Alec Burnside practices in the field of EU and UK competition law, working on cartels, dominance, mergers, and state aid, as well as the control of foreign direct investment and EU law more generally. Over the past three decades Mr. Burnside has played key roles for leading corporations, global industries and governments on issues arising across a broad spectrum of industries, including consumer products, energy and natural resources, financial services, manufacturing, military, pharmaceuticals, technology, telecoms, and transport and logistics. He appears before the European Commission and the UK’s Competition & Markets Authority, and in court appeals from their decisions, and is admitted to practice in both England and Belgium.
He is a noted commentator, inter alia co-authoring the Dechert Antitrust Merger Investigation Timing Tracker (DAMITT), which is the leading source of analysis for significant U.S. and EU antitrust merger investigation and litigation trends. Mr. Burnside has been widely published over many years, actively advancing law reform initiatives and exploring new dimensions in competition law. Currently, he is particularly invested in themes around Big Data and the tech industry, as well as antitrust and sustainability, focusing also on the new EU FDI regulation.
Recently clients noted Mr. Burnside as "one of the icons of the competition Bar in Brussels" because of his "strong analytical skills and intellectual curiosity" (Chambers Global 2018). He has been recognized and recommended over many years as a leading lawyer for competition law in publications such as Chambers Global, Chambers Europe, The Legal 500 EMEA, Global Competition Review, International Financial Law Review and Best Lawyers in Belgium. Since 2022, Mr. Burnside is recognized in The Legal 500 EMEA's "Hall of Fame" for Belgium Competition. He is also named a “thought leader” in competition by Who’s Who Legal since 2018.
Mr. Burnside also advises on post-Brexit strategy having chaired Dechert’s cross-practice Brexit Task Force, which comprised partners from across the globe and disciplines including antitrust, corporate, tax, employment, financial services and investment management, IP and data protection, litigation and international arbitration.
Prior to joining Dechert, Mr. Burnside was resident in the Brussels office of another international law firm where he served as a partner in the antitrust practice.
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- University of Cambridge, Downing College, 1982
- College of Law, London, 1983
- Institut d’Etudes Europeennes, Brussels, 1984
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- Brussels
- England and Wales
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- English
- French
- German
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- Associate of the Chartered Institute of Linguists, London