Allen & Overy LLP remains a go-to for cross-border M&A and private equity transactions, advising leading corporates, funds, and financial institutions on high value strategic deals, public markets issues, and corporate governance issues, with a growing focus on ESG considerations. The firm offers integrated regulatory, tax, and intellectual property capabilities, as well as support in post-M&A litigation and financing matters, and is also active across all regions of Belgium, as well as internationally. Wouter Van De Voorde leads the team, and is highly experienced in a wide range of deals, while Dirk Meeus specialises in global transactions and Pierre-Olivier Mahieu in large-scale domestic deals. Hans Kets is noted for his work in the telecoms space, and Frederiek Adams is a prolific private equity dealmaker. Counsel Sophie Rutten is deeply experienced in corporate law issues, and stands out for her work with listed companies.
Commercial, corporate and M&A in Belgium
Allen & Overy LLP
Practice head(s):
Wouter Van de Voorde
Other key lawyers:
Sophie Rutten; Frederiek Adams; Dirk Meeus; Pierre-Olivier Mahieu; Sofie Haelterman
Testimonials
‘The team knows how to handle complex multijurisdictional M&A files. Given their involvement in most of the prominent deals, they have a good knowledge of the market practice (they almost “set” the market practice) and the different market actors. This was in particular valuable for a competitive auction process we organised.’
‘Dirk Meeus: remains a force to be reckoned with. He loves a good game of strategy – he is excellent in auctions on the sell side and will assist in developing the best strategy/approach. He knows when to step in. He is lucky to be able to rely on a team of good associates for the details of the file.’
‘Hans Kets: one of the most brilliant M&A lawyers. He focuses on the really important items, guides his clients, is very engaged and always has the client’s best interest in mind. Genuinely nice person.’
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton continues to act for blue-chip clients including major Belgian companies, multinationals, financial institutions, and public sector entities on high-value M&A, private equity deals, and complex corporate governance issues, including standout expertise in activism defence. The team, led by highly experienced corporate advisers Laurent Legein and Laurent Ruzette, stands out for its leading role in global transactions, often involving multi-jurisdictional regulatory elements and encompassing complex structures such as spin-offs and minority sales. Marijke Spooren, an ‘exceptional rising talent‘, was promoted to partner in January 2022 in recognition of her work on major M&A and innovative ESG-related shareholder activism issues, while Christophe Wauters was promoted to counsel in January 2022 and contributes to the firm’s corporate finance expertise.
Practice head(s):
Laurent Legein; Laurent Ruzette; Marijke Spooren
Other key lawyers:
Christophe Wauters
Testimonials
‘Marijke Spooren is an exceptional rising talent. Young partner with the experience and the judgement of an industry veteran.’
‘The team has great knowledge of our company and industry. They are very service minded and their cross border presence has proven to be very helpful. The associates in the team stand out for their capabilities.’
‘Laurent Ruzette is a great expert in his field. He thinks along with the client and is very service minded. He is sharp, pragmatic and therefore provides great support.’
Key clients
AbbVie
Aliaxis
Allianz
ArcelorMittal
Befimmo
Bekaert
BNP Paribas/BNP Paribas Fortis
bpost
Carlyle
Collibra
Consortium Ducale
CVC Capital Partners
D’Ieteren
Eurofima
Frère Bourgeois
Groupe Novasep
Goodyear
Infrabel
International Post Corporation
IQVIA
Monument Re
Nethys
NN Group
OCI
Ontex
Ottobock
Showpad
Sixth Street Partners
Solvay
Umicore
Work highlights
- Representing Solvay SA/NV (Solvay) in connection with the contemplated global spin-off of its Specialty activities and the dual listing of the new Specialty holding company on Euronext Brussels and Euronext Paris.
- Advising Ontex in connection with its contemplated divestment, announced on December 15, 2021, of certain of its emerging markets businesses.
- Advised AbbVie in its acquisition of Syndesi Therapeutics SA.
Clifford Chance
Clifford Chance remains active on complex, often cross-border M&A, alongside corporate restructurings and financing transactions, working with an international client base including private equity investors and companies in key sectors including financial services, energy, infrastructure, and tech. The team works with major institutional clients as well as an array of start-up and growth businesses, including domestic unicorns. The team is led by Xavier Remy, who advises on transactional and regulatory elements of complex deals, particularly within the energy space, Niek De Pauw, who takes the lead on private equity work, alongside restructuring and corporate governance mandates, and Henri d’Ursel, who specialises in real estate transactions. Patrice Viaene is a counsel with standout expertise in regulated industry M&A, and regularly works with growth clients.
Practice head(s):
Xavier Remy; Niek De Pauw; Henri d’Ursel
Other key lawyers:
Patrice Viaene; Gillis Waelkens
Testimonials
‘The practice is always able to resource the team according to our evolving needs, this sounds simple yet it is copmlex as it requires a breadth of skillsets which can sometimes be very specialized. This speaks volumes of the quality and depth of the team.’
‘The individuals are experts in their field and crucially are able to explain in simple terms what can sometimes be very complex topics. Special mention to the Clifford Chance team: Gillis Waelkens and Xavier Remy.’
‘Pragmatic, efficient and business oriented expert advisor.’
‘Dynamic, creative and business minded.’
Key clients
Kingspan
Deliverect
AVAIO Capital and Macquarie
Federal Holding and Investment Company (FPIM/SFPI)
Finance&Invest Brussels
Pon Bicycle Holding B.V.
Hellenic Financial Stability Fund (HFSF)
AXA Group
CASPER
Tom&Co
ByteDance
Triton
APG
Ardian
Lucerne
Mitsubishi Corporation
Mitsui & Co.
Elia
Degroof Petercam
Corialis
CVC
Straco
Verlinvest
EQT
ENA
Amavi Capital
Merieux Equity Partners
Prologis
Macquarie
3i
Cinven
Blackstone
Azelis
Amazon
Ellimetal
Eurofiber
Work highlights
- Advised AXA Belgium on the transfer of a closed book of life insurances with BEGAAP provisions of €2.6 billion to Monument Re, through its subsidiary Monument Assurance Belgium.
- Advised Kingspan on the acquisition of Troldtekt, a Danish manufacturer of cement-bonded wood wool acoustic panels.
- Advised Deliverect on its Series D Financing.
Linklaters
Linklaters advises major international corporates and financial institutions on M&A, corporate finance, and structuring matters, handling cross-border mandates, often with multi-jurisdictional employment, tax, and regulatory issues. Sector strengths include financial services, private equity, industrials, and energy, which is a particular specialty of practice head Arnaud Coibion. Charles-Antoine Leunen combines transactional work and acquisition financing expertise, while Eric Pottier is an experienced player in cross-border M&A and public companies issues. Filip Lecoutre is noted for his capital markets expertise alongside transactional work, and An-Sofie Van Hootegem specialises in private equity deals.
Practice head(s):
Arnaud Coibion
Other key lawyers:
Charles-Antoine Leunen; Eric Pottier; Filip Lecoutre; An-Sofie Van Hootegem; Nils Vermeulen
Testimonials
‘High quality advice on cross-border M&A matters. Excellent client – lawyer relationship making the experience also an educational experience for the client. Good balance between assertiveness and diplomacy.’
‘The people I work with are all excellent, readily available and fully engaged. Ready to co-lead on key issues.’
‘The Linklaters team is very unique for us as they know us very well. They have a good understanding of our strategy, way to operate, internal decision making and what are the matters of utmost importance for us. On the billing side, there is very good transparency.’
‘I very much appreciate working with Charles-Antoine Leunen. He is pragmatic and to the point and tailors his advice to our needs.’
‘Excellent firm with a broad practice in Belgium considered to be among the best in a wide range of legal services.’
‘Full service law firm with a significant European footprint.’
‘Good legal knowledge.’
‘Very good knowledge, experts, availability and easy accessible, pro-active, hands-on, know the client and take into accounts its needs and constraints, large and multidisciplinary teams.’
Key clients
ageas
Agfa-Gevaert
AKKA Technologies SE
Aperam S.A.
Ardian SAS
AXA SA
BNP Paribas Fortis Private Equity
E.ON SE
EIT Food IVZW
Emakina Group SA
ENGIE SA
Euroclear SA
Greiner AG
Hg Capital
Lesaffre International
Mediahuis NV
Orange Belgium SA
Orkila Capital LLC
Proximus NV
Richemont International SA
RTL Group
SiegCo (a Verlinvest holding company)
Sofina SA
Solvay SA
Unifiedpost Group SA
Verlinvest SA
Waterland
Work highlights
- Advised Orange Belgium SA on the framework of its acquisition, from Nethys, of 75% less one share of VOO SA.
- Advising Greiner AG on the acquisition of 27% of the shares in Recticel NV/SA from Compagnie du Bois Sauvage SA and the subsequent launch of an unsolicited takeover bid on all shares of Recticel NV/SA.
- Advised AKKA Technologies, a company listed on Euronext Paris and Euronext Brussels, on its combination with the Adecco Group.
Baker McKenzie CVBA/SCRL
Baker McKenzie CVBA/SCRL‘s international corporate finance and capital markets expertise allows the firm to advise on a wide range of complex, often cross-border M&A, private equity, and public market transactions, including public M&A and takeover attempts, buyouts, and spin-offs. The team works with international corporates, private equity funds, and financial institutions, and is able to handle deals in key areas such as healthcare, tech, and financial services. Roel Meers heads up the team, while Koen Vanhaerents specialises in public M&A, Luc Meeus is noted for his work on fund-led deals and structured transactions, and Dominique Maes handles cross-border M&A, private equity deals, and corporate governance issues. Also standing out in the team are Davinia Martens, a prolific corporate finance adviser, and ‘very experienced and hard working‘ counsel Kim Stas, whose work includes the full range of transactions, alongside structuring and regulatory considerations.
Practice head(s):
Roel Meers
Other key lawyers:
Luc Meeus; Davinia Martens; Dominique Maes; Koen Vanhaerents; Kristoff Cox; Kim Stas
Testimonials
‘Luc Meeus, the partner in charge was always available, delivered always above expectations and on time. He is also a really nice person to work with. Kristoff Cox, the associate in charge, was also totally trustable.’
‘The team of Dominique Maes at Baker McKenzie is very pragmatic, professional, client orientated and delivers high quality work within the agreed to deadlines. Multi disciplinary appraoch with one SPOC is very efficient.’
‘Very responsive, always available, very business-minded’
Key clients
AgomAb Therapeutics NV
Aquinos Group
Arcus Infrastructure Partners
argenx
Arrow Electronics, Inc.
Baloise
Belgian Growth Fund
Biocartis
Bremhove NV
Bryan, Garnier & Co
BlueGem Capital Partners
BVI Medical
Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
Carglass
Core Equity Partners
CVC Capital Partners
Dentcap
Ergon Capital Partners
FPIM/SFPI
Galapagos
GN Group
Godiva (Yildiz)
Ingram Micro
ISS Group Holdings Ltd
KBC Group (including KBC Securities NV)
KeBek Private Equity
Keysight Technologies
Korys Investments
Luminus NV
M80 Capital
Macquarie
MDxHealth SA
Mercedes-Benz Group
Mithra Pharmaceuticals SA
Orange Belgium
Paccor
PharmaFluidics
Quva
Resilux
Sequana Medical NV
Straco
TA Associates
TVH Group
Vivalto Vie Holding SAS
Vicinity Affordable Housing Fund
VPK Packaging Group
Westfort Capital
Yource Group
DLA Piper
DLA Piper is active on transactional work, with broad sector expertise reflected in a number of standout deals in the private equity, aerospace, telecoms, and infrastructure sectors, among others. The team also handles restructurings and broad commercial and operational mandates, with notable cross-border expertise. Erwin Simons, who focuses on M&A and private equity deals, leads the team alongside Koen Selleslags, who combines transactional and restructuring expertise, and Michaël Heene, who works with financial institutions, corporates, and venture capital funds on deals. Senior associates Charlotte Peeters and Fauve Vander Schelden play a key role in cross-border transactions and restructuring matters. Counsel Aubry Daerden was a new arrival in 2023.
Practice head(s):
Erwin Simons; Koen Selleslags; Michael Heene
Other key lawyers:
Charlotte Peeters; Fauve Vander Schelden; Gieljan van de Velde; Aubry Daerden
Testimonials
‘Strong case knowledge, creativity to find alternative solutions, knowledge on market practices, understanding of client needs (and willingness to fight for that) as well as real advisory – so not only executing on the client’s demands, but also providing advice on what is really important and what is not.’
‘Compared to other firms we have worked with on similar engagements we especially appreciated the pragmatic approach of the practice. Besides that, we valued the high level of partner involvement and limited size of the overall team involved, this ensured that Michael Heene and his team were in control of all relevant topics.’
‘As we have a relatively high (international) deal volume compared to the size of our M&A team, we require our local advisors to take initiative and solve issues by themselves as much as possible. Both Michael Heene and Gieljan van de Velde have shown great flexibility and initiative during the project, keeping our involvement limited to relevant topics and ensuring that deadlines were met.’
‘Michaël Heene proved very competent in combining legal, strategic and tactical aspects of the transaction and its negotiation process (not Investment Banker involved so this advise was important), while Charlotte Peeters proved extremely good at designing the SPA and other relevant legal documentation. I was impressed by the cooperative, non-confrontational approach taken by Michaël with the firm representing the buying Party, which enabled us to avoid deadlocks while protecting our core interests.’
‘In a multi-location transaction we engaged DLA Piper – Brussels, we greatly appreciated the cross references to DLA local colleagues in different countries, which shared the same level of urgency with the Brussels team.’
‘Mr Michael Heene excels in providing his clients with hands-on transactional assistance that goes beyond mere legal work. He has the ability to await the moment to score when necessary and not to allow people to lose themselves into details. Offering his great team an ample field of autonomy, but never away from the file; hence, enabling the client to stick to the strictly commercial side of a transaction, feeling at rest knowing that Michael is in really on top of things!’
‘Ability to listen to the needs of the client and provide options in a clear, simplified way.’
‘Very pragmatic, no-nonsense approach.’
Key clients
Fluvius
ArcelorMittal
Katoen Natie
KBC Group
Belfius
Volkshaard
Renewi
BASF
Showpad
Teamleader
Cegeka
Nationale Loterij
Lotus Bakeries
Alychlo NV
Imperbel
Torqx Capital Partner
Miko
Aliaxis
Schréder
Van Genechten Packaging
Miraclon
Pfizer
Work highlights
- Advised Fluvius System Operator CV on an investment in a EUR 2bn joint venture with Telenet to evolve the hybrid fibre coaxial network infrastructure in Flanders and for the setup of the “data network of the future“.
- Advised Montana Aerospace AG on its acquisition of ASCO Industries.
- Advised the ArcelorMittal group on an investment amounting to EUR 1.1bn to make the ArcelorMittal plants in Belgium climate neutral by 2050.
Eubelius
Eubelius remains active across domestic and cross-border M&A, also supporting a number of major businesses with ongoing corporate governance, commercial, and operational issues. Notable transactional expertise for the firm includes LBOs, strategic acquisitions, deals involving state-owned companies, and carve-outs, with the team advising clients active in a wide range of industries. Practice heads include managing partner Matthias Wauters, who handles public and private M&A as well as corporate litigation; Lars Van Bever, who focuses on real estate and private equity deals; Philippe Mulliez, who focuses on Flemish work encompassing transactions and litigation; and Frank Hellemans , an experienced M&A and capital markets advisor. Joris De Wolf was promoted to partner in January 2022, in recognition of his strong work on M&A and public takeovers. Marieke Wyckaert retired in December 2021.
Practice head(s):
Matthias Wauters; Ignace Claeys; Philippe Mulliez; Frank Hellemans
Other key lawyers:
Erwin Destuyver
Testimonials
‘Proactive, diligent and creative team.’
‘Very knowledgeable and experienced team. Great combination of in-depth knowledge and hands-on advice. They show a genuine interest in the business, and provide concrete and ready to use advice. They are able to quickly set up an intra-disciplinary team designed to your needs and manage to keep that team in place throughout the file at reasonable cost. Their expert teams work together very smoothly and all seems to be on top of the file. Great availability at all levels. Great teams to work with; as in-house counsel, you are really part of the external team and vice-versa.’
‘Matthias Wauters: a real deal maker. Always open for dialogue and looks for win-win solutions. He really listens to his client and puts his client at the center of the file. Clear and to the point advice that helps you navigate through complex matters and avoid pitfalls. Great commitment and availability: always there when you need him.’
‘We had the opportunity to collaborate with Erwin Destuyver and his team in the context of an acquisition project: efficient team, organized, meticulous and professional work, availability at all times, meticulous and personal follow-up of the file, reactive. Very efficient collaboration and we highly recommend Erwin Destuyver.’
‘They stand out from their competitors (and yet we are used to working with many different firms) by their reactivity, efficiency, organization, knowledge of the subject matter, proactivity, client support, contactability at any time.’
‘The team is a team of top players that somehow do easily transfer projects or files to colleagues who have the exact skill / knowledge required, within the firm.’
‘Great team: excellent knowledge of the matters at stake. Great value for money.’
‘Filip Jenné: top notch lawyer; his engagement in the matters is exemplary. Hard to beat in terms of value for money.’
Key clients
Fedrus
Besix
BNP Paribas Fortis Private Equity
SNCB-NMBS
Domo Investment Group / Dovesco
Elia
Willy Naessens Group
Damier Group
Skeyes
SFPI – FPIM
Sports & Leisure Group
EIC Fund
Alter Pharma Group
AG Insurance / AG Real Estate
Work highlights
- Assisted AG with the acquisition of Anima Care.
- Assisted investment group Dovesco and the other shareholders on the sale of a majority stake in the LS Bedding group to Sleepco GmbH.
- Assisted Damier Group which was part of a consortium led by CVC Capital Partners that acquired the France based Cooper Consumer Healthcare group from Charterhouse.
Liedekerke
Liedekerke stands out for its work on cross-border transactions in a diverse range of sectors, most notably real estate, TMT, life sciences, and energy. Clients include international corporates, both public and private, private equity and venture capital investors, and a number of start-up and scale-ups. Corporate finance lead Damien Conem heads up the team, which also includes Christel Van den Eynden, who handles a wide range of multi-jurisdictional transactions in the high-tech and energy sectors, Jacques Meunier, who has diverse expertise across M&A and private equity work, and Wim Dedecker, a key name for public company and capital markets cases, including corporate and securities law issues. Céline Tallier was promoted to counsel in January 2022 and acts for large companies and SMEs on transactions.
Practice head(s):
Damien Conem
Other key lawyers:
Christel Van den Eynden; Wim Dedecker; Jacques Meunier; Maurits Arnauw; Céline Tallier; Davy Vandenbussche
Testimonials
‘Very hands-on, accessible, delivers always on time the expected quality and expertise. Billings in line with budget and regularly reported. High focus on diversity and innovations where possible within the legal profession.’
‘Business acumen, pragmatic approach, down to earth, always accessible when needed. They go the extra mile every time when required to get a deal done!’
‘The team is very accessible, highly motivated and qualified and responds fast.’
‘Jacques Meunier and Davy Vandenbussche deliver excellent services, respond fast and have very good negotiation and communication skills. We could not have done this transaction without their assistance!’
Key clients
Kiwa
BT Brammer (Rubix)
Dept Holding
Colruyt
Kurt Van Dal – the e-Power group
CED Group
Havea
Aquila Capital
TTR Energy
shareholders of Intys Consulting
Belfius Bank
AG Insurance
BNP Paribas Fortis
Essling Capital
H.B. Fuller
DST Global
Redpoint Ventures
Adjacent V2 LP
Platinum Equity
Biscuits International
Idun Industri AS (Orkla)
Patina
CDPQ
Spadel
Work highlights
- Assisting TTR Energy in the set-up of a Belgian co-investment vehicle for the acquisition of eight wind farms located in France , representing a total of 100 MW and generating an annual electricity production of 240 GWh.
- Assisting Kiwa with its strategic acquisition of Vincotte Group, the largest TIC (testing, inspection, and certification) company in the Belux region.
- Advising DST Global and Redpoint Ventures on their investment in Deliverect, scale-up restaurants with online ordering services through its cloud software as part of a USD 65 million Series C equity financing round.
Loyens & Loeff
Loyens & Loeff remains highly active across domestic and cross-border M&A and private equity transactions, offering solid multi-jurisdictional expertise alongside in-house tax and regulatory capabilities. The firm handles transactional work for major European clients in fields such as industrials, private equity, and real estate, and is also noted for its distressed M&A capabilities. Grégoire Jakhian oversees the team, with Wim Vande Velde remaining a highly experienced figure in the practice. Robrecht Coppens is a key name for complex M&A and private equity deals, enjoying productive relationships with a number of major funds, while Thomas Lenné is noted for his cross-border expertise. Aubry Daerden left the firm.
Practice head(s):
Grégoire Jakhian
Other key lawyers:
Wim Vande Velde; Robrecht Coppens; Thomas Lenné; Mathias Hendrickx
Testimonials
‘They have an excellent team and pragmatic way of working.’
‘Excellent knowledge, pragmatic and always available.’
‘They use the latest techniques such as teams and digital signing of documents. They are always available and react very fast. They are real deal makers.’
‘Robrecht Coppens and his team are very pragmatic, fast and accurate with an extensive knowledge. They always look for a constructive solution without losing sight of the commercial and legal aspects.’
‘It is one of the largest M&A teams on the Belgian market. Their team is very complete and of a high quality. The arrival of Thomas Lenné has further boosted their transactional profile on the market.’
‘Thomas Lenné is an excellent dealmaker who understands what truly drives a deal. He is smart, quick, pragmatic and pleasant to work with.’
Key clients
Platinum Equity Advisors, LLC
Amphenol Corporation
Silver Lake
EQT AB
Pamplona Capital Management LLC
HIG European Capital Partners
Balta Group
CAPZA Mid-Cap Expansion Equity SLP
Spectrum Equity
Nitro Software Ltd
Corel / KKR
Schenk Tanktransport group
Orig Bene (MPG Austria)
CATISA
Summit Partners
Work highlights
- Assisted Balta with the sale of Balta’s Rugs, Residential polypropylene (Residential PP) and Non-Woven businesses, together with the Balta brand, to Victoria PLC.
- Assisted the Corel Group and its owner KKR, in connection with the acquisition of all the shares in the Belgian company Awingu NV and its US subsidiary Awingu Inc.
- Assisted H.I.G. European Capital Partners in the acquisition of 100% of the shares in the Belgian company Quick Restaurants SA.
Lydian
Lydian focuses on upper mid-market M&A, and is also regularly involved in high-value, cross-border deals as Belgian counsel, enjoying productive referral relationships with international firms. The firm acts for major domestic and international corporates and private equity funds on the buy and sell-side, and also offers integrated tax, finance, and regulatory expertise. Peter De Ryck, who has a strong focus on private equity and real estate deals, leads the team alongside Maxime Colle, who combines transactional, regulatory, and corporate governance experience, and Tom Geudens. Counsel Florence Colpaert plays a key role in complex M&A and private equity-backed transactions.
Practice head(s):
Peter De Ryck; Maxime Colle; Tom Geudens
Other key lawyers:
Florence Colpaert
Testimonials
‘Very responsive, pragmatic and internationally orientated. They understand how large international corporations work with many different departments, interests and requests and they are not quickly discouraged or overwhelmed by that.’
‘Maxime Colle is a very involved lawyer with good overall responsibility and involvement with his clients.’
‘The best Legal M&A team I have been working with in the last 10 years. They have shown high level of professionalism, knowledge, providing right advice at the right time and speed!’
‘Florence Colpaert, bright lawyer, huge experience, it was a pleasure to work with her. Stress resistant, perfect oral and body language even when discussions were very hot. Normally working with law firms is always a challenge, specially for people with strong technical background, however this time it was a unique, positive experience!’
‘I like the personal approach from the Lydian team, they are not just robots writing emails, but they are real people, providing real support.’
‘Maxime Colle and team are really approachable, knowledgeable and quick.’
‘True commercial advice and legally excellent.’
‘Florence Colpaert: no-nonsense, hands on, brings solutions.’
Key clients
Naxicap Partners
House of HR
Dana
Coil
European Dental Group
Vivalto Home
IBM
McDonald’s
Visma
Scandinavian Tobacco Group
RiskPoint Group
Tikehau Ace Capital
Andera Partners
White Bridge Investments
Kyndryl
Vado Beheer
StoneCalibre
Saviola Group
Level Equity
Northleaf Capital Partners
Carl Zeiss
IQGeo Group plc
Yes
KUKA AG
Bose
Leggett & Platt
Mitsubishi
Schaefer Group
Topp Holdings GmbH
TopCold
Mindgap
LFPI
Ghent Transport and Storage NV
Eurovia
Ciner Group
Arthur J. Gallager & Co
Worthen Industries
Work highlights
- Acted as lead counsel to the sellers in the sale of House of HR NV to Bain Capital.
- Assisted the Norwegian software giant Visma with the acquisition of the Belgian software development company Teamleader NV from investors Fortino Capital, Keen Venture Partners and PMV.
- Assisted Vivalto Home Belgium in a series of acquisitions following the restructuring that took place in January 2022.
NautaDutilh
NautaDutilh has a strong profile in cross-border deals, particularly throughout the Benelux region, advising high-profile clients in key fields such as energy, financial services, life sciences, and tech. The team offers integrated tax, regulatory, and financing expertise, and is able to handle complex arrangements such as partial sell-offs, carve-outs, and restructuring transactions, alongside more traditional M&A. Dirk Van Gerven, who advises on restructurings, corporate governance, and M&A, co-heads the team alongside Philippe Remels, an active dealmaker across M&A and private equity transactions, and Nicolas de Crombrugghe, a key name for regulated industry deals and public company advice. Counsel Christophe Wathion arrived from PwC Legal in January 2022, and focuses on cross-border M&A, including regulatory and due diligence issues, bolstering the firm’s transactional capabilities alongside senior associate Olivier van Wouwe, who has extensive transactional experience from in-house roles, and joined from an in-house position in February 2022.
Practice head(s):
Dirk Van Gerven; Philippe Remels; Nicolas de Crombrugghe
Other key lawyers:
Christophe Wauthion; Oliver van Wouwe
Testimonials
‘Pleasant and efficient cooperation. Expert core team and rapid scale-up and support from related disciplines where needed.’
‘The core team included Philippe Remels and Christophe Wathion, who were both highly committed to the deal, sharp and at the same time a good sense of what was needed to make the deal work.’
Key clients
ABN AMRO
Banque Degroof
Barry Callebaut
Basecamp
Belfius Bank
City Mall
Colruyt
Eagle Pharmaceuticals
ENGIE
Euroclear
Golden Palace
Korys
Mediq
Odoo
Parkwind
Quares Student Housing
Royal BAM Group
Swissport
Vanbreda Risk & Benefits
Virya Energy
Work highlights
- Advised ENGIE on the carve-out of its client solutions business and with preparations for the subsequent divestment thereof in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.
- Advised Royal BAM Group on the sale of part of its Belgian activities.
- Advised Quares Student Housing on the takeover bid by Xior.
Stibbe
Stibbe‘s key strengths include M&A in regulated industries and the public sector, as well as a high volume of private equity transactions, in which the firm advises major Belgian businesses as sellers as well as international investors such as Digitalbridge. The firm is also noted for its work on cross-border transactions, and for listed companies in public markets and governance issues, such as takeover defence. Stefan Odeurs heads up the team, specialising in private equity deals, while Jan Peeters focuses on M&A, public markets issues, and corporate finance. The vastly experienced Pascal Vanden Borre remains active on M&A and corporate restructurings, and Jan Bogaert is a key name for strategic cross-border M&A in industrial sectors.
Other key lawyers:
Pascal Vanden Borre; Jan Peeters; Jan Bogaert; Marc Fyon; Dries Hommez
Testimonials
‘They make things simple! Fast and efficient.’
‘Jan Bogaert is one of the best lawyers I have worked with. He is time efficient, goes directly to the point and is able to empathize with the client.’
‘Great team, very efficient, responsive and creative. Business friendly approach and deal making mindset. Ability to find solutions and provide alternatives. Very unique skillset for a law firm.’
‘Jan Peeters is outstanding and covering all grounds. Giving opportunities for the rest of the team to shine while having an eye on all parts of the transactions One of the best partners I have worked with in years across all European markets.’
‘Stefan Odeurs is an exceptional lawyer: Excellent competence, very experienced, emotional intelligence, quick reaction times.’
‘The team was cost-effective, we received great service at a reasonable price.’
‘Jan Bogaert’s availability was great, even on short notice and during busy periods, and we received pragmatic, to-the-point advice on our legal issues.’
Work highlights
- Assisted Carpenter Corporation on the development and implementation of a “white knight” strategy and implementation of a poison pill in the course of a hostile public take over bid by Greiner on the shares of Euronext Brussels’ listed Recticel, by ultimately acquiring the engineered foam business of Recticel.
- Advising EssilorLuxottica on the sale (together with GrandVision) of 142 Eye Wish stores in the Netherlands and 35 GrandOptical stores in Belgium to the Optic Retail International Group BENE, a member of MPG Austria.
- Assisted DigitalBridge, a US based REIT on the acquisition of Telenet’s mobile telecoms tower business.
ALTIUS
ALTIUS combines a prolific record in mid-market M&A with capabilities in cross-border corporate reorganisations and standout in-house financing, tax, and regulatory capabilities, allowing the firm to handle a wide range of corporate mandates for clients ranging from domestic SMEs to multinationals and international investment funds. Key areas of focus for the team include digitalisation, energy and infrastructure, life sciences, and arts and media, offering industry-specific expertise in its areas of specialism and others. Practice heads include Tom Vantroyen, a regular adviser on domestic and cross-border M&A and private equity deals, Jérôme Vermeylen, who has been active in the IT space, and Marie Brasseur, who has a strong reputation for international M&A and cross-border restructurings.
Practice head(s):
Marie Brasseur; Tom Vantroyen; Jérôme Vermeylen
Testimonials
‘Tom Vantroyen is an exceptionally talented and dedicated lawyers with vast experience in PE deals.’
Key clients
Alticor
AniCura
BK Partners
Canon
Coatue
CRH
Daikin
Deutsche Invest Mittelstand
Elisa Corporation
Gerflor
ImmunoPrecise Antibodies
Indufin
KONE
Olives & Co
PB Industries
SAAB
Siemens
SSP Belgium
Vertica Capital Partners
World Flight Services
Yellowstone Holding
Yunex
Work highlights
- Advised the listed company ImmunoPrecise Antibodies in relation to its acquisition of the Belgian bioinformatics company BIOSTRAND and its affiliates BIOKEY and BIOCLUE.
- Assisting telecommunications group Citymesh (part of Cegeka) in relation to all legal aspects of its joint venture with Romanian group DIGI and their joint participation in the recent mobile spectrum tender as the fourth mobile telecoms provider in the Belgian market.
- Advised Elisa Corporation in relation to its acquisition of a majority stake in TenForce NV.
ARGO Law
The ‘pragmatic‘ team at boutique transactional firm ARGO Law continues to expand its work on public and private M&A, private equity investments, and corporate finance, acting for domestic and international companies, both mid-market and large-cap, as well as private equity investors. The firm handles early-stage investments and buyouts for funds clients, as well as takeover bids, high-value sales and exits, and minority investments, with heavy involvement in the tech, life sciences, and logistics sectors. The team is led by Nico Goossens, who combines prolific transactional work with corporate litigation capabilities; Kris Verdoodt, who focuses on deals with private equity involvement; and Bert Van Ingelghem, a versatile M&A practitioner with notable experience of advising family-owned companies.
Practice head(s):
Nico Goossens; Kris Verdoodt; Bert Van Ingelghem
Other key lawyers:
Louis Hoet; Silke Chantrain; Mattias Verbeeck; Charlotte Bonamie
Testimonials
‘A small team that is able to do the transactions (same team can do corporate, contractual and real estate due diligences) – which is very cost efficient; in other firms, for similar projects more than double number of lawyers would work on the case.’
‘They fully support us and complement us where needed, without wanting to be the client or taking our place at the table.’
‘Very pragmatic team, they know the business, the strategy and the needs of their client.’
‘The teams are really working with all possible strengths that they have within the firm, other members will add their expertise in an acceptable proportion to come to the best solution for the case.’
‘Louis Hoet and Silke Chantrain were our main contact persons. Their combination of positive attitude and expertise/file knowledge resulted in full client satisfaction.’
‘Very personal approach, they understand what my goals are when we worked together. They have in depth legal knowledge but more importantly they know how to coach our team regarding the negotiation process itself, which leads to quicker and better deals’
‘Nico Gossens is Champions League level.’
‘Kris Verdoodt: no nonsense & super savvy. Mattias Verbeeck: partner material outright. Both devoted & trusted counsel that sets the standard in the market for boutique M&A advice.’
Key clients
Fortino Capital
Smartphoto group
Down2Earth Capital
Vectis Private Equity
Quva NV
Moore Belgium
Enhesa
WVT Industries
Robin List / Vendis Capital
Agidens International NV
Waterland Private Equity Investments
Innovad / IK Partners
Aedifica
T&A Holding
The Stadsbader Family
Pentahold
Karel De Corte and Rigo Verheijen
Vectis Private Equity IV CommV
Bencis
Baltisse
Sofindev
Heran HealthTech Fund
Telenet
VGP
CMB
Keen Ventures
DPG Media
Work highlights
- Advised Quva, the family office of the Pascal Vanhalst family, on the acquisition of a majority stake in Resilux from the De Cuyper family, followed by a mandatory public takeover bid and the subsequent delisting of the company from Euronext Brussels for a total transaction value of EUR 475mio.
- Assisted the shareholders (including, Vendis Capital and Robin List) of Sylphar, active in the development and marketing of OTC products, on the EUR 300mio sale to Karo Pharma, a Swedish healthcare company listed on Nasdaq Stockholm and backed by EQT.
- Assisted the shareholders (including, Fortino, Keen Ventures, JTC Sageteam and PMV) of Teamleader, a Belgian scale-up and leading provider of SaaS work management software for SMEs, in the sale to Visma of Norway, one of Europe’s leading providers of business-critical software.
CMS
CMS advises an international client base, including corporates in sectors such as tech, logistics, and heavy industrials alongside private equity funds, on the buy and sell-side of transactions and investments, as well as handling the cross-border employment and regulatory aspects of M&A, commercial agreements, and corporate restructurings. The team is headed up by Vincent Dirckx, with Virginie Frémat and Stéphane Collin also key members of the practice.
Practice head(s):
Vincent Dirckx
Other key lawyers:
Stéphane Collin; Virginie Frémat
Testimonials
‘I worked several times with Arnaud Van Oekel. Very good balance between nice people and highly professional and available. very good value for price. I would highly recommend.’
‘CMS teams involved the right mix of associates profiles and partners profiles. Partners are highly involved, bringing a high level of expertise in the deals they work in. It leads to a very reassuring approach to the client.’
‘They demonstrate a very high level of expertise. In addition, they are very patient with the client, and pedagogic.’
Key clients
Technology & Strategy
Kpler
Courtside Venture
Ametek
Gryphon – Alticor, Inc
SNCF Voyages, Thalys International and Eurostar International Limited
Bruker
Intigriti
Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions
Groupe Lagarrigue
Omers Venture
Biogroup
Broekman Logistics
Diversis
Coreso TSCNet
Owners of Dobby (Zeron)
Capgemini
Howden Broking
RentalTech
TIS (Treasure Intelligence Solutions)
SFPI
ALD Automotive
SNCF Logistics
Emrol
Work highlights
- Advised Technology & Strategy (T&S), a European specialist in technology consulting on its acquisition of a majority stake in Intys.
- Advised Kpler in 2022, and their founders on the USD 200,000,000 strategic growth investment led by Insight Partners (Rothschild & Co) and Five Arrows.
- Assisted Courtside Venture, a New York City-based venture capital fund, as lead investor in the series A financing round of Venly.
Deloitte Legal
Deloitte Legal advises on M&A and private equity transactions, as well as company reorganisations and restructurings, and associated tax concerns relating to corporate and commercial operations and transactions. The firm works with businesses and investors in a range of industries, including consumer goods, life sciences, public services, and telecoms, and counts among its clients both domestic and international companies. The practice is led by David Roelens , who offers broad corporate advisory and transactional expertise, with other key names including Tim Baart , noted for his work with Dutch clients on cross-border matters, and Marc Van tieghem , who has a particular focus on the public sector.
Practice head(s):
David Roelens
Other key lawyers:
Tim Baart; Marc Van tieghem
Testimonials
‘Exceptional combination of legal knowledge, awareness of ‘client DNA’ and hands on approach.’
Key clients
Xior Student Housing NV
Aurelius Equity Opportunities SE & CO KGaA
Vebego International B.V.
Sweco Belgium BV
Softhale NV
The shareholders of Ectosense NV
The shareholders of Across Health International NV
The shareholders of Biogazelle NV
Globitas
Baltisse (HR Builders)
Lineas NV
Sarens Bestuur NV
Apitope International NV
Rejuvenate Biomed NV
Cryotherapeutics
Heartkinetics
Lab Box (D’Ieteren Automotive)
Work highlights
Fieldfisher
Fieldfisher advises on cross-border M&A, commercial contracting and operational issues, and overseas restructurings, and has seen a notable uptick in private equity dealmaking during 2022. The team is particularly active in the tech and IT space, handling growth investments and commercial agreements, and bolstered its corporate finance capabilities with the arrival of Lars Raedschelders from Moore Law in February 2022. Other key names in the team include practice head Louis-François Du Castillon, who remains active on private equity deals and M&A in the real estate and tech spaces, and Marie Evrard, who offers cross-border transactional and structuring expertise.
Practice head(s):
Louis-François du Castillon
Other key lawyers:
Marie Evrard; Lars Raedschelder
Testimonials
‘We have the great pleasure to work with Marie Evrard who is our point of contact for all our legal matters. Marie knows very well all her files. She is very helpful even when there are short deadlines. She always strives for the best pragmatic solution (the word pragmatic is very important here). Her advice helps us a lot in different files.’
‘The team I have been working with (for several years now) is competent, direct, frank and transparent. An outstanding and very highly recommendable team in my opinion.’
‘Louis-François du Castillon is experienced, highly skilled, creative and discreet.’
‘The team is always available, timely, efficient and pragmatic in their advice. A pleasure to partner with and truly business minded with a view to solving issues and driving outcomes. The experience across the practice groups is consistent – pragmatic advice, engaged, available legal partners keen to assist no matter the issue. The firm is exceptional and should be commended for the consistency of experience across practice groups.’
‘Louis-Francois du Castillon can be relied on to deliver in relation to complex matters involving cross border issues. Quick to respond and always thoughtful in his advice, Louis-Francois is a trusted advisor with a deep understanding of the issues facing global growth technology companies.’
‘Louis-François is always very clear in his explanations and has a careful though modern approach to business.’
‘I appreciate how Fieldfisher’s team always pays attention to properly understand the business and what’s at stake before jumping into conclusions. This makes them a key partner for me.
‘Their availability and their reactivity when we need a quick reply – The history we have. I’ve been working with these people at Fieldfisher for a while now. Knowing each other helps to fasten the process. – They truly know their subject and are very competent.’
Key clients
BTRS Holdings Inc (Billtrust)
Kazidomi
Santero Therapeutics
Getir
Crédit Mutuel Capital Privé
SWEN Capital Partners
Serviceplan International
Moët Hennessy
Tricount
Casinos Austria International Holding
Group Emera
Urbantz
Ahead Digital
OSEPI (Georges Soros Foundation)
Emasphere
Groupe Beaumanoir
Belgian Restauration SA
Simovision
Moore Belgium / Waterland Private Equity
CNR Records
Engineered Pressure Systems International
Gentals
Groenlandgroup
Scanfor
Work highlights
- Advised Billtrust, US Nasdaq automation and integrated payments leader, on the acquisition of (in Belgium) iController, a leading B2B provider of intelligent solutions for collections management, for US$58 million and (in the Netherlands) Order2cash, leading B2B order-to-cash platform provider.
- Advised Hartwood on Belgian aspects of the sale of AFD.Tech (and subsidiaries) to Accenture France, an engineering company specialized in telecom networks.
Jones Day
Jones Day advises Belgian and international companies and private equity funds on the full range of corporate law issues, including M&A and investments, structuring and operational issues, and accompanying fundraising and regulatory issues. The firm has advised on the Belgian and European elements of major cross-border deals in the semiconductor space, as well as a number of high-value private equity deals. Practice head Thomas De Muynck stands out for his cross-border M&A expertise, most notably his work in the Japanese market, while Jonas Van Den Bossche has a strong focus on the industrials and chemicals spaces, advising on corporate and commercial law issues.
Practice head(s):
Thomas De Muynck
Other key lawyers:
Jonas Van den Bossche; David Vanderstraeten
Testimonials
‘The broad view in advising on specific transactions makes the services of Jones Day unique. As a result Jones Day is a trusted advisor at board level not only involved in technical advice (such as complex deal making challenges / structuring …) but as well looking at transactions in a general perspective.’
‘Very broad as well as in depth experience, with high standards of ethics.’
‘I like working with JD for their business approach and affordable rate. They source adequately the team, they do a lot of PE and VC transactions and have a very good knowledge of the market practices. Documents are very well drafted, attention to detail. They are super efficient and always deliver on time.’
‘Thomas De Muynck (partner). I like working with Thomas because he actually spends time on a transaction. You get partner time with Thomas, business and problem-solving approach and very high quality of legal analysis.’
‘They have offices in Tokyo and in Frankfurt, Belgium and other areas globally where my company has business and assets. By coordinating activity between their offices, my company has been able to receive constant legal services globally by a team that is well aware of our business interests, products and markets.’
‘Jonas van den Bossche: Young partner who has tirelessly assisted my company and our affiliates with our legal issues, primarily in M&A. Always ready to present practical solutions to complicated issues.’
‘Understand customers needs well. Makes ongoing efforts to familiarise itself with the customer’s activities to best offer advice and services. Focused on providing tailored results versus answering questions.’
Key clients
American Industrial Partners (AIP)
Arsenal Capital Partners
Compagnie du Bois Sauvage SA
CBRE
Cowboy SA
Fortino Capital
Fragbite
Index Ventures
McCain Foods
Parkwind NV
PTT Global Chemical Public Company
Proxyclick SA
Rockley Management
Seventure Partners
Specialized
Suez
Stride.vc
The Riverside Company
Work highlights
- Represented BelGan Group with the acquisition of ON Semiconductor Belgium BV, a subsidiary of Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC, which designs and manufactures semiconductors components.
- Represented Belgian technology scale-up of the year Proxyclick in its exit transaction to Thoma Bravo-backed Condeco.
- Advised Compagnie du Bois Sauvage SA, a diversified holding company on the sale of its controlling equity stake in Recticel to Austria-based Greiner AG.
Simont Braun
Simont Braun is noted for its long-term relationships with a number of major listed Belgian companies, as well as corporates in a diverse range of industries, advising on M&A and strategic transactions, commercial operations and agreements, and corporate governance issues, including board-level advice. The firm was strengthened by the arrival of Tom Swinnen from EY Law in December 2021, bringing significant experience in cross-border M&A and private equity deals. The practice is led by Sandrine Hirsch, who works with a number of the firm’s key clients on transactions and governance issues, with a growing focus on ESG issues, while Steven Callens combines M&A and corporate litigation work. Axel Maeterlinck is another key name for cross-border M&A.
Practice head(s):
Sandrine Hirsch
Other key lawyers:
Tom Swinnen; Paul Alain Foriers; Steven Callens; Axel Maeterlinck; Tine Bauwens
Testimonials
‘With Paul-Alain Foriers the firm is able to provide highly specialized corporate law advice based on a combination of technical knowledge and practical expertise. Mr. Foriers is well respected and able to advise with authority on complex matters.’
‘Mr. Foriers is particularly strong in providing reliable and high quality advice in a direct way.’
‘Excellent team: responsive, high quality and fun to work with!’
Strelia
Strelia advises on M&A, private equity investments, and associated regulatory and contentious work, with particular strength in regulated industry transactions, including TMT, energy, and life sciences deals. The firm’s boutique setup sees it regularly handling inbound and outbound work for cross-border clients and law firms, with a successful record in multi-jurisdictional deals. The team is led by Olivier Clevenbergh, who advises on domestic and international M&A and corporate governance issues. Katrien Vorlat advises on M&A and joint ventures, and Gisèle Rosselle handles private company transactions and private equity deals, while Laurent Verhavert specialises in private equity work.
Practice head(s):
Olivier Clevenbergh
Other key lawyers:
Katrien Vorlat; Gisèle Rosselle; Laurent Verhavert; Julie Lo Bue; Céderic Devroey
Testimonials
‘It is a firm that offers a full range of services to companies and knows its clients.’
‘Highly skilled team led by an impressive leader. Multi-skilled in numerous areas. A particular strength is that they have a practical, commercial viewpoint which is very good for clients to make progress with the transaction quickly and successfully.’
‘We have worked with Giselle primarily, and her team. Highly responsive, highly skilled and commercial, leading to innovative and practical advice and outcomes.’
‘They take the time to fully understand our needs. Always working to our deadlines. Very honest and open conversations.’
‘Highly skilled law specialists who go beyond the legal aspects. They understand the business environment and are able to help develop the company strategy & tactics.’
‘Gisèle Rosselle is involved and able to quickly understand our needs. She’s very available, which is highly appreciated since when we need advice it’s generally urgent.’
‘The overall co-operation is successful. The services provided are prompt and of high quality. At the same time, they have deep knowledge and unique expertise at commercial/corporate law issues. Overall, a strong devoted team of professionals who really care about client’s needs. Their collaboration is outstanding.’
‘I must commend Gisèle Rosselle and Céderic Devroey for their attention to detail, quick turnaround and response times. Both of them have been brilliant to work with, extremely approachable and super helpful in getting us to where we need to be. I cannot recommend either of them highly enough.’
Key clients
Engie
Carrefour
Accor Invest
Energyone Group
Planmeca Oy
Norsk Hydro Group
Lcl Data Centers Group
Herta – Nestle
Sixt Group
Hyloris
Nikon
Crescent
Scioteq
Rexel
Eumedica Pharmaceuticals
Helm
UPS
Netcompany-intrasoft
Mitel
IOGP
Dejbox
Telecom Infrastructure Partners
SAS Koffie
Work highlights
- Advised Bronze Properties in respect to the acquisition of Makro Cash and Carry as well as Metro Delivery Services from German Metro Group.
- Assisted LCL Data Centers in acquiring various data centers from Engie, Orange and Atos.
- Advised Engie in the context of the investment in Dutch 50Five BV by a Luxembourg investment entity managed and advised by J.P. Morgan Asset Management UK Limited.
Van Bael & Bellis
Van Bael & Bellis bolstered its team with the arrival of Caroline Daout, formerly of DLA Piper, and her team in September 2022, adding significant expertise in cross-border M&A and private equity deals, and strengthening the firm’s client base. The firm also continues to handle high-value transactions and corporate restructurings, offering regulatory, and financing expertise to clients ranging from domestic and multinational corporates in a diverse range of sectors to international investment funds. Michel Bonne heads the team, advising on complex M&A and restructurings as well as takeover and public company issues, joint ventures, and acquisition finance, while Hannelore Matthys, promoted to counsel in February 2022, continues to be active on regulated industry deals, with a notable focus on renewable energy.
Practice head(s):
Michel Bonne
Other key lawyers:
Caroline Daout; Hannelore Matthys
Testimonials
‘Hannelore Matthys has excellent expertise in corporate law. She is proactive, pragmatic and has a client and solutions oriented mindset.’
‘Nice team with a lot of enthusiasm, professional and willing to go the extra mile.’
‘Dedicated and professional.’
Key clients
Altano Gruppe
Aptean
Quadrum Capital
Ufenau Capital Partners AG
Carmeuse
Group of Butchers
Bidfood
Ocean Network Express
Elicio
Galapagos
Coca-Cola Enterprises
Quaker Houghton
Negma Group
Parcom
Yource
Work highlights
- Assisting Elicio, an international producer of green energy, in relation to the set-up of several consortia and submission of a joint public tender bid in a number of high-stakes international (floating) offshore projects.
- Assisted Dutch independent investment fund Quadrum Capital with the acquisition of LensOnline.
White & Case LLP
White & Case LLP strengthened its cross-border M&A and private equity expertise with the February 2022 arrival of the experienced Carlo Meert, who has handled major strategic deals in a variety of industries, from Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, also promoting Philippe Hendrickx to partner in January 2022. The team remains active on behalf of high-profile corporates and funds, advising on complex multi-jurisdictional transactions in key areas such as financial services, energy, and healthcare. Thierry Bosly leads the ‘business-minded and pragmatic‘ team, focusing on complex cross-border transactions and restructuring mandates, while Thomas Glauden, also promoted to partner in January 2022, remains a key member of the team, particularly for transactions involving issues of Luxembourg law.
Practice head(s):
Thierry Bosly
Other key lawyers:
Carlo Meert; Thomas Glauden; Philippe Hendrickx; Nick Hallemeesch
Testimonials
‘Very business minded and pragmatic.’
‘I worked with Philippe Hendrickx, who is very pragmatic and solution oriented, taking into account the company’s business needs.’
‘The business insight of Thierry is extremely valuable. He brings a lot of value in the discussion by having a true strategic point of view. This strategic point of view is of course backed with a very strong legal knowledge.’
‘Fast and excellent legal advice.’
‘Fully integrated globally, whereby partners in one place in the world can easily bring in partners with relevant experience from anywhere.’
‘Carlo Meert: meticulous in his attention to detail, while maintaining a constructive, solution-oriented approach. Fierce in defending his client’s position, while always remaining calm and friendly.’
Key clients
Crédit Mutuel Arkéa
Hamon & Cie International
Neste Oyj
Next Kraftwerke GmbH
SeekandCare
Dream Yacht group
Analis
Recticel
Work highlights
- Advised French cooperative banking group Crédit Mutuel Arkéa and its subsidiary Arkéa Direct Bank on the disposal of its Luxembourg subsidiary Keytrade Bank Luxembourg S.A. to Swissquote Bank Europe SA.
- Advised Hamon & Cie (International) SA, in connection with a complex cross-border restructuring, by formulating a global strategy to recapitalise the Group.
- Represented Neste, a leading Finnish oil and renewable fuels group, on the divestment of its base oils business to Chevron Corporation and the Bahrain National Oil & Gas Authority (NOGA).
Ambos
Ambos advises SMEs and large corporates, both foreign and domestic, on corporate transactions including M&A, governance issues, joint ventures, and commercial agreements, with notable strength in the healthcare, food, financial services, and logistics sectors. While primarily working on domestic matters, the firm is able to advise on cross-border mandates, and has productive relationships with a number of international law firms. The team is now led by Jens Van Hecke, who advises a number of international clients on ongoing corporate and commercial operations issues, alongside Philippe Van Dijck, who was promoted to partner in June 2022.
Practice head(s):
Jens Van Hecke; Philippe Van Dijck
Testimonials
‘What makes the practice unique is their very high level of responsiveness’
‘We worked together on a transnational arbitration matter. Ambos, in lead their partner Jens van Hecke took care of conducting the proceedings as the matter was focused on Belgian law. Excellent performance and very responsive. Will be happy to work with them again.’
‘I was mainly working with Jens van Hecke and he is the source of my excellent impression of the firm in terms of service level and responsiveness.’
‘I have worked with Jens van Hecke of Ambos lawyers on a dispute in an international joint venture in the capacity of co-counsel. I found Jens very pleasant to work with. He is a sharp lawyer who does not lose track of the underlying business issues.’
Key clients
Ardena
Audika
BouWatch
EuroChem Antwerp
Belmoney
De Bonte
Deoleo
Biocair
Interface4Solutions
Work highlights
- Advised EuroChem Antwerp following the EU sanctions imposed following Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/396 of 9March 2022.
- Advised Audika on the acquisition of four additional hearing centres in Belgium.
- Advising ARDENA, a Belgian specialist pharmaceutical contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) with operations in the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Latvia, and the US, on a variety of corporate and commercial issues.
ASTREA
ASTREA focuses on complex, often cross-border transactions in regulated sectors, offering industry-specific expertise in areas such as automotives, tech, real estate, as well as regularly advising on distressed M&A. The team regularly works with international firms on Belgian and EU due diligence for multi-jurisdictional deals, and is also able to handle regulatory considerations. The practice is led by Frédéric Verspreeuwen, who combines transactional work with corporate litigation and restructuring expertise, corporate real estate specialist Micha Van den Abeele, Steven De Schrijver, a key driver of the firm’s international M&A work, and Dieter Veestraeten, a key name for corporate finance.
Practice head(s):
Frédéric Verspreeuwen; Micha Van den Abeele; Steven De Schrijver; Dieter Veestraeten
Key clients
DMS
Archimed
NAMSA
Engineered Performance Technologies
INEOS Olefins Belgium
Music Hall Group
Stephenson Harwood
XpressBioX
Gerantis
Quirynen Energy Farming
Jaguar Land Rover Belux
Argenta Spaarbank
Inbev Belgium
Allia Insurance Brokers
Toyota Belgium
Ford Motor Company (Belgium)
Middleby
Bockhold
contrast
contrast advises on corporate transactions and commercial arrangements for a number of corporate clients, alongside various international trade associations and sector organisations, with notable strength in cross-border arrangements and regulatory issues. The team is led by the highly experienced Bart Bellen, an expert in Belgian and international corporate law, alongside Milena Varga, who was promoted to partner in January 2023 and focuses on retail and franchising issues.
Practice head(s):
Bart Bellen; Milena Varga
Other key lawyers:
Ine Schockaert; Kristof De Wael
Testimonials
‘This practice showed a balanced mix of junior and senior people. Communication was easy and very open and down to earth. We had no experience whatsoever in M&A but we were guided very well and could ask any ‘stupid’ question when needed.’
‘The financial expertise of the senior person (Bart Bellen) was certainly an advantage, certainly as it was combined with his superb negotiation skills: making our points/issues very clear to the other party but always open to looking for solutions and consensus. He seems to be a good people manager too as he was surrounded with motivated junior but talented people.’
‘This firm has one of the finest legal minds, who are always eager to help and think further with the client in a discreet, pragmatic and innovative way. The law firm also pays attention to diversity and collaboration in general.’
Key clients
K+S Aktiengesellschaft
Mirage Retail Group
Work highlights
- Representing Mirage Retail Group in several commercial related disputes and legal actions.
Dechert LLP
Dechert LLP has strong US connections and is particularly active on behalf of private equity investors. The team advises on acquisitions and exits, joint ventures, and corporate governance issues, regularly handling cross-border mandates in industries such as pharma, telecoms, and hospitality. The practice is led by Eric Deltour, who is experienced in US, Europe, and Asia-domiciled transactions, supported by senior associate Geoffroy Fink, who has experience in the financial services space.
Practice head(s):
Eric Deltour
Other key lawyers:
Geoffroy Fink
Testimonials
‘Very strong team. Looking to facilitate the deal.’
‘Always available and to the point.’
Key clients
MiddleGround Capital
Rossel
Work highlights
- Advised MiddleGround Capital in connection with the acquisition of Plasman Holdings.
- Advised Rossel in the joint acquisition, alongside DPG Media, of 100% of the shares of Audiopresse SA.
- Advised a group of minority shareholders (and initial founders) in the sale of (their remaining) 35% of the shares of Newpharma Group.
intui
Combining corporate transactional and litigation expertise, the team at intui works with a diverse range of clients on mid-market M&A, corporate financing, and commercial law issues, and is also a regular contributor to thought leadership and public policy relating to Belgian corporate law. The team is led by Anneleen Steeno, who has notable cross-border transactional expertise, alongside Robbe Tas and Caroline Hotterbeekx. Kim Van Herck has a particular specialism in real estate M&A within the elderly care space.
Practice head(s):
Anneleen Steeno; Robbie Tas; Caroline Hotterbeekx
Other key lawyers:
Kim Van Herck; Matthias Jans
Testimonials
‘Very strong team. Thinking outside the box, adding true sector specialist to the team if necessary.’
‘Anneleen Steeno & Matthias Jans, both straight to the point. Very responsive and high quality advice. Down to earth people with the right mentality.’
‘Very professional team, highly skilled, friendly, clear communication.’
‘The team is on the one hand very knowledgeable (technical) but always keeps the eye on the result.’
‘They succeed in translating complex legal issues to everyday language. Associates are very eager to deliver, take ownership and are highly involved to deliver and meet the deadlines.’
‘Very quick understanding and good knowledge of our files.’
‘Intui has a mean and lean team with the right mix of legal knowledge and pragmatism. They are pro-active, solution-oriented and overall a pleasure to work with in transactions.’
‘Anneleen Steeno is very involved and has quick turnaround times. We particularly appreciate their sensitivity to our business needs. Kim Van Herck is very knowledgeable and passionate about defending her clients’ interests with great care. Matthias Jans is an experienced lawyer combining diligence with a healthy dose of pragmatism.’
Key clients
Vulpia Group
Puratos Group
Tinc
Vortex Capital Partners
Groep Cretskens
Quality By Design
Solvari
DCA
DCU Invest
Work highlights
- Assisted the Vulpia group in the sale and lease back transaction with Aedifica NV regarding a residential care center located in Somme-Leuze.
- Assisted the Dutch private equity fund Vortex Capital Partners with the acquisition through its portfolio company Hypotheek.winkel of all shares of Verzekeringen.be.
- Assisted infrastructure investor TINC (listed on Euronext Brussels) with its acquisition through its portfolio company Datacenter United of all shares of DC Star, a provider of colocation services.
Laurius
Laurius has expanded its share of private equity, M&A, and corporate financing work, with notable focuses on real estate, manufacturing, and professional services sector advice. Acting primarily in the mid-market, the firm regularly handles cross-border transactions for domestic and international businesses as well as investment funds, and also offers support on commercial and fundraising matters. Key names in the team include Christina Trappeniers and Caroline Wildemeersch, who have notable expertise in the elderly care sector and distressed transactions respectively, alongside David Ryckaert, an experienced transactional adviser with a focus on advice to management teams, and private equity-focused managing partner Dirk Wellens.
Practice head(s):
Dirk Wellens; David Ryckaert; Christina Trappeniers; Caroline Wildemeersch
Other key lawyers:
Bert Luyten
Testimonials
‘Laurius is a well established law firm. Laurius is a firm that is very responsive and swift to act for their clients, the Senior Partners are also very approachable.’
‘Dirk Wellens is a great leader for Laurius, he and Bert Luyten understand each other seamlessly which makes Laurius a very dynamic and efficient firm.
‘Dirk Wellens is very involved in his cases and has a great eye for detail. He knows better than anyone what his clients’ needs are and knows perfectly how to bring a deal to a successful end.’
‘David Ryckaert really stands out when advising management in a PE-deal. Very pragmatic, and on the ball. He knows the ins and outs very well, providing a deal-driven solution.’
‘Persistent, knowledgeable, transparent and tough but courteous and polite negotiation style. Enjoyed working with them.’
‘When receiving first drafts of documentation they are (almost) always at a very high quality level illustrating good understanding of the transaction and the context. Furthermore, what really differentiates the Laurius team, is their deal MAKING capacities. They understand sensitivities and always keep the eye on the ball and try to facilitate a transaction rather than stubbornly sitting on a point of view.’
‘Dirk Wellens as managing partner most of the time is involved in our deals and seems to have an unlimited capability for absorbing deal knowledge.’
Key clients
Belga Films
Buysse & Partners Private Equity
Buysse & Partners Smart Assets
Circet Benelux
Copus Group
DEME Group
Fluitec NV
Gaming 1 shareholders & management
Inflexion Private Equity
KeBeK Private Equity
Le Pain Quotidien
Lunch Garden
M80 Capital (private equity)
Mainetti
My-Assist
NAES Corporation
Orelia
Polypreen management team
PPL Capital
Road Runner Concert Services
Vooruitzicht
Work highlights
- Advised the reinvesting families and managers of Gaming 1 on their reinvestment alongside CVC in the LBO of Gaming 1.
- Advised KeBeK Private Equity with the acquisition of an interest in Schelstraete Delacourt Associates, a leading organisation in executive search.
- Advised Copus Group on the acquisition of Bennet Engineering.
Monard law, joined by Buyle
Praised for its ‘personal approach’, the team at Monard law advises national and multinational businesses, primarily in the life sciences, IT, and energy sectors, on M&A, commercial projects and contracts, and corporate governance issues, regularly working with long-term clients on ongoing operational issues, as well as supporting clients in contentious corporate and commercial litigation, drawing on a team of in-house litigators. The practice is headed up by Nicole Segers, who takes the lead on corporate and transactional work, alongside commercially focused Kristof Zadora. Jeroen Raskin, Benoit Samyn, and Pieter Van den Broeck are also key names for cross-border transactional and financing work.
Practice head(s):
Nicole Segers; Kristof Zadora
Other key lawyers:
Jeroen Raskin; Benoit Samyn; Pieter Van den Broeck; Natalie Ulburghs
Testimonials
‘Monard has assisted us in legal matters on a very broad spectrum of subjects, and at all times I felt that they had our case handled by a very capable expert in that specific field, whether it was M&A, human resources, real estate etc. At the same time I always enjoyed the comfort of a single point of contact. A great combo of the personal approach by a competent personal legal adviser, backed by a team of experts in so far any specialisation that we needed.’
‘Our single point of contact is Pieter Van den Broeck, partner at Monard. His availability is really exceptional.’
‘The best!’
‘Wouter Pieter and the whole team are professionals!’
‘Impressed with the knowledge and professionalism of the team, led by Pieter Van den Broeck. Highly efficient, practical business-oriented mindset, can do attitude. They simply get it done.’
‘Pieter Van den Broeck: Deal-maker, easily reachable, very commercial mindset, hands-on business-minded, quick and reliable legal advice. Outstanding knowledge of other relevant branches of law which may come into play in corporate or commercial matters. Exactly the support you need as a general counsel.’
‘We regularly cooperate with Monard in cross border cases. The hands-on approach and the highly reliable and practical advice is very much appreciated by us and our clients we recommended Monard to.’
‘We’d like to mention in particular Natalie Ulburghs, Nicole Seegers and Kristof Zadora.’
Key clients
Abus
AGC Networks
Alltech
ANL Plastics
Aurobindo
Bionerga
Blinds Holding
Bosal
Breex
Brightwolves
Cegeka
Comfort Energy
Covess
Daltix
Down to Earth
ERT
ESAS Senior management
Fluvius System Operator
Genae
Greenyard
Hedin Automotive
International General Insurance Group
Jan De Nul
Jost Group
Legia capital
Living Tomorrow
Merit Capital
Natra
Nuhma
Nyrstar Shareholders
Philip Morris
Portunes (Portmade)
Primagaz
Quanteus
RSK
Verisure
Westfa
Work highlights
- Advising several minority shareholders of Nyrstar NV in relation to alleged fraud and mismanagement involving Nyrstar.
- Assisted the senior management of the ESAS Group in relation to the replacement of private equity firm Advent International by ICG as controlling shareholder of the Circet Group in the summer of 2021.
- Assisted Hedin Automotive with its further multi-brand expansion in Belgium.
Osborne Clarke
Focusing on the mid-market, Osborne Clarke is highly active across buy and sell-side M&A, financing transactions, and private equity deals, alongside commercial and regulatory mandates relating to multi-jurisdictional business operations and reorganisations. Sector focuses include tech, retail, and particularly life sciences, with practice co-head David Haex noted for his work with innovation-focused biotech and medtech companies on M&A and growth capital investments. Stefan Deswert co-leads the team and focuses on commercial contracts, data, and retail sector matters, alongside commercial litigation.
Practice head(s):
David Haex; Stefan Deswert
Other key lawyers:
Marie Canivet; Hadrien Chef; Frank Hoogendijk
Testimonials
‘The team is made of complementary profiles in term of expertise and seniority. So you have an approach that is aligned with your needs and budgets. The team work in close collaboration as a team and together with the client so they are responsive and flexible.’
‘They have a pragmatic approach. They really try to understand the question from the client point of view. When you work with them for a long time, they really get to know your objectives, triggers and criteria and they really adapt to your personal situation. They keep themselves up to date so they also have a good input in term of anticipation/strategy toward legal/market changes.’
‘Great support, always available for the customers. They are working closely together, even with international practices.’
‘Special congratulations to Marie Canivet and Hadrien Chef for their great legal support, with clear recommendations.’
‘Good balance between junior and senior lawyers. Efficient allocation of work. Well organized, timely deliverables.’
‘Hadrien Chef keeps a cool head in difficult circumstances which allows him to provide clear advice.’
Key clients
Bone Therapeutics
Bisnode
Acapela Group Babel Technologies
Interel
Greenomy
Tioga Capital
OncoDNA
uFund
Delphi Genetics
Shurgard
The Adecco Group
MEAG
Brico
Godiva
Work highlights
- Advised Bone Therapeutics on numerous M&A matters including its €16 million loan financing from the European Investment Bank, its various private placements, and the recent merger discussions with the French company Medsenic.
- Advised Interel, an award-winning pan-European public affairs consultancy, on its sale to Dentons Global Advisors.
- Advised Godiva on various matters including the move of the management of their E-commerce platform from EU to Turkey.
PwC Legal
PwC Legal advises a broad range of corporate clients, both domestic and international, on the full range of commercial and corporate law issues, encompassing commercial contracts and projects, most notably digital transformation, corporate governance issues, and M&A. The firm is particularly noted for its integrated tax and regulatory capabilities, working in concert with the wider network, as well as a growing focus on ESG issues, including reporting obligations and broader corporate social responsibility issues, a particular specialism of Bart Vanstaen. The practice is headed up by Karin Winters, whose expertise includes cross-border business restructurings and M&A.
Practice head(s):
Karin Winters
Other key lawyers:
Pierre Queritet; Bart Vanstaen; Ive Serneels; Stijn Vanbaelen
Testimonials
‘The team thinks beyond the legal aspects to consider on a deal and can offer immediate accessibility to tax, accounting or other non-legal expertise, delivering integrated advice. The PwC Legal network is also much wider in geographic range than other law firms and works effectively.’
‘Substance trumps form, but the manner/form in which PwC Legal provides their advice is worth mentioning. It is always to-the-point, in an easily readable and welcoming format (no long emails or long notes), and clearly defining possible solutions rather than only identifying the issues.’
‘Karin Winters and Bart Vanstaen stand out, both in top-notch technical expertise (going beyond legal) and solution-oriented delivery. They also build sound relations of trust with their clients.’
‘Sixtine Borres is also a rising talent.’
‘Diverse team which leverages the strengths available. Different team members specialise in other fields, makes a very strong blend.’
‘Top-notch practical advice, which is specific for our case. Also a very practical approach to discuss procedural aspects, next steps to be taken and what may we expect in terms of outcome.
‘Pierre and his team apply solid legal technical skills combined with no-nonsense negotiations.’
Key clients
Oleon Group
Remondis
Shopopop
Gss Group Star Services
Kitry
Work highlights
- Assisted Groupe Star Service SAS on its acquisition of the VPD-ARID Group.
- Assisted the founders of Kitry SA in its sale to Vortex Equity Partners.
- Assisted a real estate investment company in the framework of a highly complex and strategic joint venture transaction with a well known large infrastructure player consisting of a share deal and various asset deals.
Quinz
The ‘responsive and professional‘ team at boutique firm Quinz handles a high volume of mid-market M&A and investment fund transactions, alongside financing, commercial agreements, and broad corporate law issues, acting for a combination of domestic and cross-border businesses and funds. The firm has particularly notable expertise in the life sciences and tech sectors, working with start-ups and scale-ups as well as venture capital investors. Bart Lintermans, who combines corporate, commercial law and transactional expertise, leads the team alongside Klaas Thibaut, a specialist in M&A and private equity deals.
Practice head(s):
Bart Lintermans; Klaas Thibaut
Other key lawyers:
Cody Demuytere; Wout Hooyberghs; Charlotte De Cort; Sayanah Staelens
Testimonials
‘Availability: At any point in time, the people from Quinz where available to us. If, in the unlikely event, that they were not available instantly, they would reach out within 4h themselves. And this during a period of more than 2 months, without any exception makes it very unique.’
‘We have mostly worked directly with Bart Lintermans and Cody Demuytere. In the background other people were assisting, but they made sure that we only needed them as POCs, which is very practical as a client.’
‘Quinz has a dynamic team of specialised lawyers, dedicated to serve the biotech sector from a corporate and IP perspective.’
‘Klaas Thibaut and Cody Demuytere: hands-on, pro-active and constructive corporate lawyers.’
‘Hands-on, pragmatic, available, high value for money, well-coordinated team.’
‘The team is acting interchangeably and provides a pragmatic approach in complex topics. They do not go for complexity, but work hand-in-hand with the client to get the work done and provide quality input in complex matters.’.’
‘We have been working with the corporate and life sciences teams of Quinz for some years now, including recently in tandem for an M&A deal. Our deal team was led by Bart Lintermans, who is a solution oriented but tough negotiator and generally an excellent lawyer. Wout Hooyberghs and Sayanah Staelens are the kind of associates that you want to see on your file – they are very responsive and professional, always keeping all balls in the air.’
‘Exceptional, good service, hands-on and available team. Negotiation skills made the difference.’
Key clients
ABB
AG Insurance
Auctus Capital Partners
Boyd Corp.
CIM Capital
Corilus (Rivean Capital)
Ethias
Febelco
Dynamica
Freshmen Fund
Fund+
Gemeentelijke Holding – Holding Communal
Gimv
Green Park Investment Partners
Liantis
Luminus
McKinsey
Normec
Novartis
PharmaLex
Reynaers Aluminium
Triangle Factory
UCB
Umicore
VBio Ventures
Xcentric Hotels / The Usual Hotels
Work highlights
- Advised a consortium of investors, including FUND+ and VBIO VENTURES on a seed financing round of ASTRIVAX, a new spin-off of KULeuven focussed on DNA vaccine technology.
- Assisting UCB in relation to the greenfield construction of a multi-product biological manufacturing facility, and a clinical manufacturing facility, the total cost of which is expected to exceed €500 million.
- Advised GIMV in relation to a number of transactions.
Quorum
Boutique transactional setup Quorum continues to expand its scope, working with a growing number of multinationals on investments in Belgium, as well as advising domestic and international companies, including start-ups and scale-ups, on Belgian and cross-border M&A, as well as associated governance and commercial issues. Davy Gorselé, the firm’s managing partner, heads up the team, combining M&A expertise with strong private equity, venture capital, and real estate work.
Practice head(s):
Davy Gorselé
Other key lawyers:
Pieter Dierckx; Michiel Roovers; Michiel Pouillon; Sylvie Thieren
Testimonials
‘Strong team with competence in different areas. Close collaboration and strong follow up.’
‘Experienced attorneys who lead their own case independently while also working strongly with clients. Perfectionists and easily accessible.’
‘Extremely competent, hands on, easy to reach, defending the interest of their customer.’
‘Very pragmatic approach.’
Key clients
AQ Group
Aveno
Blackbird Business Events
Brussels Airport Company
Capital A Investment Partners
CenEnergy
Cofely Services NV
Dentius
E-Capital
Eiffage Group
Engie
Equans
Fortino Capital
GIMV
Good!D
Group Michiels Advanced Materials
Iep Invest
InOpSys
Integra Fund
Kebek Private Equity
Konica Minolta
Lemon Companies / Road 21
Louis Dreyfus Company
Manuport Logistics (part of the Euroports group)
Nesto
Nova Natie
On IT
Origin International
Projective
Sereni
Select HR
SmartFin Capital
Standard Investment
Unifiedpost Group
Van Moer Logistics
Visma
Vortex Capital Partners BV
Work highlights
- Advised Capital A Investment Partners with the acquisition of E.S.C. BV
- Advised Visma AS with the acquisitions of IonProjects BV and Beeple BV
- Advised Discovery Holding with the acquisition of WEP International SA.
Schoups
Schoups has expanded its senior team, adding a number of new practice heads with varying expertise across transactional and corporate advisory work, and notably bolstering its expertise in French-language work in the Brussels region. Christine Heeb and Stefaan Wauman specialise in real estate M&A and private equity work respectively, while Mathilde van der Stegen was promoted to counsel in January 2023 and heads up the firm’s Brussels M&A team. Elsewhere, the team, also led by the highly experienced Gwen Bevers, continues to advise a number of Belgian and international clients on M&A, sell-side private equity investments, restructurings and corporate law issues, offering deep experience of the Belgian Company Code in particular.
Practice head(s):
Gwen Bevers; Christine Heeb; Stefaan Wauman; Mathilde van der Stegen
Testimonials
‘The team is very professional, accurate and delivering high quality.’
‘Their approach is very client driven.’
‘They are more than on top of things and very pro active.’
‘ Gwen Bevers – financially clever attorney – follows the money, great head of the group, built a fantastic and intelligent set of great and available lawyers around him.’
‘Focused team with a very strong focus on getting results. Availability at all time is impeccable and makes sure that no time is waisted and pressure stays on the counterpart to get things moving.’
‘Special mention of Mrs. Christine Heeb for her availability, knowledge, sense of urgency and dynamic attitude in order to close the transaction.’
‘The people we worked with were Gwen Bevers and Christine Heeb- we found it very positive that we could phone those persons at any time of the day and also in the weekends! They were always there for us !’
‘Personal collaboration and strongly engaged. Hard working and constantly available.’
Key clients
Aertssen
Cordeel
Customs Support Group (a participation of Castik)
Artoos Group
Colruyt
Credendo
Creafund
Heilbron Groep (a participation of Five Arrows Principal Investments)
Insites Consulting (a participation of Mentha Capital)
Shoe Investments
Mentha Capital
Mr. Jamal Al-Saifi
BTV
Vavato (a former participation of Bencis, and now a participation of Castik)
Squire Patton Boggs
Squire Patton Boggs has increased its work on domestic and cross-border M&A, acting for a broad corporate client base in sectors such as food and drink, hospitality, and industrials, and is also active on private equity investments and multi-jurisdictional corporate restructurings. The firm also offers integrated regulatory and employment expertise, with Marga Caproni a key contributor to the latter capability. Bart Vanderstraete heads up the team, with experience in Belgian and international corporate and commercial transactions and structuring matters.
Practice head(s):
Bart Vanderstraete
Other key lawyers:
Amaury de Borchgrave d’Altena
Testimonials
‘The Brussels Corporate team’s integration with other mainland Europe Corporate teams mirrors our own footprint and adds significant value.‘
‘Bart Vanderstraete – Unfailingly responsive to all enquiries, however small. Notwithstanding that he is a senior member of the team, always feels that he retains ownership of the enquiry through to a conclusion.‘
Key clients
Primo Water Corporation
AGC Glass Europe
The Craftory
Live Nation
GIMV
Ineos
Animalcare
SABIC
Ionics
Roper Group – Deltek
Success Hotel Group
Aroundtown
Work highlights
- Advised listed water group Primo Water Corporation on the acquisition of Sipwell, a Belgian headquartered business active in water bottles and water coolers.
- Advised the Bridgestone group on the divestment of their Firestone Building Products business to LafargeHolcim, a transformational divestment of a business active across three continents (US, EMEA and Asia) with a value of USD 3.4 billion.
- Advised purpose driven fund The Craftory on the EUR 5 million funding round organised by Edgard & Cooper; this funding round was led by The Craftory.
Van Olmen & Wynant
Van Olmen & Wynant has a strong record in mid-market M&A and private equity deals, including venture capital, and stands out for its work with family-owned businesses, start-ups, and international businesses. Alongside transactional and financing work, the firm is also noted for its advice on employee stock option plans. Luc Wynant, an experienced adviser on corporate law, investment fund management, and transactional issues, leads the ‘pragmatic and enthusiastic‘ team alongside Koen Hoornaert.
Practice head(s):
Luc Wynant; Koen Hoornaert
Testimonials
‘The team of VOW is solution oriented. They do have the outstanding capability to understand the challenge very fast and to come up with a prefect proposal in very short time.’
‘The team of VOW acts like a real team. If you contact one, the others will be updated immediately. It is amazing to see how good and efficient this is organized.’
‘The experience, capability and engagement of Luc Wynant is outstanding. His attitude reflects to his team and makes each team member stronger.’
‘Proactive, efficient team.’
‘Very strong team.’
‘Pragmatic and enthusiastic team, with a strong network in the Belgian mid market.’
‘Strong senior involvement on the team, supported by a wider enthusiastic deal team.’
‘The team was very cooperative and well reachable. They think smartly with and for the client and are straight targeted. Everything went very smoothly.’
Key clients
ECS Corporate NV
Destiny
Qualiphar
Team Industries NV
Group Joos NV
Televic
Paleo BV
AED Rent
TAG Engineering
Kampani NV
Farys CV
KRKA Belgium
Alertis NV
Petronas Lubricants
Selecta Belgium NV
Bocado-Holding BV
ING Belgium NV
Schelstraete Delacourt Associates NV
Arvesta
Eurofilters Group (Capinvest BV/Volinvest BV)
Anrova Solutions BV
Work highlights
- Assisted the family branch of Christine De Dijcker in all aspects of the acquisition of all shares of the holding company of the ECS Group.
- Assisted ING Belgium and its team members with the sale of ING’s stake in Innotec International NV (and its subsidiaries) to Rivean Capital.
- Assisted Destiny Denmark Service Center ApS with the acquisition of 100% of the shares in IP Vision A/S, a Danish company.
Bird & Bird
Bird & Bird advises on M&A, joint ventures, and commercial transactions, alongside corporate governance and operational issues, with broad expertise across the tech, financial services, and life science sectors, among others. Clients include domestic and international businesses, alongside research organisations. Paul Hermant leads the team, combining transactional and regulatory experience, while senior associates Pieter-Jan Van Houdenhove and Cedric Berckmans are also key members of the team, noted for their work on M&A, corporate finance, and commercial agreements.
Practice head(s):
Paul Hermant
Other key lawyers:
Pieter-Jan Van Houdenhove; Cedric Berckmans
Key clients
Network Research Belgium S.A.
Precision Medicine Group
Floridienne S.A.
FHP BV, Creafund NV, Hyloris Pharmaceutical S.A, Purna Pharmaceuticals
Rayner
PRACE
So Easy Systems Sp.z.o.o.
Univercells Technologies SA
Creafund NV
Panasonic / Oh-Ebashi LPC & Partners
Munt Dental NV
Floridienne
Mijo Concepts BV
U&I Learning NV
Cresco Advocaten
Cresco Advocaten has a strong focus on the start-up and scale-up space, advising venture capital funds, businesses, and entrepreneurs on strategic partnerships and joint ventures, fund formation and fundraising, and M&A. Alongside investment funds, the firm primarily advises clients within the tech and innovation space, including a number of fintech companies. The team is led by David Dessers, who is heavily involved in the technology sector, with Olivier Van Raemdonck also a key name for both fund and M&A work.
Practice head(s):
David Dessers
Other key lawyers:
Olivier Van Raemdonck; Glenn L’Hoest
Testimonials
‘The team has a very good understanding of the global venture capital industry, fundraising process.’
‘The team was friendly, knowledgeable, effective and kept its promises.’
‘The work was carried out in a very straight forward way, with quick turnarounds. This was highly appreciated given the short timeline.’
‘Knowledgeable and empathetic team that has clients’ best interest in mind. They ensured that our time spent on the case was limited to the true impactful and business-related decisions.’
‘Very high level of client service and expertise, always available and always transparent with clients’ best interest in mind,’
‘Very good support from Olivier Van Raemdonck and Glenn L’Hoest, strong and complementary team with high level of skillset and high level of client service.’
Key clients
imec.xpand II
SmartFin Capital – SmartFin Ventures
Projective
KBC Group
Rein4ced
Robovision
Pitchdrive Fund II
Angelwise
KBC Focus Fund
M80 Partners
Airbus Ventures
Xange Ventures
UFO Drive
9.5 Ventures
Innovation Industries Fund
TechWolf
Credix
Work highlights
- Advised Xpand Partners GP on the formation and funding of imec.xpand II, a EUR 250 million early stage deeptech fund.
- Advised Airbus Ventures and Xange Ventures on the EUR 37 million Series B funding of Aerospacelab.
- Advised Ninepointfive Ventures in its joint venture Makerverse with Siemens Energy and Zeiss.
Crowell & Moring
Crowell & Moring advises on mid-market M&A alongside commercial contracts and distribution agreements, also offering regulatory and intellectual property expertise within key areas such as tech, life sciences, and automotives. The team is led by Frederik Van Remoortel, who advises on corporate and commercial transactions alongside data protection issues, and Emmanuel Plasschaert. Eric Montens is a senior counsel with a strong focus on commercial distribution agreements, while Delphine Keppens, promoted to counsel in January 2023, offers in-house experience, covering both corporate and commercial issues.
Practice head(s):
Frederik Van Remoortel; Emmanuel Plasschaert
Other key lawyers:
Eric Montens; Delphine Keppens
Testimonials
‘Their expertise; the partner is always accessible; billing is always agreed in advance and correct; deadlines are respected.’
‘Frederik Van Remoortel has a very strong knowledge and expertise, he is a good communicator and still down to earth. It is a pleasure working with him and his team. He is someone that I can recommend to other business contacts without any doubt.’
‘Pro-active, reactive and they understand our business.’
Key clients
Audax Management
Universal Music
P95
Tereos Group
Tomorrowland Festivals
Ingersoll Rand
bioMérieux
FEAC – European Association of Mercedes Benz Dealers
Novosanis
Jacoti
Vias institute
Dutch Filmworks
Fashion Box (Replay)
Dealerclub Mercedes Benz
Volvo Dealerclub
PPTA
Regulatory Assistance Project
CLASP
EURobotics AISBL
Orasure
Tribes
Grohe
D’Ieteren
Dupont
Anura Associates SA
Hexagon Geospatial
Adra
Work highlights
- Advising the European Association of Mercedes Benz Dealers (FEAC) in all its contract negotiations at EU level with Daimler AG.
- Representing a leading global provider of mobility solutions in court-proceedings regarding a multi-million Euro claim that the client would have wrongfully terminated negotiations regarding the possible acquisition by the client of all shares in a Belgian competitor.
- Advised P95, a Belgian company active in pharmacovigilance and epidemiology, in setting up a consortium agreement with companies such as Astrazeneca, Janssen (J&J), Curevac, Sanofi, etc. for a rapid and efficient estimation of brand-specific COVID-19 Vaccines Effectiveness (CVE) in Europe.
EY Law
EY Law leverages its international network to advise on a wide range of cross-border transactions, commercial agreements, and restructuring mandates, working with clients in the IT, telecoms, financial services, and energy sectors, among others. The practice is led by corporate law head Peter Suykens, a specialist in complex international reorganisations, alongside Virginie Ciers, who joined the firm from KPMG Law in Belgium in January 2022, and takes the lead on transactional work. David Du Pont joined from Ashurst LLP in October 2022, adding significant expertise in private equity deals and public M&A alike.
Practice head(s):
Peter Suykens; Virginie Ciers
Other key lawyers:
David Du Pont
Key clients
Victoria
Transporeon
OpenGate Capital
Rigby Group
Ardo
Dermapharm Group
Nordic Unmanned
Planet Group
TVH Group
Mohawk International Services
XXXLutz
Domo
Koramic Group
Tilman
MHI Vestas Belgian entities
Europe Chocolate Company
Groep Vereenooghe
Farm Frites International
Quantacorp
Spectris
Opinum
Work highlights
- Advised the British listed carpet manufacturer Victoria PLC on the Belgian law aspects of its acquisition of the Belgian carpet manufacturer Ragolle.
- Advised Transporeon on the acquisition of SupplyStack and Logit One.
- Advised the shareholders of Europe Chocolate Company on the sale to Barry Callebaut.
KPMG Law in Belgium
KPMG Law in Belgium advises domestic and international corporates, financial institutions, and investment funds on M&A, corporate restructurings, and commercial contracting mandates, providing integrated regulatory, tax, and employment capabilities through the firm’s global platform. Leaders of the team, which is spread across all regions of Belgium, include Frank Cleeren, Wouter Lauwers, Patrick Geeraert and Thomas De Clerck.
Practice head(s):
Patrick Geeraert; Frank Cleeren; Thomas De Clerck; Wouter Lauwers
Testimonials
‘KPMG Law provides hands-on practical advice. Transparent fee structure, tailored to our needs. The fact that they are part of a global network matters a lot to us as they can handle all our legal questions in basically any jurisdiction.’
‘We experienced a pleasant cooperation with the lawyers and the accounting team. Our wishes were fully met: we obtained a very useful result that adds commercial value.’
‘Thinking with the client to protect the client’s best interests. Open minded and quick and efficient reaction times.’
Key clients
Groep Machiels
Cegeka
Baloise
Belgian Cycling Factory and Flanders Bike Valley
Provinciale Ontwikkelingsmaatschappij Limburg
Democo Groep
Opteco
Vaessen Industries
Charlier-Brabo Group
Kerckhaert & Cie
Renson
EOC Belgium
Delta Light
Stas
Signpost – Academic Software
ION
Sweet Products
Production Resource Group
McKinsey
Standard Investment
Oregon Tool
Lloyd’s of London
Armonea
Family Lambrecht
Hansea
Warner Bros.
Mitiska REIM
EverZinc
Groupe Berto
ACA Football Partners
ActivityStream
Beautiful Life Group
Arteco
Global International Products
SCE/Silbloxx
Deslog
Extremis
Millpledge
Fast Retailing
Jimmy Choo
Bimba & Lola
Orkari
Work highlights
- Assisting Family Lambrecht with the sale of its interest in the Lambrecht Banden group to Dovesco (private equity), and the reinvestment in the acquisition vehicle.
- Assisting Lloyd’s of London with a post-Brexit restructuring of the group, to centralize and optimize the European activities of the group within the newly incorporated Belgian insurance company Lloyd’s Insurance Company SA, including a number of cross-border mergers, asset transfers and liquidations.
- Assisting the shareholders of Orthomed with its sale of the shares to Ottobock Group.
Olislaegers & De Creus
Boutique firm Olislaegers & De Creus offers a partner-led approach to M&A, corporate governance and operational matters, and commercial contracting agreements, advising a number of domestic clients alongside international names in fields such as IT and life sciences. The practice is led by Kristof De Creus, who is the key name for M&A and other transactional work, alongside Michael Olislaegers, who combines M&A advice with work on corporate litigation and regulatory issues.
Practice head(s):
Kristof De Creus; Michael Olislaegers
Testimonials
‘I worked very intensively with Kristof De Creus. Kristof is one of the best lawyers I have ever worked with. He is an excellent M&A lawyer because of his in-depth knowledge of the subject matter in both the legal and tax fields. He delves into every detail and no element escapes him. He is also extremely customer-oriented and a very pleasant partner to work with. His approach to both the client and the opponent is very professional, well-founded, determined but always friendly, constructive and conciliatory. He achieves the intended results and is very successful in his approach. I can therefore warmly recommend Kristof. On a next occasion I will definitely work with Kristof again.’
‘Correct service on all levels.’
‘Excellent and professional service carried out by partner Kristof De Creus. We like working with him for his knowledge and his accuracy, the availability and his professional attitude.’
Key clients
Triamant group
Hilton International Co (Belgium)
Van De Velde Packaging Group
RESPONSUM
Cranium Group
Atcomex
Marsonico/Somar
Datalogic
Longtale
Atos Europe / Artemis Europe
TILLIT
JM Capital
Work highlights
- Represented all Class A-Shareholders in the sale of Trustbuilder Corporation to the French IT group inWebo.
- Advised a key minority shareholder in the sale of Teamleader to Visma.
- Represented the shareholders of Longtale in the sale of Longtale to Customer Collective.
Racine
Racine advises domestic and international businesses on M&A and private equity transactions, alongside corporate governance, restructuring, and operational issues, as well as handling commercial contracts and distribution agreements. Clients include corporates, non-profits, and government institutions, with the firm also able to leverage its international network to handle cross-border mandates. Anthony Van der Hauwaert takes the lead on transactional work, while Stijn Claeys heads up the commercial team.
Practice head(s):
Stijn Claeys; Anthony Van der Hauwaert
Other key lawyers:
Stijn Vanschoubroeck
Testimonials
‘Very dedicated and professional team.’
‘Dedication to the customer and strong subject knowledge.’
‘The team of Stijn Claeys is hands-on, pragmatic and straightforward. That is much appreciated by both larger corporates and SMEs.’
‘Stijn Claeys is our contact person. He understands the business, comes quickly with solutions and is transparent in his communication.’
‘Amazing level of market knowledge.’
‘Very good relations with the people in charge of our file, very good reactivity. Multilingualism.’
‘Mr Claeys is responsive, friendly, creative, fast. No-nonsense approach.’
‘Down to earth, practical, solution oriented while technically strong.’
Key clients
3M
Amaron
BelChicken
Era Belgium
BMC
Kusmi Tea
Lecluyse
Mary Chocolates
Neuhaus
Odontolia
Organic Concept
ORIS Group (HAIRDIS)
Pertinea
Royal Auping
SAS Institute
WDP (Warehouses DePauw)
XLG Group
Work highlights
- Advised the management/shareholders of Odontolia on the investment by French fund Siparex into this dental group.
- Advising Neuhaus on its distribution strategy, online presence, framework agreements for the EU storage, transport and co-packing suppliers and roll out of a selective distribution network.
- Assisted Lecluyse with the acquisition of the French blinds business of Solar Screen.
Verhaegen Walravens
Verhaegen Walravens advises on M&A, commercial agreements, and corporate governance matters, with a wide range of clients from industries such as tech, hospitality, real estate, and culture, including a number of non-profits. The team is overseen by Jacques Verhaegen, who focuses on M&A and private equity transactions, corporate governance and commercial law specialist Philip Walravens, Paula Martins Costa, who advises on transactions and corporate litigation, and real estate lead Anouk De Graef, noted for her expertise in the senior housing space.
Practice head(s):
Jacques Verhaegen; Philip Walravens; Paula Martins Costa; Anouk De Graef
Testimonials
‘Philip Walravens is an outstanding all-around lawyer. He has insight on almost any Belgian legal issue. The firm has a good line-up and he can enlist other partners or associates as required by subject matter.’
‘Very practically minded, not inclined to waste time or money on unimportant issues. They are quite accessible and open to dialogue. Being a smaller Belgian firm, their billing practices are quite reasonable. Good value for money.’
‘Paula has extraordinary knowledge on M&A and SHA preventing risk. High commitment.’
Key clients
Harsco Corporation
Prem Group
Procter & Gamble
Monus
Bancontact Payconiq Company
Groupement des Cartes Bancaires CB
European Card Payment Cooperation
CFE
Sodaphi
Tesa
SUEZ R&R BELGIUM SA
Emeria (formerly known as Foncia)
AKD
AKD focuses on cross-border transactions and projects work, handling M&A for clients in a variety of industries including financial services, chemicals, and tech, as well as advising funds and sellers on international private equity investments, equity raisings, and buy-and-build strategies. The team is led by Timothy Speelman, who has expertise in M&A, private equity deals, and corporate governance.
Practice head(s):
Timothy Speelman
Testimonials
‘Timothy Speelman: Excellent competence, very experienced, quick reaction times, technology expertise.’
Key clients
ING Belgium
Ncardia
Eurofins
CWS International
DFDS
Alcadon Group
Dessange
Remia
Ansul
Ammega
Dunas Resources
Ashurst LLP
Ashurst LLP focuses on corporate real estate, private equity, and digital economy transactions, alongside cross-border restructurings and corporate governance work. The team acts for a wide range of clients, with a particular focus on Belgian subsidiaries of multinationals and international associations. David Du Pont left the firm in 2022.
Other key lawyers:
Clément Dekemexhe
Testimonials
‘I’ve been in touch with Clément Dekemexhe who was always available to quickly answer to our request with clear replies, giving also practical suggestions’
‘Clément Dekemexhe is an exception attorney who is providing pro bono work for our international nongovernmental organization. He is helping us with some complex governance issues and the issues have taken a larger form than we first thought. We could not be more happy with his assistance. The highest marks for his work and responsiveness.’
Key clients
Bosch
Tritax EuroBox plc
Valesco Group
Meritz Securities
Dutch Infrastructure Fund
Kabouter Management LLC
Daiwa Capital Markets Europe Limited
Intermediate Capital Group
Dahua Technologies
Nalantis NV
Ceva Logistics
ObjectWay Financial Software NV
Victaulic
HIS Markit
Banque Pictet & Cie SA
ATC AISBL
IFES AISBL
NATCOL AISBL
ECETOC AISBL
Work highlights
- Advised Schneider Electric on setting up Universal Automation, an independent, not-for-profit association managing the reference implementation of a shared source runtime.
- Advised Victaulic on various corporate law queries for its various Belgian group companies.
- Advised Banque Pictet & Cie SA in relation to the sale of its shares in Euroclear Holding SA/NV to Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations.
Cambrian
Cambrian specialises in innovation and early-stage company advice, advising start-ups, investors, and corporates throughout the company life-cycle, encompassing early-stage fundraising and minority investments, commercial operations, take-privates, and public launches. The firm also has strength in strategic M&A and fund structuring work. Pieter Capiau, Yannick Verrycke and Wim Van Berendoncks head up the team.
Practice head(s):
Pieter Capiau; Yannick Verrycke; Wim Van Berendoncks
Other key lawyers:
Reinart Vos; Laura Rosseel
Testimonials
‘Cambrian has a focus on tech companies and they are extremely knowledgeable on all legal stuff related to that (shareholders agreements, SaaS commercial contracts, M&A, ESOP, etc.)’
‘Cambrian is very fast in its reactions and have a high quality in drafting legal documents.’
‘Very hands on with top knowledge of best market practices, always performing within the agreed timeframe.’
Key clients
Qbic
Efounders
Hummingbird Ventures
SmartFin
Timeseer.AI
Think2Act
Sweetwood Ventures
The Clubdeal Fund
Willow
Customs4Trade
9.5 Magnitude Ventures
LRM
Mint Tandartsen
Heran Partners
IMEC
Road21
Venly
F3 Finance
Lynxcare
Shift Invest
Teamleader
Oper Credits
Work highlights
- Acted as lead counsel to the general partner in the structuring, formation and fundraising of Qbic Fund III.
- Assisted the shareholders of SupplyStack in the 100% sale to Transporeon GmbH, a leading European transport logistics software provider based in Germany and backed by HG Capital as lead investor.
- Assisted Smartfin Capital as lead investor in the EUR 30 million financing round of Recharge.com.
Tetra Law
Tetra Law is a boutique firm that advises corporate and funds clients on the full range of M&A-related issues, alongside capital markets and corporate governance matters, notably offering integrated corporate tax expertise. The firm has expanded its work in cross-border M&A and private equity deals, advising businesses and funds, and is active in a diverse range of sectors including real estate, tech, and leisure. Baudouin Paquot and Jérôme Terfve head up the team.
Practice head(s):
Baudouin Paquot; Jérôme Terfve
Testimonials
‘Value for money.’
‘Very motivated and professional team. They have the fastest reactions for the clients, compared to all the firms I have worked with.’
‘They are really very attentive and listening to all your questions and are always available, even outside the working hours. They know what they are talking about and know their job.’
‘Very pragmatic and reactive team.’
‘Good skills and very good understanding of the problem.’
‘The team knows very well the clients’ expectations.’
‘Baudouin Paquot and Jérôme Terfve are excellent both in corporate law and in tax law. This combination of skills make them particularly valuable for deals triggering tricky tax problems. Their deep knowledge enables them to put forward imaginative solutions that meet the client’s needs while minimizing the (tax) risks.’
Key clients
Straker Translations
Fingaren
Beluga
Lucimo
Customer Environment Patrimonium-Properties CEP
Chimay
SECO Group
MTV Networks
Isatis Capital
Work highlights
- Assisted Straker Translations Ltd, a limited liability company incorporated under the laws of New Zealand and listed on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX), during the acquisition of the shares of Idest Communication, a Belgian translation agency specializing in the institutional sector.
- Assisted FINGAREN SCA, the majority shareholder of Entreprises et chemins de fer en chine SA during the squeeze-out procedure by which FINGAREN launched a squeeze-out bid on the shares not yet held directly by FINGAREN in ECFC.
- Assisted the major shareholders of BELUGA SA (a company whose shares are admitted to trading on Euronext Brussels) during the transfer of the shares of BELUGA.
Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP
Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP handles complex cross-border transactions, regularly working with its European, UK, and US offices on public and private M&A and private equity deals, and offering integrated litigation, regulatory, and antitrust support to an international client base. The team is led by Jean-Quentin De Cuyper, who has extensive M&A and capital markets expertise and also handles complex regulatory issues.
Practice head(s):
Jean-Quentin De Cuyper
Key clients
Codic International SA
Berlaymont 2000
PAI Partners
Freshstream
Insight Partners
Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations
OpenGate Capital
Lagardère Travel Retail
Campaign Monitor
Technord Belgium
Mestdagh SA
The Faktory
Work highlights
- Advised Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations (CDC) in the purchase from ICE (New York Stock Exchange) of a 5.42% shareholding in Euroclear.
- Advised OpenGate Capital in the sale of EverZinc to Aterian Investment Partners.
- Advised Codic International S.A. in the setting up of a €100,000,000 Green Euro Medium Term Note Programme.