International Trade

Brussels-based Antitrust partner, Salomé Cisnal de Ugarte, speaks to Global Competition Review about the EU's competition inquiry into the e-commerce sector, which involves the EU Competition Commission collecting information from a broad range of e-commerce companies. The data will be used to gather market information and to assess whether companies' own practices hinder online competition. "Therefore, companies need to be very careful when responding to the questionnaires and data requests," Cisnal de Ugarte said.

Brussels-based Antitrust partner, Salomé Cisnal de Ugarte, discusses the implications of EU regulators’ investigation into whether electronics and digital content companies illegally curb cross-border online sales. Cisnal de Ugarte notes that the sector inquiry will target everyone in the e-commerce arena, and not just well-known online brands. "Essentially, every company that sells products online, including their suppliers and their technology providers, will be affected. Potentially, the scope will be very wide," she said.

Newly elected Crowell & Moring chair Angela B. Styles, partner and co-chair of the Government Contracts Group, is profiled by The National Law Journal. Styles discusses her childhood, past experience in both the federal government and private practice, and how she arrived at Crowell & Moring. When referring to the firm's visions for the firm's future, Styles notes that she plans "not growing for growth's sake," and hopes to strengthen practices such as cybersecurity and health care while maintaining the firm's government contracts, regulatory, and litigation reputation.  

Newly-elected chair of Crowell & Moring, Angela B. Styles, is featured in The Washington Post's "Capital Business" section after assuming her new role. The article notes that Styles, who joined the firm in 2007, is the second woman to serve as chair in firm history. "I am honored to serve as chair of Crowell & Moring and to be part of a long tradition of firm leaders who have helped to build a truly unique firm over the past 35 years," Styles said.

The National Law Journal reports the news that Angela Styles, partner and co-chair of Crowell & Moring's Government Contracts Group, has been elected as the firm's new chair. Referring to her predecessor, Kent A. Gardiner, who stepped down due to term limits, Styles notes: "It's a pretty good foundation I have to start with. I'm sure I will change some things. But we're at such a good place right now, we just need to keep thinking forward," she said.

Brussels-based partner, Dr. Salomé Cisnal de Ugarte, comments on the European Commission's recent announcement that is has opened an in-depth investigation into Belgian tax rulings that allowed multinational companies to reduce their Belgian taxes by claiming a deduction for excess profits that purportedly result from the "advantage" of being part of a multinational group. Cisnal de Ugarte says the commission's focus on Belgium isn't surprising, especially given the low effective tax rates that some multinational companies enjoy. "They often give very favorable tax treatment in Belgium," said Cisnal de Ugarte, "but it's too early to say whether [the program] is selective."