Isabelle Van Damme

Specialising in international trade law (WTO and preferential trade agreements), EU law and public international law, Isabelle is a key member of Van Bael & Bellis’ exceptional international trade and customs team.

A significant focus of her practice is on sanctions, export control and other national security-related measures. Isabelle advises governments and individuals concerning UN and national sanctions and EU restrictive measures and assists with negotiations at UN level concerning sanctions.

In the area of export control, Isabelle assists clients every step of the way regardless of the type of operation concerned (whether export, re-export, brokering, etc.) and helps them identify which rules apply to their specific situation depending on: the type of product involved (goods, software, technology, etc.); the product’s end-use(r) (military, dual-use, nuclear or otherwise); and the intended country of destination (intra or extra-EU). Isabelle also represents clients, before international courts and tribunals, in disputes relating to national security-related measures and is available to help clients with pre- and post-investment regulatory scrutiny of cross-border transactions.

Isabelle is a Member of the Brussels Bar and divides her time between offices in Brussels, Geneva and London.

Representative experience:

• acting as lead counsel, for the complainant, in Russia – Measures Concerning Traffic in Transit (DS512), the first WTO dispute in which the essential security exception clause in Article XXI of the GATT 1994 was interpreted and applied;
• advising a foreign government on compliance of its dual-use export control regime with WTO law and the main multilateral export control regimes;
• advising a foreign government in the context of litigation and negotiations regarding the sanctions adopted by the UN Security Council and the European Union against Libya;
• advising an exporter of dual-use goods on market access to the European Union and intra-EU transfers.

Back