She has advised governments on complex matters arising under the WTO framework, as well as on the interpretation and implementation of EU preferential trade agreements.
Emily’s sanctions practice covers the full spectrum of EU restrictive measures and export controls. She assists clients with risk assessments, the design and implementation of compliance programmes, and the licensing process across multiple jurisdictions, and she has represented clients in sanctions litigation before Belgium’s highest administrative courts.
In addition, Emily advises companies on EU trade-related regulatory initiatives, including sustainability measures such as the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism.
Beyond her legal practice, Emily serves as a teaching assistant for the international trade and investment law course taught by Professor Geert Van Calster at KU Leuven. Before joining VBB, she gained experience at the European Parliament Liaison Office in Washington, D.C.
Representative matters
- Advising a government on the compliance of certain tariff measures with the WTO security exception.
- Requesting licences for western investors to unfreeze funds held at Euroclear and assisting in resulting litigation.
- Obtaining licences allowing EU companies to divest from their Russian subsidiaries or to continue providing certain services to such subsidiaries.
- Assisting in litigation concerning access to the EU electricity network.
- Designing an internal compliance programme for a Belgian auto manufacturer.
Pro bono
Litigating an education dispute before the Belgian Council of State.
Professional
- Admitted to Brussels Bar, 2023 (Trainee Roster)
- Admitted to the New York Bar, 2025
Academic
- LLM in international business and economic law (with certificate in WTO law and international trade studies, Georgetown University Law Center, 2022 (Thomas Bradbury Chetwood S.J. Prize – awarded to the student with the highest academic average)
- Master of International Affairs in Human Rights and Humanitarian Action – Concentration: Global Economic Policy, Sciences Po Paris School of International Affairs, 2022 (cum laude, top 10%)
- Master of Laws, Catholic University of Leuven, 2020 (magna cum laude)
- Bachelor of Laws, Catholic University of Leuven, 2018 (cum laude)
- TradeExperettes (Member)
- Association of Certified Sanctions Specialists (ACSS) (Member)
- Labour Issues in RTAs and Investment Provisions in RTAs chapters in Handbook on Provisions and Options for Inclusive and Sustainable Development in Trade Agreements, UN ESCAP 2023 (co-author, handbook prepared by Katrin Kuhlmann).
- Country Chapter: Belgium in Sanctions in Europe (2nd edition, World ECR, 2024, pp.57-72 (with Isabelle Van Damme and Emmanuelle Rogiest).
News & insights
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