State Aid

Advising public and private sector clients across a range of industries on the application of EU State aid rules, we have extensive experience of engaging with the European Commission on State aid issues.

We have a strong track record in State aid work, acting for funding bodies, recipients of aid and those who feel that their interests have been damaged by unlawful aid awarded to their competitors. We advise on State aid law issues as they impact on the structuring of corporate transactions, capital raising and other commercial arrangements. European state aid rules apply significant restrictions on the extent to which public funding can be applied whether national funds or European Union Structural Funds are involved. A failure to properly address EU state aid rules may result in a requirement to repay the monetary value of any assistance provided. It may also result in the collapse of an important project relating to economic development. This can have both financial and political ramifications for the funder and the recipient of such funding. We advise clients throughout the complaint or approval process, and where required provide representation before the national and European courts.