competition and
trade law matters
About Christiaan van der Meer
Christiaan is a Dutch attorney-at-law (advocaat) and former partner with global law firm Baker McKenzie, with more than 15 years of experience in cross-border matters relating to competition and international trade law (trade sanctions and export controls). In September 2022, he launched his boutique law firm CvM Legal Consulting in Amsterdam, which focuses on assisting companies and law firms with complex competition and trade law matters. Christiaan has consistently been ranked as a key EU/competition law practitioner in the Netherlands by Legal 500, Global Competition Review and Chambers.
Key Experience
Starting out as an associate at Baker McKenzie in Amsterdam, Christiaan then moved to its Brussels competition law practice, where he gained valuable experience working on cases before the European Commission and EU Court of Justice. After returning to Amsterdam, he became a partner further building out the practice focusing on merger control and regulatory/compliance investigations. In the past years, he has increasingly focused on foreign investment approvals and sanctions compliance, with a significant part of his time recently being dedicated to helping clients comply with the EU’s Russia sanctions.
Christiaan’s recent representative work includes:
- Representing Dutch pension fund APG in obtaining ACM merger clearance for a glass fiber joint venture with KPN
- Assisting a global oil company on the merger control aspects of its contemplated acquisition of energy assets, including a consultation with the European Commission
- Advising a global FMCG company on all competition law aspects of a new commercialization joint venture, including on merger control and information exchange
- Defending a consumer goods company in a multi-year investigation by the ACM with respect to alleged RPM and online restrictions imposed on its retailers, resulting in dismissal of the case
- Representing a steel corporation in a multi-year cartel investigation by the ACM, resulting in the ACM ceasing the investigation with a warning letter
- Defending an energy multinational in an insider trading investigation by the ACM – including responding to its Statement of Objections – resulting in the ACM ceasing the investigation
- Representing a financial services company in an unfair trading investigation by the ACM, resulting in the negotiation of a commitment decision
- Advising a US conglomerate on a Dutch enforcement investigation concerning the supply of technology used for constructing the Crimea bridge
- Representing a provider of data center services in a regulatory investigation regarding its ownership structure, pursuant to the Dutch investment-screening regime laid down in the Telecommunication Act
- Conducting internal compliance investigations and training in the fields of competition and international trade law.
