Airbus Seeks Boeing Law Firm Removed From WTO Case

Airbus asked a US court on Friday to remove Boeing´s law firm from a case before the World Trade Organization because of alleged ethics violations.

“We have found that one of the partners in that law firm, in their trade practice in Brussels, is a lawyer who used to work for Airbus developing our strategic legal case for potential trade disputes,” Clay McConnell, a spokesman for Airbus´ North American unit said.

Longtime rivals Airbus and Boeing have been locked in a dispute over billions of dollars in government support on both sides of the Atlantic.

The United States challenged European government loans for Airbus that it says are illegal subsidies under WTO rules. Brussels responded by filing its own case, alleging Boeing benefits from indirect subsidies ranging from state tax breaks to government research and development contracts.

In its court motion, Airbus identified Marcos Bronckers, a lawyer in the Brussels office of Washington law firm Wilmer & Hale, as a former attorney for Airbus. The company said Bronckers did legal work for Airbus from 1987 to the early 1990s when he was employed at a Dutch law firm.