Eric Montens

Senior Counsel

Overview

Eric Montens focuses his practice mainly on general commercial and corporate, competition, and product risk management matters.

Eric assists national and international clients on a variety of issues concerning commercial distribution and related matters, such as franchising, selective distribution, agency, competition, licensing, and consumer protection. He regularly litigates distribution matters before national courts and arbitration panels.

As part of Eric’s product risk management practice, he advises corporations on the legislation applicable to their products when put on the EU market. He has represented manufacturers, suppliers, and importers in product safety (including product recall) matters with the national consumer safety authorities of the EU member states involving, among other things, tires, toys, children’s products, and other consumer goods. On international product risk management issues, Eric often works closely with Crowell & Moring’s U.S. offices as well as with lawyers in other parts of the world.

Eric has also been seconded to companies in the information technology/telecommunications sectors, where he has worked with clients both as part of their legal team and as stand-alone legal counsel in their day-to-day business, including software license review, general commercial contract review, distribution network development, litigation monitoring, and corporate matters.

Eric is a senior counsel in the firm’s Brussels office. He was admitted to the Brussels Bar in 2001. Before joining Crowell, he was an associate at a leading franchise and distribution law firm in Brussels.

Career & Education

    • Facultés Universitaires Notre-Dame de la Paix in Namur, J.D., 1997
    • Catholic University of Leuven, J.D., 2000
    • Free University of Brussels (Université Libre de Bruxelles), LL.M., cum laude, 2001
    • Facultés Universitaires Notre-Dame de la Paix in Namur, J.D., 1997
    • Catholic University of Leuven, J.D., 2000
    • Free University of Brussels (Université Libre de Bruxelles), LL.M., cum laude, 2001
    • Belgium
    • European Court
    • Belgium
    • European Court
    • Dutch
    • English
    • French
    • Dutch
    • English
    • French
Eric Montens is a sound contractual and corporate lawyer.

— Legal 500, 2024

Eric's Insights

Client Alert | 13 min read | 06.12.26

EU Cyber Resilience Act Countdown: 11 September 2026 Incident/Vulnerability Reporting Deadline Less Than 100 Days Away

The EU Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) is an EU product cybersecurity law for connected products (formally, “products with digital elements” under the CRA) commercialized in the EU; it entered into force on 10 December 2024, with direct application across the EU. Full application begins 11 December 2027, but one of its most operationally demanding provisions takes effect in just under 100 days, on 11 September 2026: the mandatory vulnerability and incident reporting under Article 14 CRA....

Eric's Insights

Client Alert | 13 min read | 06.12.26

EU Cyber Resilience Act Countdown: 11 September 2026 Incident/Vulnerability Reporting Deadline Less Than 100 Days Away

The EU Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) is an EU product cybersecurity law for connected products (formally, “products with digital elements” under the CRA) commercialized in the EU; it entered into force on 10 December 2024, with direct application across the EU. Full application begins 11 December 2027, but one of its most operationally demanding provisions takes effect in just under 100 days, on 11 September 2026: the mandatory vulnerability and incident reporting under Article 14 CRA....