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ABOUT
Meet our team
“The stars for complainant work”
Laurent Ruessmann
Partner
Jochen Beck
Partner
Erblina Sejdiu
Associate
Emilie Braun
Associate
Pieter Van Vaerenbergh
Associate
Kristiyana Drandarova
Senior Associate
Test SubPage „About“
Meet The Team
“The creme de la creme of trade practitioners”
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erblina.sejdiu@rblegal.eu
+32 471 78 06 91
Erblina is an international trade lawyer, with a certification in WTO and International Trade Studies from Georgetown Law.She undertook her basic law studies in Kosovo and earned an LL.M. degree in International Business and Economic Law from Georgetown University as a Fulbright Scholar. She also completed the School of Politics organized under the auspices of the Council of Europe.
Before RB Legal she gained professional experience in law firms in Washington, London, and Berlin, where she focused on international trade and other cross-border legal matters. She has also served as a trade policy consultant for the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), advising the Ministry of Trade of Kosovo.
Erblina is a published author in a leading U.S. journal on the topic of the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and fluent in English and Albanian, with basic proficiency in Spanish.
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emilie.braun@rblegal.eu
Emilie is a German‑qualified lawyer whose practice covers international trade law and regulatory matters. She engages in cross‑functional and multi‑jurisdictional work, assisting clients with trade-related questions. Her workcomprises legal analyses and drafting, compliance support and strategic guidance.Before joining RB Legal, Emilie completed a two‑year legal training, gaining practical experience across several institutions and jurisdictions. Emilie has also engaged in international trade law and policy work at the European Commission (DG TRADE), as well as at international law firms and at a major German chemical company.
Emilie is fluent in German, English, and French, and has working proficiency in Spanish.
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jochen.beck@rblegal.eu
+32 473 88 14 87Jochen is a Brussels Advocat (Flemish section) and also admitted to practice law in England and Wales, as well as the State of New York (USA). Jochen is a highly experienced international trade lawyer with over 20 years of expertise in providing guidance to clients on a wide array of international trade and regulatory matters. His experience encompasses both EU and Member State legislation, as well as the application of WTO and other international agreements.
His primary area of focus revolves around EU and third country trade defence instruments, namely anti-dumping, anti-subsidy, and safeguards. To protect fair trade and a level playing field in the EU, he closely collaborates with various EU industries, including the bicycle industry, the glass fibre industry, the paper industry, the chemical industry, the metal industry, and the solar industry.
A notable accomplishment is his collaboration with the bicycle and e-bike industries, where his team successfully preserved over 100,000 jobs within the EU while generating an additional 5,000 new positions in the green mobility sector.
Furthermore, Jochen provides guidance on matters related to export controls, sanctions, customs, and regulatory law. For instance, he aids clients in implementing internal export control and sanctions compliance programs, enabling them to engage in secure trade with their global business partners. Additionally, he devises programs focused on duty savings, recovery, classification, and valuation, helping companies optimize their costs.
Jochen's expertise and contributions have been acknowledged by reputable sources such as Chambers, Expert Guide, Legal 500, and Who's isWho Legal. He is fluent in German and English, and he has a basic understanding of French.
SRL 0891.516.805
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laurent.ruessmann@rblegal.eu
+32 496 16 51 69Laurent is a Belgian lawyer admitted to the Brussels Bar (French section). With over 30 years of experience, he is one of the leading experts in the area of international trade, having an outstanding track -record of advising clients in the areas of anti-dumping, anti-subsidy, and safeguard procedures as well as in customs matters.
Laurent has also profound knowledge of the trade-related aspects of several regulatory matters, including product safety, energy law, environmental law, life sciences, and intellectual property rights.
Laurent advises clients across a broad range of industries, including manufacturers of computer and other electronic equipment, renewable energy products, durable goods, consumer products, agriculture and food products, chemicals and pharmaceutical products, automobiles and auto parts, aviation, ships and other transport, iron and steel products, non-ferrous metals, textiles and non-wovens. In services, he has advised providers of publishing, oil and gas, banking, insurance and financial services , as well as other service sectors.
Laurent features prominently in the trade and WTO rankings of the leading bar publications such as Chambers Global, The Legal 500 and Who's Who Legal, where he is described as "an excellent lawyer."
He is fluent in English and French.
*SRL 0543.655.108
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pieter.vanvaerenbergh@rblegal.eu
+32 479 76 85 86Pieter is an experienced advisor who specializes in providing clients with comprehensive guidance on international trade and regulatory issues. He possesses in-depth knowledge of EU and Member State legislation, as well as the application of WTO and other international agreements. Pieter's particular focus lies in assisting clients with EU trade defence instruments, customs, and export controls.
In the past, Pieter served as a research associate and pursued his doctoral studies at the Europa-Institut of Saarland University in Germany. His research and teaching endeavors focused on various aspects of international economic law and dispute resolution. Pieter also gained valuable experience through internships at the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg and the OECD in Paris.
In addition to his native Dutch, Pieter is fluent in English, German, and French.
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kristiyana.drandarova@rblegal.eu
+32 499 89 87 01Kristiyana provides comprehensive advice on a diverse range of international trade and regulatory matters, encompassing EU and Member State legislation, as well as the application of WTO and other international agreements.
Her area of expertise primarily lies in EU trade defence instruments, customs, and export controls. Notably, she has recently represented EU producers of electric bicycles, conventional bicycles, and glass fibers in anti-dumping and anti-subsidy cases within the EU.
Before becoming a qualified lawyer in Bulgaria, Kristiyana completed a traineeship at the European Commission (DG TRADE), where she gained valuable experience working on cases related to trade defence instruments.
In addition to her native Bulgarian, Kristiyana is fluent in English, Spanish, and French, further enhancing her ability to communicate and navigate international trade matters effectively.