Sébastien Evrard is the partner in charge of the Hong Kong office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP. He is a member of the firm’s Antitrust and Competition Practice Group. Based in Asia since 2010, Sébastien handles complex antitrust matters in Asia and the European Union—including merger control, non-merger investigations, and litigation—for clients within a wide range of industries such as aviation/shipping, banking, energy/mining, media/entertainment, software/hardware, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, automotive, and fast moving consumer goods. His practice also focuses on the antitrust aspects of intellectual property rights, and the interplay between data privacy and antitrust. He has represented clients before multiple regulators in Asia and Europe, and has litigated cases in multiple jurisdictions.
Sébastien is regularly recognized as an expert and notable practitioner in his field by publications such as Chambers Greater China Region, Chambers Global, The Legal 500 Asia Pacific, Who’s Who Legal and IFLR1000. The Legal 500 Asia Pacific states that "The 'extraordinarily good' Evrard is noted for his extensive knowledge of Chinese anti-monopoly law." A client was quoted within the guide saying “Sébastien Evrard is an excellent antitrust lawyer, among the very best in this field. He picks up on issues quickly, is extremely responsive and a pleasure to work with.” Interviewed clients noted in the Chambers Greater China Region guide that “Sébastien is great at handling complex antitrust litigation. He is very experienced in guiding the direction of big-picture issues, and he understands how economics works for litigation.", and that "he has the ideal combination of a formidable legal mind together with commercial and strategic acumen.”
His recent experience includes advising:
- Marriott’s acquisition of Starwood
- Kimberly Clark’s acquisition of Softex
- Uber’s sale of its South East Asia business to Grab
- A leading technology company in abuse of dominance investigations and litigation in China
- Various car manufacturers in relation to cartel investigations in multiple Asian jurisdictions
- A manufacturer of fast moving consumer goods in a cartel investigation in Taiwan
- Hong Kong Telecommunications in a declaratory action before the Hong Kong Court of Appeal
Sébastien gained his LL.M. from Columbia University (James Kent Scholar (highest honor) and Walther Gelhorn Prize (valedictorian) in 2003, and his Licentiaat in de Rechten from the Catholic University Leuven in 1995. He is admitted to practice in Brussels and Hong Kong.
Sébastien is a co-author of Anti-Monopoly Law and Practice (Oxford University Press, 2011), the leading English treatise on competition law in China, and Competition Law in China: Laws, Regulations, and Cases (Oxford University Press, 2014). He also has published multiple articles related to competition, intellectual property, and information technology law. He is a frequent speaker at international conferences. He speaks English, French and Dutch.
Capabilities
- Antitrust and Competition
- Privacy, Cybersecurity, and Data Innovation
- Tech and Innovation
- Transnational Litigation
Credentials
Education:
- Columbia University - 2003 Master of Laws (LL.M.)
- Catholic University of Leuven - 1995 Law Degree
Admissions:
- Belgium - Barreau de Bruxelles
- Solicitor of the High Court of Hong Kong