Examples of recent work includes:
- advising ALSTOM, the major French energy and transport company following the granting of various aid by France in 2003-2004; Lovells has been assisting ALSTOM throughout the State aid proceedings before the Commission, notably in contributing to all submissions by the French State to the Commission, in negotiating with the State and the banks an amended refinancing package allowing the Commission to waive its threat of a suspension injunction in 2003 and in negotiating the terms of compensatory measures required by the Commission and which led to the adoption of a positive decision on 7 July 2004
- advising Tube Lines in the Public Private Partnership concerning one of the largest infrastructure projects in public transportation in Europe, the London Underground project. Acting in several cases concerning German public banks (WestLB, Norddeutsche Landesbank, Bankgesellschaft Berlin) and developing specific legal vehicles to minimise State aid risks for the clients
- representing Norddeutsche Landesbank in the privatisation process of Bankgesellschaft Berlin which had been granted State aid of over Euro 20 billion
- representing the French private express mail professional organisation (UFEX) and certain of its members (DHL, Fedex, etc) before the European Commission against France on alleged cross-subsidies granted by La Poste to its private express subsidiary Chronopost. The complaint led to multiple proceedings before the European courts (five State aid cases since 1992) and the French courts
- advising the government of Brandenburg with respect to a Euro 1.5 billion investment in a chip manufacturing plant
- advising the Belgian national airline, Sabena, regarding the aid granted by the Wallonian regional authorities to Ryanair
- the Lovells State aid team has been advising a European government on restructuring aid granted to a national airline; regions and municipalities on how to structure State aid designed to attract investment; on an aid scheme for SMEs; one of the bidders in the privatisation process of a bank further to a Commission decision approving aid for its privatisation; a private investor on the scope of an arrangement with a public local authority concerning the purchase of assets in a restructuring process; a public broadcasting company in the context of its restructuring; broadcasting companies in the context of the switchover to digital TV; a beneficiary in an action brought for damages against a Member State concerning the granting of unlawful State aid; a national energy company in the context of the restructuring of its network; more generally, private investors in banking, finance and capital markets on State aid issues
- we have acted before the European Court of Justice and the Court of First Instance in more than 10 cases shaping the case law in landmark cases on the notion of State aid, on the admissibility of applicants in challenging Commission State aid decisions, on regional aid, environmental aid, shipbuilding aid scheme, etc. (in cases such as UFEX, AITEC I, Salt Union, Georgsmarienhütte, Kahn Scheepvaart, Comité des Salines, etc.).