Laurent Godfroid is a partner in Gide’s Brussels office, admitted to the Brussels and Paris Bars. He has extensive experience dealing with EU and French Competition Law, be it mergers, vertical and horizontal cartels, abuses of dominant position or state aids, which he has been practising for more than 15 years.

He is also specialised in analysing EU legislation, and questions of interpretation the latter may raise, in the context of legislative proposals or concerning existing texts. On this basis, he assists clients before the European Commission and the French Competition Authority or the Community courts in Luxembourg and also European agencies such as EMA and ECHA.

Laurent specialises in several markets: rail and road transports, space industry, agricultural law, agro-chemicals, pharmaceuticals, Internet, and pay and free TV.

He holds an LL.M. in international law from the University of Leicester (UK) and an LL.M. in European Law from the Collège d’Europe (Bruges).

Laurent is recommended in international legal guides Legal 500 2016 & 2017 - describing him as “solution oriented” - and Chambers Global 2016 & 2017.

Recent experience includes:

• Advising ISK in the context of the merger between ChemChina - Syngenta and Adama, and in the remedies adopted by the parties.
   
• Advising Thales in the context of the merger between Airbus-Safran and Arianespace, and the remedies adopted by the parties.
   
• Advising SNCF in the context of various mergers, including the operations related to Eurostar, Thalys, Keolis and Ermewa.
   
• Advising Transgaz, the gas transmission operator in Romania, within the context of the European Commission’s investigation concerning an abuse of dominant position resulting from restrictions on exports to the neighboring countries.
   
• Advising a price comparator, as plaintiff within the context of the investigation initiated by the EC against Google dedicated to an abuse of dominant position on the market for online search.
   
• Advising the Cypriot Bar Association within the context of the investigation initiated by the EC concerning a legislation that a plaintiff alleges restricts competition between lawyers.
   
• Advising a client within the context of the cartel investigation initiated by the EC in the bioethanol sector.

« Moving up in the rankings is Laurent Godfroid who advises transport and oil and gas companies on the notification of mergers and has experience in complex cases that require the negotiation of significant remedy packages. He has also got notable expertise acting for interveners and complainants in EC investigations in the IT industry. Strengths: “Laurent Godfroid is one of the best lawyers I have had the chance to work with.” “Laurent Godfroid is a business-oriented person who gives legal advice in a solid, practical and understandable way with many years of expertise.” “Laurent Godfroid is dedicated, committed and simply brilliant.”“The Gide team has a good knowledge of the Moroccan market, its players and its specific features, which makes negotiations smoother.”»
Chambers Europe & Global 2024 - Competition: EU

« Laurent Godfroid advises transport and oil and gas companies on the notification of mergers and has experience in complex cases that require the negotiation of significant remedy packages. He has also got notable expertise acting for interveners and complainants in EC investigations in the IT industry. Strengths: "Laurent Godfroid is very proactive and accessible. Another positive aspect is that he really tries to understand the details of our business."  "Laurent Godfroid always gives strong advice, showing a lot of vision and creativity." »
​Chambers Europe & Global 2023 - Competition: EU

« Highlight matters for Laurent Godfroid include his advice to major oil and gas companies on the notification of mergers. He has experience in complex cases that require the negotiation of significant remedy packages. »
Chambers Europe & Global 2022 - Competition: EU

« Laurent Godfroid acts for clients on merger control cases, including Phase II clearances at the EC. He also has experience representing complainants in contentious competition law cases. »
Chambers Europe & Global 2021