The Legal 500

Response times, business acumen and industry knowledge are all ‘exceptional’ at Allen & Overy LLP, which retains a strong focus on IT. The group is highly regarded for outsourcing matters and recently advised BNP Paribas and BNP Paribas Fortis on preparing and drafting of an intra-group outsourcing agreement and the creation of over 30 shared-service centres in Brussels and Paris. Filip van Elsen is ‘a knowledgeable partner’, and Geert Glas is also recommended. Tom De Cordier was promoted to counsel in 2011.

Bird & Bird’s two-partner IT department is assisting Tele Atlas and TomTom with contractual matters and IT-related disputes. Catherine Erkelens specialises in IT, and has particular expertise in e-commerce, electronic data interchange and data protection. Benoit Van Asbroeck is also well versed in IT and telecoms matters.

DLA Piper acts for IT users and large IT vendors on a range of issues, including outsourcing and IP matters. Recent highlights include advising Philip Morris on legally compliant electronic invoicing solutions, and assisting Amcor on a global outsourcing of data centre services and SAP hosting. Other clients include Belgian Railways, Hewlett-Packard, Kodak and Thomas Cook. Kristof De Vulder heads the team.

Stibbe’s Erik Valgaeren is ‘the expert’ for IT contracts, and is appreciated for his client-oriented approach. He focuses on issues relating to the internet, e-commerce, electronic communications and data management. The seven-strong team acts for clients such as Google Belgium in a case relating to the registration of certain AdWords; Carrefour Belgium in criminal proceedings surrounding the hacking of its e-commerce application; and YouTube in a case concerning freedom of speech, allegedly illegal phone taps and defamatory broadcasts.

Crowell & Moring handled several high-profile cases in 2011, including representing Scarlet in its appeal against the Sabam decision, which ordered Scarlet to install filtering software on its P2P file-sharing network. The practice is also acting for Telenet in a case with the Belgian Anti-Piracy Foundation regarding blocking access to Pirate Bay. Thomas De Meese and Flip Petillion are highly regarded.

Linklaters houses a ‘really strong team of IT lawyers that are very approachable and pragmatic’. It focuses on IT agreements, telecoms, and data protection, and has experienced a significant increase in outsourcing mandates. It is acting for Johnson & Johnson on two outsourcing agreements regarding the operation of a new European distribution centre for pharmaceuticals products and medical devices and the renewal of an existing centre. Practice head Tanguy Van Overstraeten is ‘top notch’; a ‘star’ with ‘broad expertise in this area’.

Lorenz is praised for its ‘pan-European perspective’ and ‘top-level advice’. The firm continues to advise Microsoft on a wide range of IT, privacy and commercial law issues. Head of IT and new media Steven De Schrijver is assisted by the ‘highly responsive’ Jan Dhont, who is recommended for his data protection and privacy experience.

Altius (in co-operation with Tiberghien) has expertise in contentious and non-contentious IT matters, and recently advised Google in a case against Serverscheck regarding Google’s Suggest/Autocomplete service. Brussels Airlines, MSD Belgium and Unic are also clients. Gerrit Vandendriessche leads the practice group, which has links to a number of IT law associations.

NautaDutilh attracted a number of new clients in 2010 and 2011, including IntraSoft International and Besix, Belgium’s largest construction company. Practice head Philippe Péters recently drafted and reviewed various terms and conditions for the latest Nintendo products. Patrice Vanderbeeken has experience in distribution matters.

Verhaegen Walravens produces ‘excellent results’, and reported a busy year involving data protection issues, hi-tech manufacturing, pharmaceuticals work and outsourcing agreements. Recent work includes advising the Softkinetic group of companies, a leader in 3D gesture recognition, on a number of matters including capitalistic partnerships, software development agreements and hardware manufacturing agreements. The practice is run by Emmanuel Szafran, who has 14 years’ experience assisting multinational clients with complex domestic and international TMT matters.

Baker & McKenzie’s key IT contacts are Daniel Fesler, an expert in public procurement of IT, and Koen De Winter, who mainly advises Belgian and international companies on issues relating to hardware and software licensing and distribution.

CMS DeBacker’s practice has been busy with work relating to domain names, AdWords, internet marketing and e-commerce. The group recently advised domain name registry EURid in a dispute with a Chinese individual who unlawfully registered 10,000 domain names. Practice head Tom Heremans, Veerle Raus and Renaud Dupont are recommended.

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP’s IT practice often interacts with the firm’s strong EU and competition practice. The team’s enviable client roster includes Sony, which the team is advising on its alliance with Taiwan’s Hon Hai Precision Industry for the production of LCD TVs, and Walt Disney, which it is advising on matters including 3D digital distribution.

Clifford Chance is recommended for EU regulatory, competition and IP-related IT matters. The group, led by antitrust partner Thomas Vinje, recently represented Versata Software in connection with a complaint against SAP regarding bundling and refusal to supply. Other clients include Nokia, Amazon, eBay and Oracle.

De Wolf & Partners was recently appointed to advise the European Commission on all legal aspects of its communications activities. Jean-Paul Triaille has over 20 years’ experience in IT law, acting for both IT providers and users, and assisting clients in the banking and insurance sector.

Field Fisher Waterhouse provides a ‘very hands-on approach and delivers concrete solutions to legal problems’, and is recommended for advice on outsourcing and data protection. Emmanuel Roger France heads this ‘efficient and flexible’ team and is expert in e-payment and e-signatures.

Alexandre Verheyden heads Jones Day’s IT team, which continues to advise Apple on the rollout of the iPhone, iPad and iPod across more than 40 countries, handling regulatory and competition-related issues.

Liedekerke Wolters Waelbroeck Kirkpatrick recently advised BMW Financial Services Belgium on the auction process and negotiations for a new provider of software licensing and integration work. Department head Thierry Léonard is an IT specialist, with particular expertise in data protection, IT management and e-commerce; he achieves a ‘good balance between academic excellence and practical lawyering’.

Monika Kuschewsky heads Van Bael & Bellis’ European data protection practice, and also has expertise in outsourcing, HR and direct marketing.

Rolf Olofsson is the global head of White & Case LLP Avocats Advocaten’s media and communications practice. He is an expert in space, satellite and telecoms systems, and also represents clients in IT issues pertaining to project and equipment finance, corporate matters and international arbitration.