General Information

Professor Melchior Wathelet has been Judge at the European Court of Justice for eight years (1995-2003).He will join our firm as an of counsel, on 1 January 2005. Through his skills and experience, he will significantly reinforce the expertise of the "Europe, Competition & Industry and commerce regulations" team of CMS Bureau Francis Lefebvre, lead by par Olivier Benoit, Bernard Geneste, Denis Redon and
Jean-Paul Tran Thiet, as well as the "EU Law and Competition" Practice Group within CMS.

Melchior Wathelet, 55, is Professor at the Law Faculty of the Catholic University of Louvain (Belgium), teaching European law (third year) and European institutions law (advanced - fifth year, master's program). He holds a degree in law (1972) and in economics (1974) from the University of Liège (Belgium) as well as a Master of Laws from the Harvard University (USA, 1976).

Professor invited by the Louisiana State University, USA (1998, 2000, 2001, 2004), by the University of Lyon III, France (2002, 2003, 2004), by the University of Wien, Austria (2004) and by the University of Hamburg (2005) and lecturer at the Universities of Luxembourg and of Bourgogne, he began his university career as research fellow (Belgian National Fund of Scientific Research) (1973-1977), assistant of Professors J. Stassart (Economics) and R. Joliet (European Law) at the University of Liège where he became lecturer (1977- 1985).

Former member of the Belgian House of Representatives (1977-1995), he also used to be a member of the Government (1980-1995), among other roles as Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Justice (1988-1992), Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Justice and Economic Affairs (1992-1995), Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense (1995) and Mayor of Verviers, Belgium (1995).

He has written wrote numerous articles in specialised publications and published several books in his practice areas. His experience will reinforce our firm's position on the national and European market in European law, both in legal and in tax matters.Professor Melchior Wathelet has been Judge at the European Court of Justice for eight years (1995-2003). He will join our firm as an of counsel, on 1 January 2005. Through his skills and experience, he will significantly reinforce the expertise of the "Europe, Competition & Industry and commerce regulations" team of CMS Bureau Francis Lefebvre, lead by par Olivier Benoit, Bernard Geneste, Denis Redon and Jean-Paul Tran Thiet, as well as the "EU Law and Competition" Practice Group within CMS.

His experience will reinforce our firm's position on the national and European market in European law,
both in legal and in tax matters.

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PUBLICATIONS

"Délimitation des contours de la notion d'aide d'Etat en droit communautaire", Collection Commission droit et vie des affaires, Faculté de Liège, Editions Bruylant, 1999, "Le contrôle sur pourvoi de la Cour de justice des Communautés européennes, dix ans après la création du Tribunal de 1ère instance", 1999, "The influence of free movement of persons, services and capital on National direct Taxation", Yearbook of European Law, 2001  "Direct taxation and EU Law: integration or desintegration?", Editorial in EC Tax Review, 2004.