Antigoni Matthaiou

Overview

Antigoni Matthaiou practises international trade law, with an emphasis on WTO law and international dispute settlement, EU and EU Member States’ sanctions and export control legislation, as well as EU regulatory and trade matters.

International trade law

Antigoni advises governments and corporate clients on the interpretation and application of international treaties, including bilateral and regional trade agreements. Her advice covers a broad range of substantive areas, including trade in goods, technical barriers to trade, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, general exceptions in the context of public health and climate change measures, and security exceptions.

Antigoni also advises governments and corporate clients on the compatibility of domestic legislation and practice with WTO law and preferential trade agreements.

Sanctions and export control legislation

In addition, Antigoni specialises in EU and EU Member State’s sanctions and export control legislation. She advises clients on all aspects of the sanctions and export control compliance and due diligence process.

This includes advising on risk assessments of specific transactions, the development and implementation of internal compliance programmes, the filing of licence applications with the competent authorities of EU Member States, and the evaluation and adoption of risk-mitigating and remedial measures.

Antigoni’s experience includes addressing complex sanctions and export control compliance issues in the context of multi-jurisdictional transactions involving trade in goods and/or services, acquisitions, divestments, as well as dealings with financial instruments and central securities depositories.

EU regulatory and trade matters

Antigoni also advises on matters relating to the scope and application of general EU law, with a focus on environmental, climate change, corporate due diligence and energy-related issues. Recent areas of focus include the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), the EU Regulation on Deforestation-Free Products, the EU proposal for a Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), and EU legislation on Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) and Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU).

Before joining Van Bael & Bellis, Antigoni worked in law firms in Brussels, Geneva and Athens, where she focused on public international law, WTO dispute settlement, international arbitration, EU trade and customs law. Antigoni also interned at the Office of International Treaties of the Special Legal Service of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs.