Mr Damien Conem > Liedekerke > Brussels, Belgium > Lawyer Profile

At Liedekerke, Damien Conem heads up the broader corporate and finance practice, while Tom Van Dyck leads the dedicated financial regulatory branch; this specialised group is regularly instructed by the majority of key domestic banks, and has recently made significant client gains in the crypto and blockchain spaces. The firm has also assembled an ESG-focused, cross-departmental team which comprises banking, financial regulation, energy, corporate, capital markets, administrative law and employment experts.

Liedekerke is capable of advising on the full gamut of corporate matters, though the practice particularly stands out for its advice in connection with financing arrangements, distressed M&A, and private equity deals. Additionally, clients in the real estate, retail, and energy sectors regularly instruct the team to advise on the buy- and sell-side of strategic transactions. The team is led by Damien Conem, who maintains close relationships with private equity and energy sector clients and is well-versed in cross-border M&A. Other key contacts in the team include Christel Van den Eynden, who is well-regarded for her advice on transactions in the TMT sector, corporate and securities transactions expert Wim Dedecker, Jacques Meunier, and private equity specialist Céline Tallier.

Liedekerke‘s private equity and venture capital offering targets funds as well as corporate clients and encompasses fund structuring advice, transactional guidance, and a large volume of work in connection with VC-backed fundraising. The team is particularly active across transactions in the energy, tech, and life sciences sectors, owing heavily to the expertise of M&A expert and practice head Damien Conem. Further key contacts in the team include IT transactions expert Christel Van den Eynden as well as versatile PE and capital markets specialists Jacques Meunier and Wim Dedecker.

Liedekerke advises on leveraged financings, assists with refinancing matters, and acts on bond issues and private placements for a client base composed primarily of Belgian banks and corporate clients. Real estate finance is a further area of focus for the team, which increasingly advises both borrowers and lenders on green bond issuances and sustainability-linked facilities. Corporate finance expert Damien Conem leads the practice together with Freya Mareels, a syndicated lending expert who advises on a wide array of debt finance transactions, and Wim Dedecker, who takes the lead on both debt and equity capital markets matters. Thomas Vanthournout is also highly recommended.