Irina Trichkovska
Biography
Overview
Irina Trichkovska is counsel in the EU/Competition team of White & Case's Brussels office, with extensive experience in advising corporate and public clients on a broad range of EU law issues, with a particular focus on EU competition, State aid and regulatory matters.
Ms. Trichkovska represents clients before the European Commission and national competition authorities as well as EU and national courts in high-profile cases ranging from abuse of dominance, cartels, verticals, and mergers to State aid proceedings, concerning a wide variety of industries, such as energy, retail, tech, aviation, financial and postal institutions and many others.
Ms. Trichkovska is part of White & Case's specialized State aid and energy teams. She has been involved in a number of recent Commission energy antitrust cases and has successfully represented clients in their investigations by pursuing suitable remedies to settle the cases without an infringement finding. In the State aid field, Irina has acted in numerous State aid proceedings representing Member States, beneficiaries and complainants.
Irina also regularly advises companies and States in investor-State arbitration proceedings involving claims or defense based on EU and State aid law, and she recently co-authored a chapter on State aid and Arbitration in the Research Handbook on EU State Aid Law (2nd edition, Edward Elgar Publishing). Irina also advises individuals, companies and States on issues concerning the European Convention on Human Rights.
Prior to joining White & Case, Irina worked for the Ministry of Finance of North Macedonia, where she specialized in project finance and the alignment of national legislation with EU law. She also has extensive experience in negotiation and cooperation with international financial institutions such as the World Bank, the EBRD, the EIB and the CEB.
Irina has also interned for the Commission's DG Competition with the Financial Crisis Task Force dealing with high profile restructuring State aid cases concerning financial institutions affected by the 2008 crisis.
Experience
Successful representation of Bulgarian Energy Holding and bringing to an end the Commission's antitrust probe, AT.39767–BEH Electricity, with an innovative remedy and without an infringement finding;
Representing BEH, Bulgargaz and Bulgartransgaz in Commission's antitrust probe, AT.39849–BEH Gas, and their subsequent appeal of the €77 million fine to the General Court of the EU;
Representing an EU power exchange in Commission's antitrust probe;
Successful termination with commitments of the two antitrust probes into the practices of a major soft drinks producer in an investigation by the Croatian and Slovenian national competition authorities;
Successful representation of the a transmission system operator of an EU Member State against a major gas supplier in antitrust/arbitration proceedings concerning long-term capacity booking agreement, based on Article 102 TFEU objections;
Advising a major energy company on questions of EU unbundling legislation and on EU merger rules in a Phase II case;
Ongoing representation of an EU Member State in a State aid investigation concerning long-term power purchase agreements with foreign investors;
Representation of a number of companies and States in investor-State arbitration proceedings (based on ECT; BiTs) involving claims or defense based on EU and State aid law;
Successful representation of a major soft drinks producer before the competition authority of an aspiring EU Member State in relation to vertical restraints proceedings, with a full annulment of the Authority's decision by the Administrative Court;
Successful representation of a multinational cement producer, in cartel proceedings before the Albanian competition authority, which resulted in a full acquittal;
Advising energy companies on questions related to the new Gas and Electricity Directive and assisting energy companies in complying with the requirements of the Third Energy Package;
Advising a wide range of European and Asian clients in the negotiations of their LNG contracts, and, in particular, on the competition aspects;
ECHR and EU human rights litigation and advisory work for governments, companies and individuals.
Rising Star, Legal 500 EMEA, Belgium – Competition: EU & Global, 2024
Recommended, Legal 500 EMEA, Belgium – Competition: EU and Global, 2021
Pro Bono Leader
HSP Huygens Scholarship, Dutch Ministry of Education, 2007
