Overview
Guillaume’s practice focuses on information technology (IT), EU digital regulation, data protection, cyber security EU digital regulation and electronic communication-related matters.
With almost 20 years of experience as a lawyer, Guillaume has extensive experience assisting both Belgian and international clients in the context of complex cross-border and cross-practice transactional and regulatory matters in sectors such as banking, healthcare, technology, logistics and energy, with a special focus on digital regulation and data protection compliance (including in-depth knowledge of the GDPR). He combines this with a wide-ranging expertise advising clients regarding technology contracts, including (IT) outsourcing, cloud computing, software-as-a-service and artificial intelligence (AI) related agreements. He also has experience with litigation in his area of expertise and has worked on numerous matters subject to data protection and telecommunication regulatory authorities.
As a member of our wider global tech group, Guillaume has been closely involved in advising clients from the outset on the implementation of the EU’s digital regulation framework (including the Digital Services Act as well as the Data Act, NIS2 Directive, Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA), Cyber Resillience Act (CRA) and AI Act).
He is a member of various industry bodies and holds roles within AmCham Belgium (Vice-Chair of the Digital Economy Committee) and AmCham EU (issue lead for data & privacy within the Digital Economy Committee).
"Guillaume Couneson and his team are outstanding on the market. The added value lies in the good understanding of the client’s business, their legal skills and expertise, but also their true understanding of the (…) IT business. Such area of law is specific in the sense that we need to understand the (…) AI/IT product itself, not just the legal rules and contracting negotiation skills. Guillaume combines both perfectly” (Legal 500, 2024)
Experience
Guillaume has advised on a wide range of major transactions. His recent transactions include advising:
- an international manufacturer of robotic products on the overall impact of the EU Digital Regulation framework (including the AI Act, DSA, DMA, Data Governance Act and Data Act) on its ecosystem of products and services, enabling this manufacturer to carry out a SWOT-analysis of the regulatory impact and start a proactive reflection on its digital business operations, among others in the way it collects and uses data
- a very large online platform (VLOP) designated by the European Commission (EC) under the Digital Services Act (DSA) in responding to requests for information from the EC regarding the compliance of their online platform with the requirements of the DSA
a critical ICT third-party service provider (CTPP) designated by the European Supervisory Authorities (ESAs) under the Digital Operation Resilience Act (DORA) in the implementation of its compliance program as well as related litigation
a Belgian asset management company in the drafting and negotiation of a strategic IT / outsourcing agreement with an international provider of investment management software
an international media conglomerate on the drafting of negotiation of several IT contracts regarding the use by various TV channels of the online streaming platform technology of a specialised service provider
a leading multinational company in the automative sector on the drafting and negotiation of a telematics agreement enabling it to equip its assets with a fleet management system using telematics technology
- a Japanese international technology giant on various ‘Internet of Things’-related matters as well as in relation to CCTV and facial recognition
a multinational involved in international payments on the development of a cross-jurisdictional AI transparency and explainability standard for its technical teams
a multinational sports equipment manufacturer on the preparation of a tool enabling it to qualify its role and identify its obligations under the EU AI Act for various use cases
- an international pharmaceutical company in the development of a GDPR-compliant online patient support program
- one of the world leaders in mineral extraction for the implementation throughout the group of all data protection regulatory aspects of a cloud solution related to HR data
- an energy company, an international bank and a telecom operator on their dealings with the Belgian Data Protection Authority due to alleged infringements of the GDPR
- a multinational insurance company in relation to alleged hacking practices directed towards some of its competitors
Admissions