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Competition Practice

 

Jacques Lafitte, Claire Harris and Charles Seidenberg lead the competition consulting.

They have significant competition experience working in both the private and public sectors where they have built up an extensive network of contacts.

   Jacques Lafitte - Avisa Partners - Competition

Jacques Lafitte served in France in the Department of Defence and in the Treasury before joining the European Commission in 1995, where he was the member of the Silguy cabinet responsible for creating the euro. He decided to become a consultant in 1999 and has since gathered extensive competition lobbying experience.

   Claire Harris - Avisa Partners - Competition

Claire Harris, a UK qualified solicitor, practised in the UK and Brussels. She also worked at the UK’s Office of Fair Trading. Before joining Avisa Partners, Claire worked at the European Commission’s Hearing Office.


   Charles Seidenberg - Avisa Partners - Competition

Charles Seidenberg worked as administrator and internal advisor on State aids at DG Competition of the European Commission.

Duing his 7 year tenure at DG Competition, he was involved in more than 300 state aid case reviews of companies’ financing and restructuring in sectors including telecoms, information technology, media services, health, postal services, manufacturing, and research and development among others.  

In addition to his broad experience with competition policy matters, Charles brings his expertise as an economist and engineer to Avisa Partners.  

Before joining the European Commission, he was an investment banker at Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation and consultant for premier private equity and venture capital funds in London and Paris.


   Niels Karssen - Avisa Partners - Competition

Niels Karssen worked as a trainee at the Unit International Relations of DG COMP of the European Commission.

In addition, he worked as an intern at the Netherlands Competition Authority and as a student-assistant for the eEurope Awards Project at the European Institute of Public Administration (EIPA).


   Nick Bromfield - Avisa Partners - Competition Nick Bromfield qualified as a UK solicitor. Until 2008 he worked for Lovells LLP in its Competition and EU Law practice, including 19 years in Brussels (1985-2004) and 19 years as a partner (1989-2008).

He brings a wealth of experience of competition proceedings and policy, and also has a strong background in anti-dumping and trade law matters.
 
Nick is based near Canterbury in England, and represents Avisa’s competition practice in the UK. He also plays a key role on trade matters.


   Katarzyna Kurtyka - Avisa Partners - Competition Katarzyna Kurtyka assists the competition team on all relevant issues. 

She has completed her curriculum at ESSEC MBA, a French business school in Paris and is finishing her Master Degree in European Business Law at the Paris II Panthéon Assas University.

 

We work with our client’s existing lawyers, economists, and public relations specialits to provide a seamless and tailor-made service of high quality advice and representation.

All our key competition team has spent time in DG Competition at the European Commission, or has worked for other National Competition Authorities. 

All benefit from significant experience either in private practice or working for large multinational corporations.

As a team, we are able to see the big picture and create a strategy to solve even the most difficult of problems.