Partner, Brussels
2 Avenue de Tervueren
1040 Brussels Belgium

TEL: 32.2.278.1233
FAX: 32.2.278.1200
EMAIL: fdistefano@mckennalong.com

PROFILE

Flavia Distefano is a partner in the Brussels office of McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP. Flavia focuses her practice on EC and Italian competition law, including the competition law aspects of REACH and REACH consortia, and litigation before the European Courts in Luxembourg.  

She regularly advises clients on a wide range of competition matters, including Article 81 and 82 EC related issues, merger control, joint ventures and distribution agreements. She has represented major companies from various industry sectors, in particular in the areas of metals and technology, energy, data storage products, motor vehicles, aerospace, high-tech production systems, food, diagnostics and telecommunications.

Flavia has been involved in a number of high profile merger cases before the European Commission, including  “Phase II” proceedings in Boeing/McDonnell Douglas, Tetra Laval/Sidel, Volvo/Scania, BP/E.ON and Exxon/Mobil, and complex “Phase I” clearances, such as Outokumpu/Boliden, Unilever/Bestfoods and Andritz/Ahlstrom. Her merger experience includes multi-national filings both in Europe and in the rest of the world.

She has also represented companies in several major EC cartel proceedings, including in the recent Industrial Tubes, Copper Plumbing Tubes and Fittings cases, in which she assisted companies in their cartel leniency applications and throughout the EC administrative procedure.

Flavia has also assisted dominant companies in reviewing their compliance with Article 82 EC and in implementing changes to their commercial practices. She has also brought several complaints on behalf of injured third parties, including complaints under Articles 86 and 82 EC against State intervention distorting competition.

In Italy, she has been involved in several competition proceedings before the Italian Competition Authority, including the price-fixing investigations in the auditing and cigarette markets, and “Phase II” merger cases (e.g. the conditionally cleared Heineken/Moretti case).

She has experience in litigating before the European Courts in Luxembourg and is presently representing companies in their appeals before the Court of First Instance against the recent Commission’s cartel decisions in the Fittings and Copper Tubes cases.

Prior to joining the firm, Flavia practiced competition law and litigation in Brussels for more than twelve years, including with Wilmer, Cutler, Pickering, Hale and Dorr in Brussels for almost seven years. Flavia contributed to various publications on competition law and is an active member of the International Bar Association’s Antitrust Committee and of the American Bar Association’s Section of Antitrust Law.

Flavia is a member of the Rome Bar and an associate member of the Brussels Bar.