Steven De Schrijver and Pieter Paepe from Lorenz, discuss the changes to the Belgian gambling law, its constitutionality and effect on online licensing.

The International Who’s Who of Internet, e-Commerce & Data Protection Lawyers has brought together three of the leading practitioners in the world to discuss key issues facing lawyers today.

We bring together four leading lawyers in this practice area from Brazil, the US and Europe discuss keeping up with technological advancements, regulatory changes, emerging markets and working on international projects and cases.

Nothing is more frustrating than thinking that you are buying one thing and ending up buying something else. This dilemma is particularly present in the information technology sector – an area rich in the varied names given to products and services.

Data protection has come a long way in the 15 years since the Data Protection Directive first saw the light of day. For one thing, it’s less common these days to hear business complaining about there being restrictions on the use of personal data, and there seems to be a greater appreciation, particularly among US multinationals, that handling personal data in a manner that respects individuals’ rights is generally a good thing.

With the benefit of over 14 years of research and tens of thousands of votes from clients and private practitioners, Who’s Who Legal takes a closer look at developing trends in the internet, e-commerce & data protection legal marketplace worldwide.

In this section we analyse the findings of our research in greater depth to identify the firms and practitioners who stand out worldwide.

Our research into this practice area has deepened with each successive edition and this book includes 479 high-calibre practitioners. We have broadened the parameters of our research to include data protection and IT specialists as well as lawyers who focus on internet and e-commerce (and those whose practice comprises several or all of these areas).

“There is not a company on the planet that does not need to know what internet lawyers can tell them.” The business world has grown comfortable with the online dimension, and these days one would be hard pressed to find an established market presence or start-up without some sort of online presence.

Online businesses are proving to be resilient during the worldwide recession. This spring, Amazon posted a 24 per cent rise in profits while both Ebay and Google, despite a fall in profits, have performed better than analysts expected.

This edition lists 369 leading practitioners in this area. We have focused on all aspects of internet and e-commerce law, including pure internet law, intellectual property work, telecoms, outsourcing, media and technology. Many are specialists in more than one area and all are considered outstanding practitioners by clients and peers.

The fast-paced, volatile businesses of the internet and of e-commerce are witnessing a resurgence and present unique challenges to companies and lawyers, as the law adapts to new developments. This chapter identifies 262 leading practitioners in 34 jurisdictions. These individuals answer a growing worldwide demand for guidance past the pitfalls of data privacy, security and e-commerce, as well as complex IT and outsourcing transactions. Two trends emerge from the research: while the greatest concentrations of practitioners occur in England and California with 26 and 27 nominees, the firms with the greatest turnout are invariably international, with offices across the globe.