Ingrid Vandenborre

Ms. Vandenborre has been consistently named as a leading practitioner in Who’s Who Legal guides in both competition and life sciences, as well as repeatedly in Chambers Global, Chambers Europe and The Legal 500 EMEA. In 2023, she was named Antitrust & Competition Lawyer of the Year at the Women in Business Law EMEA Awards. Ms. Vandenborre also was named Lawyer of the Year by Global Competition Review in 2022, was selected to GCR’s Women in Antitrust list in 2021 and was recognized for her representation of Aspen Pharmacare in relation to the European Commission’s (EC) Article 102 investigation of the company’s pricing practices, which was named European Behavioural Matter of the Year by the publication. In addition, she was named a 2021 Competition MVP by Law360, a 2021 Litigation Star for Belgium - Competition/Antitrust by Benchmark Litigation Europe and Competition Lawyer of the Year at Benchmark Litigation Europe’s 2020 Awards, which also recognized her work advising Aspen as an Impact Case of the Year. She currently serves as nongovernmental adviser to the intergovernmental International Competition Network.

Ms. Vandenborre has significant experience in Article 101 and 102 issues in relation to cartel arrangements, as well as vertical and competitive agreements and alleged abuse of dominance. Relevant representations include:

• Södra in relation to the EC’s investigation into pricing in the wood pulp sector. The EC raided the premises of Södra and other wood pulp companies in October 2021, but ultimately terminated the investigation in June 2023 without an infringement finding, indicating it had insufficient grounds to continue the investigations based on a thorough analysis and careful assessment of the evidence
• Aspen Pharmacare Holdings in relation to EC allegations of excessive pricing. The EC accepted proposed commitments that ended the investigation without an infringement finding on the part of Aspen
• Kuoni and Thomas Cook in relation to the EC’s investigation of geo-blocking clauses that provided for different hotel accommodation conditions depending on the location or residence of the traveler. The EC ultimately suspended its investigation in relation to both Thomas Cook and Kuoni without penalty, with the investigation resulting in an infringement finding only against Melia
• GE in relation to allegations of anticompetitive practices in the maintenance and repair of commercial aircraft engines by CFM International, a GE joint venture with Safran Aircraft Engines following a complaint to the EC by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Following a successful resolution of IATA’s concerns through a settlement agreement, IATA withdrew its complaint and the EC closed its inquiry
• Xperi and Auro in relation to a complaint with the EC regarding Dolby’s post-processing policy. After discussions with the EC, Dolby withdrew all limitations that it placed on the use of third-party post-processing technologies
• ABB in its successful appeal before the European Court of Justice against the EC’s power cable cartel decision that had been confirmed by the General Court
• GUK, a Mylan entity, in relation to the EC’s investigation of the company’s patent settlement agreements with Lundbeck, and in the subsequent appeals of the EC decision before the General Court and the Court of Justice of the EU. Ms. Vandenborre also is assisting in the defence relating to claims for compensation based on the EC’s decision
• UniCredit, in relation to the EC investigation of an alleged cartel violation in relation to European government bonds

Ms. Vandenborre also has a significant merger control practice, extending to the EC and the U.K. Competition and Markets authority. Examples of Ms. Vandenborre’s recent merger control work include advising:

• Activision Blizzard Inc. on its US$75 billion acquisition by Microsoft Corporation. This is the largest-ever technology deal and the largest-ever gaming industry deal
• Adobe Inc. in relation to the antitrust aspects of its proposed but terminated US$20 billion acquisition of Figma, Inc.
• PayPal Holdings, Inc. on:
  • the antitrust aspects of its acquisition of Israeli-based Curv, a startup and leading provider of digital asset security technology, one of the world’s first cryptocurrency business acquisitions
  • its US$4 billion acquisition of Honey Science Corporation
• Electronic Arts Inc. on:
  • its US$1.4 billion acquisition of Playdemic Ltd. from Warner Bros. Games and AT&T Inc.
  • the antitrust aspects of its US$1.2 billion recommended cash offer for Codemasters Group Holdings plc
• Visa Inc. on its:
  • proposed but terminated US$5.3 billion acquisition of Plaid Inc.
  • US$2.2 billion acquisition of Tink AB
• ABB Ltd with the antitrust aspects of its US$7.8 billion sale of a 80.1% stake in its Power Grids division to Hitachi, Ltd.
• Stryker Corporation on its US$5.4 billion acquisition of Wright Medical Group N.V.
• NXP Semiconductors N.V. on its proposed but terminated US$47 billion acquisition by Qualcomm Incorporated