions that has proved incredibly valuable." Chambers Global 2025
  • "He is a truly excellent lawyer." Chambers Global 2025
  • "Simply amazing.” Legal 500 EMEA 2024
  • “Very practical and commercial…Dave Anderson’s explanations are always easy to understand and pragmatic.” Legal 500 EMEA 2024
  • "David Anderson is not only a great lawyer, but also stands out for his efficient handling of cases, as well as his excellent communication with clients…He is always responsive, attentive and smart." Chambers Global 2024
  • "A sought-after adviser to American clients on merger clearance matters… His knowledge of the process, personnel and industries at issue was of significant value."  Chambers Global 2024
  • “His easygoing style and ability to bridge the divide between sectors makes him a valued addition to the projects. His inputs are grounded and always adapted to the local contexts." Chambers Global 2024
  • "Dave Anderson is one of the most experienced international lawyers for EU and other global matters. Dave is very responsive and thorough, always gets high marks from our clients." Legal 500 EMEA 2023
  • "Dave Anderson is extremely personable, very committed, and has strong connections with the regulator. Because he is American, he is also able to bridge the gap very well and helps to translate the European Commission's expectations to US-trained clients." Chambers Global 2023
  • "Dave Anderson is a go-to guy for competition-related questions. He is experienced and good at identifying the most important issues in a complex situation." Legal 500 EMEA 2022
  • "David Anderson attracts a considerable volume of praise from clients for his work on transactional and competition compliance matters. 'He’s very personable and an excellent communicator' states one client. 'He takes a pragmatic, business-focussed approach' notes another client, adding 'He gives strategic advice and is able to unblock issues.'" Chambers Global 2022
  • "David Anderson is really the external counsel you wish to have. Professional, dedicated, committed." Legal 500 EMEA 2021
  • "Clients appreciate that he is 'very supportive, always available and tries to understand matters not just from a legal point of view but a business point of view too.'" Chambers Global 2021

A leading international competition lawyer

Dave is recognised as a leading international competition lawyer by Chambers, Legal 500 and Global Competition Review.

  • "David has a broad knowledge of competition law across jurisdictions that has proved incredibly valuable." Chambers Global 2025
  • "He is a truly excellent lawyer." Chambers Global 2025
  • "Simply amazing.” Legal 500 EMEA 2024
  • “Very practical and commercial…Dave Anderson’s explanations are always easy to understand and pragmatic.” Legal 500 EMEA 2024
  • "David Anderson is not only a great lawyer, but also stands out for his efficient handling of cases, as well as his excellent communication with clients…He is always responsive, attentive and smart." Chambers Global 2024
  • "A sought-after adviser to American clients on merger clearance matters… His knowledge of the process, personnel and industries at issue was of significant value."  Chambers Global 2024
  • “His easygoing style and ability to bridge the divide between sectors makes him a valued addition to the projects. His inputs are grounded and always adapted to the local contexts." Chambers Global 2024
  • "Dave Anderson is one of the most experienced international lawyers for EU and other global matters. Dave is very responsive and thorough, always gets high marks from our clients." Legal 500 EMEA 2023
  • "Dave Anderson is extremely personable, very committed, and has strong connections with the regulator. Because he is American, he is also able to bridge the gap very well and helps to translate the European Commission's expectations to US-trained clients." Chambers Global 2023
  • "Dave Anderson is a go-to guy for competition-related questions. He is experienced and good at identifying the most important issues in a complex situation." Legal 500 EMEA 2022
  • "David Anderson attracts a considerable volume of praise from clients for his work on transactional and competition compliance matters. 'He’s very personable and an excellent communicator' states one client. 'He takes a pragmatic, business-focussed approach' notes another client, adding 'He gives strategic advice and is able to unblock issues.'" Chambers Global 2022
  • "David Anderson is really the external counsel you wish to have. Professional, dedicated, committed." Legal 500 EMEA 2021
  • "Clients appreciate that he is 'very supportive, always available and tries to understand matters not just from a legal point of view but a business point of view too.'" Chambers Global 2021

He is an asset for international organisations and it is a privilege to be able to count on him.

Chambers Global 2025

Admissions

  • Brussels  (A-List)

    England and Wales

    Minnesota

    Pennsylvania

    Washington DC

Related Capabilities

Antitrust & Competition Antitrust & Competition

Energy Transition Energy Transition

Anti-Bribery & Corruption Anti-Bribery & Corruption

Investigations Investigations

Litigation & Dispute Resolution Litigation & Dispute Resolution

Regulation, Compliance & Advisory Regulation, Compliance & Advisory

ESG Governance, Compliance and Reporting ESG Governance, Compliance and Reporting

Oil, Gas & Sustainable Fuels Oil, Gas & Sustainable Fuels

  • Antitrust & Competition

  • Energy Transition

  • Anti-Bribery & Corruption

  • Investigations

  • Litigation & Dispute Resolution

  • Regulation, Compliance & Advisory

  • ESG Governance, Compliance and Reporting

  • Oil, Gas & Sustainable Fuels

Experience

  • London, England – Advising FlyBe on the EU merger clearance of its acquisition by a consortia led by Virgin Atlantic and related aviation regulatory matters.
  • San Jose, USA – Advising a global electronics manufacturing services company on antitrust proceedings in Hong Kong SAR and regulatory matters in Brussels.
  • New York, USA – Advising a major online platform on multiple European Commission investigations.
  • Madrid, Spain - Advising a global FMCG client on an antitrust investigation in Spain.
  • Brisbane, Australia - Advising an energy sector client on the global antitrust aspects of a mining acquisition in Australia.
  • Beijing, China - Advising the Chinese aviation company AVIC on the first-ever clearance in Brussels of a China-to-China merger.
  • Brasilia, Brazil - Advised BDO International on antitrust investigations into the audit sector by the European Commission and regulators in Brazil, Denmark and the UK.
  • Mozambique - Advising a major international oil and gas company on the global antitrust aspects of a major LNG project in Africa.
  • Houston, USA - Advising a US-based $27bn private equity fund on a continuous flow of transactions and merger investigations around the world.
  • Los Angeles, USA - Advising the Michael Jackson Estate on the EU’s approval of the sale of its stake in the ATV/Sony music publishing joint venture to Sony.
  • Austin, Texas, USA - Advising Wayne Fuelling Systems on the clearance in the UK and Russia of its acquisition by Dover Corporation.

Resources

Publications

BCLP article nominated for 2024 anti-trust writing awards

Dave Anderson is co-editor and contributing author of the book, The International Competition Network at Twenty (2022, Intersentia Publishing) a collection of essays analysing the ICN’s second decade as the world’s leading organisation in the field of international antitrust.

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The New European Commission – Teresa Ribera Takes Charge of Competition

The new European Commission, under Ursula von der Leyen for a second term, kicked off on 1 December 2024. Teresa Ribera is the new head of European Competition Policy. After Margrethe Vestager’s ten year tenure, there is a strong prospect of a change in focus at DG COMP. From a structural perspective, Ribera’s formal title - Executive Vice President for a Clean, Just and Competitive Transition - breaks from the past, highlighting that her remit extends beyond competition to encompass environmental and social policy.  Von der Leyen’s instructions to Ribera emphasise this shift: “Europe needs a new approach to competition policy – one that is more supportive of companies scaling up in global markets, allows European businesses and consumers to reap all the benefits of effective competition and is better geared to our common goals, including decarbonisation and a just transition.” In this article, we outline our early views on what to expect from Ribera, analysing her upcoming policy priorities, discussing how she might approach key international relationships and evaluating the extent to which real change may be seen in practice.

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Teresa Ribera has completed her first year at the helm of the European Commission’s competition directorate (“DG COMP”). It was a year in which DG COMP has been busy working on possible amendments to key competition policies and guidance. But it was also a year that ended with questions unanswered regarding DG COMP’s strategic direction for the next four years.2026 could be the year in which we gain greater clarity on major policies and priorities at DG COMP, in particular in the regulation of M&A. In this article, we examine the strategic decisions that could be taken over the next 12 months, looking ahead to the draft revised merger guidelines and at the evolving relationship between DG COMP and its major international counterparts, notably in the US. We also consider key updates regarding the EU’s Foreign Subsidies Regulation – which is attracting greater political attention after a notable case in 2025. And, as an addition to our annual look-ahead article, we cast our eye to the recently-revised merger remedies guidance in the EU’s former Member State, the UK.
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