Karl Stas is a counsel in the Antitrust & Competition Group in the Brussels office of Crowell & Moring. He focuses on EU and Belgian competition law and the regulation of network industries (in particular telecommunications, postal, and energy). Prior to joining Crowell & Moring, Karl gained extensive advisory and litigation experience working in the competition and regulatory practice of an international law firm in Brussels.
Karl assists international and Belgian clients in complex antitrust and regulatory matters, representing clients both before the European Commission and national antitrust and regulatory authorities. He also has experience litigating antitrust and regulatory cases before Belgian courts at all levels, as well as before the Court of Justice of the EU.
Karl has been noted as a “key figure” for competition law in Belgium by the leading legal journal Legal 500 EMEA.
Representative engagements:
- Advised the telecommunications and media group Liberty Global on its acquisition of the remaining shares of De Vijver Media, the parent company of the Flemish TV broadcaster SBS (Vier, Vijf and Zes) and the TV production company Woestijnvis.
- Represented a Belgian postal operator in proceedings before the Brussels Market Court contesting a decision by the Belgian postal regulator preventing the client from raising stamp prices.
- Represented Belgian cable operators in proceedings before the Brussels court of appeal contesting network access regulation.
- Represented a Belgian electricity producer in proceedings before the Belgian Constitutional Court contesting a nuclear windfall tax.
- Represented a Belgian electricity producer and supplier in litigation with the transmission network operator in relation to the provision of reserve capacity.
- Represented sports betting companies before the Belgian competition authority in an abuse of dominance claim against the Belgian National Lottery.
- Represented a diamond mining, trading, and retail group in defense against a claim of abuse of dominance by a Belgian diamond trader.
- Represented a Belgian mobile operator in a pioneering antitrust damages action against a competitor.
- Advised a Belgian mobile operator on infrastructure sharing and MVNO agreements.
- Represented a Belgian mobile operator in proceedings before the Brussels court of appeal and the EU Court of Justice contesting the imposition of license fees for the use of radio spectrum.
- Advised a Belgian company active in the banking and payment services industry in relation to third-party access to accounts under the second EU Payment Services Directive (PSD2).
- Represented a Fortune 500 company in merger proceedings before the European Commission relating to a transaction in the OTC medicines markets.
- Intervened on behalf of a satellite communications operator in proceedings brought by a competitor before the Brussels Market Court contesting the client’s right to operate ground stations on the Belgian territory.
- Advised a manufacturer and supplier of medical devices on incentives to health care professionals, as well as on public procurement issues.
- Assisted an international sports betting group in securing a license in Belgium.
- Carried out an antitrust compliance audit at a Belgian company active in the rail freight sector.
- Advised a European trade association on EU energy efficiency and ecodesign regulation.
Affiliations
Admitted to practice: in Belgium and before the European Court
Speeches & Presentations
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"Big Data and Competition Rules: Competition Aspects of Collecting and Using (Big) Data," IJE/IBJ Deep Dive, Brussels
(February 7, 2019).
Presenters: Thomas De Meese, Karl Stas, Evi Mattioli, and Marieke Van Nieuwenborgh.
Publications
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Computerrecht: Tijdschrift voor Informatietechnologie en Recht (Computer Law Journal for IT and Law)
(2020).
Editor for Developments in the Telecommunications Sector (Belgium and the EU): Karl Stas.
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"Outsourcing," second edition, Chambers Global Practice Guide, Law and Practice Belgium
(2019).
Co-Authors: Emmanuel Plasschaert, Frederik Van Remoortel, Karl Stas, and Heidi Waem.
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"EU Court Clarifies the Application of the EU Legal Framework for the Electronic Communications Sector to Over-the-Top Services (C-142/18 Skype and C-193/18 Google)" European Competition and Regulatory Law Review, Vol. 3, Issue 3
(2019).
Authors: Thomas De Meese and Karl Stas.
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"’Over-the-top’-diensten en de grenzen van het regelgevend kader voor elektronische communicatienetwerken en –diensten," Computerrecht, 2018/5, 248-259
(2018).
Co-Author: Karl Stas.
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"The EU Regulatory Framework for Access to the Postal Network," European Competition and Regulatory Law Review, 2018/2, 92-106
(2018).
Co-Author: Karl Stas.
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"Eerste toepassing van het mededingingsrecht in de Belgische postsector," Tijdschrift voor Belgische Mededinging – Revue de la Concurrence belge, 2013/4, 343-361
(2013).
Co-Author: Karl Stas.
Client Alerts & Newsletters
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"Digital Services Act: The European Commission Proposes An Updated Accountability Framework For Online Services,"
Antitrust Law Alert
(January 12, 2021).
Contacts: Thomas De Meese, Jeane A. Thomas, CIPP/E, Karl Stas, Ava Erma
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"Digital Markets Act: The European Commission Unveils Plans to Regulate Digital 'Gatekeepers',"
Antitrust Law Alert
(January 5, 2021).
Contacts: Thomas De Meese, Jeane A. Thomas, CIPP/E, Karl Stas
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"New EU Proposals to Regulate Digital Markets – What to Expect,"
Antitrust Law Alert
(December 9, 2020).
Contacts: Thomas De Meese, Karl Stas
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"EU Regulates Online Platforms and Search Engines,"
Antitrust Law Alert
(July 29, 2019).
Contacts: Thomas De Meese, Sean-Paul Brankin, Karl Stas
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"The European Union Adopts a New Telecoms Code,"
Regulatory Alert
(December 20, 2018).
Contacts: Thomas De Meese, Karl Stas
Firm News & Announcements