Role: Commercial Partner (Brussels)

Practice Area:
International trade law, WTO anti-dumping and anti-subsidy, EU competition law, State aid, government procurement.

Ursula has been practicing European law and International Trade law in Brussels for over twenty years. She specialises in the areas of EU competition, State aid and anti-dumping. She advises and represents clients in proceedings before the EU institutions.

Ursula has represented a wide range of clients in International Trade matters. She has represented EU industry interests in bringing anti-dumping complaints to the European Commission and has also represented exporters and importers in defending anti-dumping cases. She has acted for EU industry interests in anti-subsidy cases. She has advised third country governments on the adoption of trade defence instruments including assistance with the drafting of legislation and given training on WTO trade defence and subsidy issues using the EU and US models. She has advised extensively on WTO matters and has been key legal expert in a project to help the Russian Federation with accession to the WTO.

Ursula also has a well developed practice in EU State aid law where her clients range from Member State governments, regional authorities and development agencies to European and international companies. She has acted for clients in bringing complaints to the European Commission against competitors, which are receiving unfair subsidies; for recipients of aid regarding notifications to the EU Commission and in Commission investigations as well as advising on how to structure a project in a way which respects the rules either because it falls outside the definition of aid or falls under a block exemption regulation. Sectors include: financial services, telecommunications, energy, tourism, food, broadcasting, transport, sport, education, water and waste.

Ursula studied law at the University of Dublin and qualified as a solicitor in 1977. She practiced law in Dublin before moving to Brussels and joining Coopers & Lybrand (PwC) in 1987 where she spent fourteen years. Between 2000 and 2006 she was partner responsible for State aid and international trade law at CrosbyRenouf.

Qualifications:
Solicitor, Law Society of Ireland (1977)
University of Dublin, Trinity College, LLB 1976, MA 1977
BA Moderatorship in Legal Science 1975

Publications:

Procedural Economy but what Price Procedural Rights? European State Aid Law Quarterly Issue 1 2012 Lexxion Berlin

State Aid and the Crisis Commercial Dispute Resolution Issue 7 January 2012

Ursula was the co-author of American Chamber of Commerce EU position paper on the Commission’s State aid action plan: Less and better targeted State aid: a roadmap for State aid reform 2005-2009

She was also the co-author of the American Chamber of Commerce EU position paper on the Commission’s consultation on innovation aid.