Thomas De Meese is a partner in the Brussels office of Crowell & Moring and has been a member of the Brussels bar since 1993. He specializes in competition, telecommunications, media and technology law. Thomas' expertise includes day to day counseling on distribution issues, technology licensing, patent pools, joint bidding, standard setting, dominance issues, the activities of trade associations, etc. He has developed and implemented pan-European antitrust compliance and training programs for multinational companies. He represents complainants and defendants in competition investigations with both the Belgian Competition Authority and the EC Commission. Thomas regularly litigates competition cases before national courts. He has also worked on several merger filings with the Belgian Competition Authority and the European Commission.

Thomas assists clients on ecommerce and Internet-related issues such as ISP-liability, data protection, online services, distance selling, and e-advertisement. He regularly drafts and negotiates complex telecommunication agreements such as MVNO deals or interconnection agreements. He is involved in complex litigation in the media and telecommunications sector. He regularly represents one of the main players in the field of internet, telephony and interactive digital TV in Flanders in contentious and non contentious matters. He has also represented the Belgian federal telecommunications regulator (BIPT-IBPT) in a number of appeals against its regulatory decisions.

Thomas is a qualified lawyer in Belgium and obtained his law degree, magna cum laude, at the University of Antwerp. He also obtained a Master of Advanced European Studies (MA), magna cum laude, at the College of Europe (Bruges-Warsaw). He frequently speaks at professional and academic conferences and published several articles on e-commerce, commercial communications and competition law.

Education
College of Europe (Bruges-Warsaw), M.A. - magna cum laude
University of Antwerp, J.D. - magna cum laude

Affiliations
Admitted to practice: Brussels

Memberships
Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB)

Publications
"European Commission Accepts Commitments from Rambus in 'Patent Ambush' Case," Journal of European Competition Law & Practice (May 2010). Author: Thomas De Meese.

Chapter 5 Belgium, "The International Comparative legal Guide to: Cartels & Leniency 2009 ", published by Global Legal Group Ltd, London – www.iclg.co.uk (2009). Author: Thomas De Meese.

"De Europeesrechtelijke beoordeling van nationale gokwetgevingen," [Case law annotation regarding the conformity of the Belgian gambling legislation with EU law after the Customer Service Agency decision of the Antwerp Court of First Instance], TBH (2008). Co-Authors: Christoph De Preter and Thomas De Meese.

"Leniency Regimes, Jurisdictional comparisons," European Lawyer, 2nd edition (2007). Author of the Belgian Chapter: Thomas De Meese.

"Het aansprakelijkheidsregime voor ISP’s en andere tussenpersonen in de wet elektronische handel: onbekend en onbemind…," [Case law annotation regarding ISP liability after the Seniorennet decision of the Antwerp Court of First Instance], TBH (2007). Co-Authors: Christoph De Preter and Thomas De Meese.

"IT and Information Highways," De Ondernemer (2006). Author: Thomas De Meese.

"The ruling dated January 9, 2002 by the Belgian Cour d'Arbitrage," Revue belge de Droit Commercial (2002). Author: Thomas De Meese.

"The ruling dated October 25, 2001 by the Belgian Supreme Court in Iverlek v. Radio Public," Revue belge de Droit Commercial (2002). Author: Thomas De Meese.

"Commercial Communications," Febelmi (May 2001). Author: Thomas De Meese.

Adverteren op Internet (February 1999). Author: Thomas De Meese.

Annuaire Pratiques du Commerce & Concurrence (1997-1999). Member of Editorial Board: Thomas De Meese.

"Dwanglicenties en Mededingingsrecht: Magill, a Story of Hope, Fear and Disappointment," IRDI (1996). Author: Thomas De Meese.

"Quelques Considérations Concernant la Notion de Dominance Collective," Jaarboek Handelspraktijken & Mededinging (1996). Author: Thomas De Meese.

"Intellectual Property Rights of Europe," John Wiley & Sons, London (1995). Co-Author of Belgian Chapter: Thomas De Meese.

Speeches & Presentations
"Astra Zeneca case of abuse of dominant position," 6th EGA Legal Affairs Forum, Munich (Germany) (March 10-11, 2010). Moderator: Kristof Roox; Panelist: Thomas De Meese.

"Advanced Agency & Distribution 2009, Managing the Commercial and Competition Law Risks On and Offline," IBC Legal Conferences, London, United Kingdom (October 6, 2009). Panellist: Thomas De Meese.

"A multidisciplinary glimpse of license agreements," IBJ-IJE Seminar, Brussels, Belgium (September 17, 2009). Co-Presenters: Thomas De Meese and Flip Petillion.

"Competition Issues in Online Retail," Conférence du Jeune Barreau (February 12, 2009). Speaker: Thomas De Meese.

IP/IT Update, IBJ-IJE Seminar, Brussels, Belgium (October 21, 2008). Co-Presenters: Kristof Roox and Thomas De Meese.

"La loi du 5 juin 2007 modifiant la loi du 14 juillet 1991 sur les pratiques du commerce et la protection et l’information du consommateur. Evolution ou Révolution?", Mini Recyclages du Jeune Barreau (November 22, 2007). Presenter: Thomas De Meese.

"Antitrust Update," ABA Corporate Counseling Committee (October 11, 2007). Presenters: Wm. Randolph Smith, Kent A. Gardiner, Jeane A. Thomas, Robert Lipstein, Christopher E. Ondeck, Bridget E. Calhoun, Daniel A. Sasse, Werner Berg and Thomas De Meese.

"Transfer of personal data to third countries," International Chamber of Commerce/Belgian Federation of Enterprises (June 10, 2002). Presenter: Thomas De Meese.

"De Elektronische Handtekening," [Electronic signatures], Association of Insurance Lawyers (May 23, 2002). Presenter: Thomas De Meese.

"Electronic Billing," IRR (January 2001). Presenter: Thomas De Meese.

"Vergelijkende Reclame en Intellectuele Eigendom," Maklu Seminars (November 2000). Presenter: Thomas De Meese.

"Juridische Aspecten van E-Commerce," Centrum voor Beroepsvervolmaking (February 2000). Presenter: Thomas De Meese.

"Commercial Communications and Distribution Law," MBA-program, Handelshogeschool, Antwerpen (Since 1999). Presenter: Thomas De Meese.