Compliance with EU State aid law is critical for any business transaction or interaction with governmental entities or state-owned companies in Europe. Latham provides clients with a comprehensive understanding of the issues, from business planning and regulatory compliance to representing clients in formal investigations before the European Commission and subsequent proceedings before the EU Member State and European courts, including recovery proceedings.
Scope of Services
Latham advises clients on State aid compliance issues related to
- Concessions, public tenders and any investment in infrastructure
- Privatizations, sale of state-owned assets and related investment decisions
- Financing of public services
- Tax rulings and fiscal aid
- Public support for energy generation, transmission and storage
- Banking and financial institutions’ support measures and resolutions
- Rescue and restructuring measures
- Support to cinema and media
and assists clients with
- Compliance analysis of any public intervention in the economy, at the national, regional or local level
- Complaints to the European Commission
- Defense against allegations of unlawful State aid
- Recovery procedures at European and national levels
- Representation in litigation before European and national courts
Providing a Seasoned Perspective
Latham’s State aid lawyers help clients navigate the nuanced and complicated intersections of transactions or interactions involving public authorities and the private sector. With a presence in Brussels and in Europe’s major commercial centers, Latham lawyers work as a team to provide clients with a seasoned perspective on their State aid issues. The State Aid Practice combines the insight of former regulators with the commercial savvy of lawyers in Latham’s market-leading practices such as Antitrust & Competition; Banking; Energy; Entertainment, Sports & Media; M&A; Private Equity and Tax. Latham’s exceptional combination of experience means clients benefit from a sophisticated understanding of how European institutions function within not only the legal sphere, but the economic and political contexts as well. This in turn helps clients to prepare for and respond to State aid policy and enforcement.