He also specialises in regulatory matters in the area of aviation law.
Kris’s practice covers sectors including financial services, car parts, aviation, consumer products, basic industries, steel, energy, chemicals, construction equipment, building materials, electronics, music, and information and communications technology.
He handles notifications and investigations as well as litigation before the EU and national courts. His notable experience includes the appeal to the EU General Court which led to the annulment of the European Commission’s decision in CISAC.
Kris has extensive experience in representing clients in cartel defence cases, including leniency and settlement proceedings and litigation.
He led the team that assisted one of the parties in the Commission’s first-ever direct settlement case (DRAM) and has been involved in other settlement procedures (including Automotive Bearings) and standard procedures (including Smart Card Chips).
He achieved successful results for Japan Airlines in long-running litigation in different cases before the EU General Court in relation to the Commission’s Air Freight cartel decision.
Kris is regularly recognised for his expertise in competition matters by the leading legal directories. He regularly lectures and writes on competition law matters.
Client, Chambers Global 2026, Competition: EU““Kris Van Hove will not miss any detail. He always has his ducks in a row on strategy.
- Representing Japan Airlines before the EU General Court in a case
overturning the European Commission’s Air Freight decision and annulling the client’s EUR 35.7 million fine and in the subsequent 2022 case before the General Court which partially annulled a second Commission decision and substantially reduced the fine imposed. The first case received the Global Competition Review Matter of the Year 2016 and also won the American Lawyer’s 2016 Global Dispute of the Year: International Litigation award. - Representing CISAC, the international confederation of authors societies, in an appeal before the EU General Court that annulled on substantive grounds a Commission decision alleging that CISAC’s European members had engaged in an illegal concerted practice to restrict the territorial scope of their reciprocal representation agreements.
- Representing US-based industrial manufacturer Mueller Industries in the EU Commission’s cartel investigations in Copper Plumbing Tubes and Fittings, thereby securing full immunity from fines.
- Representing Japanese steel giant, Nippon Steel, in the EU Commission’s Seamless Steel Tubes cartel case before the EU Commission as well as before the EU’s Court of First Instance, obtaining significant reductions in the fine at both instances.
- Representing DAF, the Dutch-based truck maker, in competition damage litigation before the Belgian courts that followed on from the EU’s cartel decision in Trucks.
- Representing GSK in Supermarkets, the largest-ever cartel investigation by the Belgian Competition Authority, that led to the first-ever settlement of a cartel investigation by the BCA.
Professional
- Admitted to Brussels Bar, 1993
Academic
- Duke University, USA, LL.M., 1992
- Sorbonne (Paris II), Master of European Law, 1990
- University of Leuven, Law Degree, 1989
- International Bar Association
- American Bar Association
- International Competition Network
- A New Landscape for Digital Antitrust in Europe: Walking the Ever-narrowing Line Between Competition on the Merits and Anti-competitive Conduct, Yearbook of the Finnish Competition Law Association (September 2022)
- Revising the Competition Law Rulebook for Digital Markets in Europe: an Update, Competition Policy International (March 2022)
- Van Bael & Bellis, Competition Law of the European Union, 6th edition, Kluwer (2021): author (new chapter on private enforcement)
- Revising the Competition Law Rulebook for Digital Markets in Europe: A Delicate Balancing Act, Competition Policy International (October 2020)
- The Challenges to Achieving Certainty for Civil Antitrust Defendants in the EU, Union Des Avocats Européens, XII Antitrust Between EU Law and National Law, Bruylant (2017)
- Chambers Europe 2025, Chambers Global 2026 (20years ranked)
- “I feel confident seeking advice from him, even on sensitive matters.” “Kris Van Hove will not miss any detail. He always has his ducks in a row on strategy.” Clients, Chambers Global 2026, Competition: EU
- “Kris Van Hove offers notable strength in assisting clients with appeals to EC decisions before the CJEU and EGC related to Article 102 investigations and cartels. His practice extends to acting on subsequent follow-on damages actions and assisting clients with compliance with the FSR.” Competition: EU, Chambers Europe 2025
- “With Kris Van Hove’s calm and polite demeanour, he knows exactly what he is doing and will ensure the client’s interests are perfectly looked after.” Client, Competition: EU, Chambers Europe 2025
- Key lawyer, Competition: EU and global, Legal 500 2025
- “… very flexible and pleasant to work with.” Client, Competition: EU and global, Legal 500 2025
- “…very responsive and quick to point out the crux of the questions and requests from clients.” Client, Competition: EU and global, Legal 500 2025
- Recommended, Competition, Lexology Index 2024
- International Alumni Award 2023, Duke University School of Law – Given to honour alumni who exemplify the highest standards of professional excellence and personal integrity
- A new EU legal framework governing foreign subsidies, conference, Keidanren, April 2023 (speaker)
- Balancing incentives in leniency applications, conference, ICN, Foz do Iguaçu, October 2019 (panel moderator)
- Cartel enforcement in the EU: recent developments, conference, Keidanren, June 2019 (speaker)
- Intelligence-gathering through leniency: the role of the leniency applicant (conference, ICN, Tel Aviv, October 2018 (panel moderator)
