Measured by numbers of full time lobbyists and persons involved, the top law firms with public policy capabilities in Brussels are (in alphabetical order): Bird&Bird, Covington, DLA Piper, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Norton Rose Fullbright and Squire Patton Boggs.
Other prominent law firms with lobbying capabilities include: Alber & Geiger, Gide, K&L Gates, Keller and Heckman, Linklaters, Mayer Brown, Latham & Watkins and Steptoe.
Interestingly some of the largest US law firms in Brussels (e.g. Cleary Gottlieb with 85 lawyers here) lack any dedicated lobbyists. As discussed elsewhere, a number of law firms are not on the transparency register despite having lobbying capabilities, including prominent firms Sidley Austin and White & Case.
Law firms offer a different approach and staff compared with most public affairs consultancies. “Lawyers are inherently trained to spot the key issues and risks, and we at Squire Patton Boggs build a winning strategic approach by combining the best policy ideas with convincing – and sometimes forcing – legal and regulatory arguments. The smart combination of legal and policy approaches is very powerful in the fast-moving and high-stakes world of Brussels policymaking – in particular, in highly regulated industry sectors. Often enough you need to understand the broader underlying legal basis in order to fully appreciate the implications of a proposed new policy measure, and our policy & regulatory knowledge also helps us design the right legal compliance programs” says Wolfgang Maschek, Partner & Chair of the European Public Policy Practice at Squire Patton Boggs LLP.
“Equally, knowing how to protect clients in light of stringent conduct rules (e.g. GDPR) and an increasingly complex digital operating environment, is a very important hiring factor for many of our clients. We help avoid reputational and other risks stemming from engagement with policy stakeholders, which can destroy in days what takes years to build up in terms of external reputation and goodwill,” continued Maschek. “Lastly, clients appreciate that they can work with the same trusted partner on policy, regulatory and legal questions – which in light of the ever-increasing number of new laws and regulations at EU level (e.g. ESG agenda) is becoming an increasingly important factor when deciding with whom to work with.”
DLA Piper’s International Government Affairs team provides advice at all stages of the regulatory process. Advising on regulatory law, they focus on managing risk for clients in sustainability and trade, antitrust and competition, sanctions compliance and global supply chain resilience.
“DLA Piper takes a cross-disciplinary approach as the path to success is almost always a combination of policy and legal strategy. This means we carefully coordinate efforts in different forums. Our lawyers and policy professionals benefit tremendously from our global platform: we often work across borders and practice groups in very diverse teams, ensuring the most efficient and effective results for our clients.” Richard Sterneberg, Partner, Head of Global Government Relations, DLA Piper.
Freshfields offers clients strategic and integrated policy advice. They cover a broad range of business sectors, including financial services, sustainability, digital, energy, environment, tax, competition and consumer.
“Our Regulatory and Public Affairs teams based in key jurisdictions work hand in hand with legal experts across our global network providing clients with unrivalled access to policy and sector-specific industry knowledge, supporting them in anticipating and managing their regulatory risk and environment. We see ourselves as their trusted advisers who can bring into focus the interplay between law, politics and business to address critical commercial challenges. Complex cross-border work is what we excel at – bringing together expertise and knowhow across multiple teams in one coherent and seamless offering.” Natalie Pettinger Kearney, Head of EU Regulatory & Public Affairs at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer.
Law Firms
- Bird & Bird
- Covington
- DLA Piper
- Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
- Norton Rose Fulbright LLP
- Squire Patton Boggs
Covington helps clients worldwide achieve critical business objectives by combining legal, political, and policy expertise to provide strategic advice and advocacy. Covington highlights the connections and experience of its senior staff.
Described as ‘well connected with both the regulators and thought-leaders,’ by Chambers and Partners, Covington’s USP is the sheer number of former senior diplomats in our midst, on both sides of the Atlantic, as well as in Asia and Africa. What clients value most is the combination of law and policy that they are able to offer. Having a team that can analyse a regulatory issue from a legal as well as a policy perspective and then draft and propose amendments in a compelling way is seen as a real benefit.
Norton Rose Fulbright underlines its practical approach to lobbying backed by technical legal skills.
“Having both deep expertise in the law and regulation, as well as practitioners understanding of policy and decision-making processes enables us to provide comprehensive support to clients that work commercially and legally. That is a rare combination which we believe adds real value to our clients.” Anna Carrier, Senior Government and Regulatory Affairs Advisor, Norton Rose Fulbright LLP
Bird & Bird’s public affairs team say you can rely on them to be your early warning system about forthcoming legislation, organise strategic engagement with decision-makers and help your company to prepare for compliance with incoming laws.
“‘The uniqueness of this firm lies in the competence of the team and the ability to transpose purely regulatory concepts into practical solutions,’ said a client in their Legal 500 feedback. Our Regulatory & Public Affairs team works at the intersection of policy, the legal framework and business realities. We have the experience your organisation needs to navigate complex decision-making processes and ensure that the voice of your business is heard above all the noise.” Francine Cunningham, Director of regulatory & public affairs at Bird & Bird.