New job (2)
Nico just got a new job, as an advisor of the Belgian Competition Authority. Other good friends of this blog, like Laurent de Muyter and Charles Gheur, have also been appointed as advisors to the new authority:
This means that every once in a while Nico will now get to decide over real cases. 
!!
Now that he belongs to the authority I guess he won’t be able to comment academically about their cases, for there could be a conflic of interest… 🙂
Now seriously, congrats to Nico, Charles, Laurent and all other newly appointed advisors.
P.S. And yes, he did get a new car as well, but he doesn’t want to post the pic (I guess he’s afraid that his students will want to scratch it…)
Chillin'Competition 
Thanks Alfonso!
Let’s face it. To be consistent with myself, I will have to refrain from commenting on Belgian competition law, and at least on the cases that I will be hearing with my colleagues.
But where the conflict of interest thing comes to really matter is elsewhere: a good share of the newly appointed advisers also have a principal occupation as lawyers. They represent clients in court, before the Commission and before the Belgian authority itself. It would be inconceivable if they could seat in cases involving their clients (or even more so, a sector they have been active in).
Make no mistake, I’ll make sure this ethical issue is put on the agenda of our first meeting in a few days.
On the new car, my concern is actually elsewhere.
Nicolas Petit
11 September 2013 at 10:14 am
Congratulation Mr Petit! I still want to know what kind of car its is 🙂
Fredrik
11 September 2013 at 1:28 pm