Koen T’Syen
Counsel
d: +32 (0)2 647 73 50
m: +32 (0)494 19 85 60
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Areas of expertise
Industries
Languages
Dutch
English
French
Koen T'Syen advises clients on a wide range of (often international) commercial matters including Belgian contract law, distribution law, enforcement and recognition proceedings and unfair market practices. Further, he assists clients in competition law matters including cartel damages claims and merger control.

Koen’s expertise is often put to use in the life sciences sector, of which he has a thorough knowledge. He has substantial experience in advising life sciences clients on commercial and (Belgian and EU) regulatory matters including, for instance, advertising and promotion issues, clinical trials, marketing authorisations and parallel trade matters.

Koen represents clients before Belgian civil and administrative courts as well as in arbitration proceedings. He has also represented clients before the Court of Justice of the European Union.

Koen serves as President of the Healthcare and Life Sciences Commission of the International Association of Young Lawyers (AIJA) and as Co-Chair of the Life Sciences Practice Group (LSPG). He is also a member of the Belgian Federal Commission for Medical and Scientific Research on Embryos in-vitro (FCE), which is tasked with reviewing and approving research projects on embryos in vitro.

Koen regularly speaks and writes on matters falling within his areas of expertise.

Contact Koen T’Syen
“
I had the pleasure to work with Koen T'Syen whose availability and pragmatic approach helped us orientate our strategy.
Client, Legal 500 2025, Industry focus:Healthcare and life sciences

Representative matters

  1. Representing various originator pharmaceutical companies in litigation against parallel importers.
  2. Drafting and negotiating clinical trial agreements with hospitals worldwide for a biotech company.
  3. Representing DAF and PACCAR in relation to damages claims following on from the European Commission’s settlement decision in Trucks.
  4. Acting for Intergamma on its acquisition of Belgian DIY-shops from CRH.
  5. Successfully representing Amphenol in litigation against its former Belgian distributor.
  6. Successfully representing an originator pharmaceutical company in litigation against a competitor challenging the validity of the marketing authorisation for one of our client’s key products.

Professional

  1. Admitted to Brussels Bar, 2007

Academic

  1. Bachelor of Law, University of Namur, 2003
  2. Master of Laws, University of Leuven, 2006
  3. LL.M. in European Legal Studies, College of Europe, 2007
  1. Belgian Federal Commission for Medical and Scientific Research on Embryos in-vitro (FCE) (lawyer-member)
  2. International Association of Young Lawyers (President of Healthcare and Life Sciences Commission)
  3. International Bar Association
  4. Life Sciences Practice Group (LSPG) (Co-Chair)
  1. Recommended Lawyer, Legal 500 for Healthcare and life sciences (EMEA) Tier 1, 2025
  2. Recommended Lawyer, Legal 500 for Dispute Resolution (EMEA) Tier 2, 2025
  3. Recommended Lawyer, Lexology Index: Healthcare & Life Sciences – Regulatory, 2025
  4. Key Lawyer, Legal 500 for Competition: Belgian law (EMEA) Tier 2, 2024
  5. “I worked with Mr Koen T’Syen on a complex international commercial dispute. He proved to be extremely competent and responsive, even in providing updates. He was a source of reassurance and peace of mind in what was undoubtedly a critical situation. The final result was excellent.” Legal 500 EMEA 2025, Dispute Resolution

Publications

  1. Chambers & Partners Merger Control Global Practice Guide – Belgium Chapter, Chambers and Partners (2025): Co-author
  2. Concentratietoezicht in België: nieuwe middelen en ambities van de BMA, Mededingingsrecht in de Praktijk (2024), issue 5, 7-15: Co-author
  3. Van Bael & Bellis: Competition Law of the European Community, Kluwer 6th edition (2021): Contributing author (chapter on “Horizontal Agreements: Joint Ventures and Other Cooperation Agreements”)
  4. Chambers & Partners Life Sciences Guide – EU Chapter, Chambers and Partners (2019): Co-author
  5. Taxis, Limousines and Information Society Services – Court of Justice of European Union Confirms Uber’s Status as a Transport Services Company, Journal for International Trade and Transport Law (2019), issue 2, 263-269: Co-author
  6. Chambers & Partners Life Sciences Guide – EU Chapter, Chambers and Partners (2018): Co-author
  7. Belgium chapter on antitrust in pharmaceutical markets in Kobel et al. (eds.), Antitrust in Pharmaceutical Markets & Geographical Rules of Origin, LIDC Contributions on Antitrust Law, Intellectual Property and Unfair Competition, Springer, 2017: Author
  8. be’s Commented Codex Pharma – Public Health in Belgium, Knops Publishing, 2013: Contributing author
  9. Off-label use of medicinal products and product liability, Life Sciences Cross-border Handbook, Practical Law Company, 2013: Co-author
  10. Patent settlement agreements: the state of play in the EU and the US, Life Sciences Cross-border Handbook, Practical Law Company, 2012: Co-author
  11. De bescherming van zakengeheimen in het Belgisch en Europees mededingingsrecht: Wat geheim is blijft geheim…of toch niet?, Cah. Jur. (2011), issue 1, 20-30: Co-author
  12. Market Power in Bidding Markets: An Economic Overview, 31(1) World Competition (2008) 37-62: Author.

 

Speaking engagements

  1. Digital therapeutics: where are we standing and what’s next in the EU and the US?, joint AIJA-IBA webinar, 21 March 2024 (moderator)
  2. Are we ready or still TRIPping? Pathways to Resilience for Global Health, Half-Year November Conference, AIJA, Paris, 30 November 2023 (panellist)
  3. Forthcoming novelties and EU reform in the pharmа sector, Spring Meeting, LSPG, Sofia, 19 May 2023 (panellist)
  4. Reimbursement and efficacy of treatment – payment vs results, Annual Healthcare and Life Sciences Conference, AIJA, Budapest, 29 April 2023 (panellist)
  5. Health Equity as a Priority, Spring Meeting, LSPG, Vienna, 6 May 2022 (moderator)
  6. Key Trends in Market Access, Pricing and Reimbursement, EU Pharmaceutical Law Forum, InformaConnect, Brussels, 22 May 2019 (speaker)
  7. Status of EU and national legislation in view of application Clinical Trials Regulation, Spring Meeting, LSPG, Milan, 26 March 2019 (panellist)
  8. Sustainability through personalised medicine, Annual Congress, AIJA, Rome, 5 September 2019 (panellist)
  9. Experiences with parallel exports and imports, Healthcare and Life Sciences Conference, AIJA, Zurich, 28 June 2019 (panellist)
  10. EU Life Sciences Regulatory Law: Recent Case Law that can Impact your Business, Lexology webinar, 17 January 2018 (speaker)