The Legal 500

Within Aviation, Liedekerke Wolters Waelbroeck Kirkpatrick is a second tier firm,

Marc Godfroid leads Liedekerke Wolters Waelbroeck Kirkpatrick’s aviation practice, which acted in a number of liability and regulatory cases recently. The firm also has niche expertise in handling claims pertaining to African markets.

Within Banking, finance and capital markets, Liedekerke Wolters Waelbroeck Kirkpatrick is a second tier firm,

Liedekerke Wolters Waelbroeck Kirkpatrick fields 14 dedicated banking and finance lawyers and recently represented ABN AMRO on financing HealthCity Fitness’ acquisition of Passage Fitness chain. Thierry Tilquin heads the corporate and finance team, and Jan Vincent Lindemans is the key contact for debt finance work; Lindemans is increasingly active on cross-border deals for clients such as JPMorgan Chase. The firm also has a dedicated financial institutions practice to advise on financial and regulatory matters. Patrick Della Faille recently joined Lydian.

Within Corporate and M&A , Liedekerke Wolters Waelbroeck Kirkpatrick is a second tier firm,

Clients receive ‘full and efficient support’ from Liedekerke Wolters Waelbroeck Kirkpatrick, which adopts a ‘very hands-on’ approach and is ‘outstanding value for money’. Recent work includes handling aspects of Pfizer’s €2.38bn sale of Capsugel and assisting Veolia Propreté on the disposal of Veolia Environmental Services Belgium and its Belgian subsidaries. Thierry Tilquin leads the seven-partner department.

Within Dispute resolution, Liedekerke Wolters Waelbroeck Kirkpatrick is a first tier firm,

Liedekerke Wolters Waelbroeck Kirkpatrick’s specialist litigation department deals with contentious work in an international context. The team, which has a ‘good combination of technical knowledge and pragmatic approach’, successfully represented the European Space Agency in a public procurement dispute in the Brussels Court of Appeal; and acted for the Belgian state in a civil liability case. Practice head Hakim Boularbah and Nicolas Angelet are responsive, creative and show good judgement.

Within Environment, Liedekerke Wolters Waelbroeck Kirkpatrick is a second tier firm,

Liedekerke Wolters Waelbroeck Kirkpatrick provides an ‘outstanding service with profound market and industry knowledge’, and acts for clients such as Veolia, Total and IKEA. Practice head Bernard Deltour, who is ‘very good’ and ‘a charming lawyer, with good political insight’, is expert in waste and soil pollution issues.

Within Fraud and white-collar crime, Liedekerke Wolters Waelbroeck Kirkpatrick is a second tier firm,

Liedekerke Wolters Waelbroeck Kirkpatrick is recommended for its tax fraud and anti-money-laundering expertise. The firm is also strong in criminal labour and employment cases, where Vincent Busschaert recently advised a client in proceedings involving the alleged loan of staff and security fraud. Busschaert and Jacques Malherbe are recommended.

Within Information technology, tier 4

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’.

Within Intellectual property, Liedekerke Wolters Waelbroeck Kirkpatrick is a second tier firm,

Handling the full gamut of non-contentious and contentious IP, Liedekerke Wolters Waelbroeck Kirkpatrick has sector expertise in cosmetics, foods, chemicals and oil. The group has been representing Kraft Foods in a dispute relating to a major retailer’s launch of own-label items resembling Kraft’s products. Mireille Buydens has broad experience in patents, trade marks and copyright cases, and heads the IP/IT practice.

Within Labour and employment, Liedekerke Wolters Waelbroeck Kirkpatrick is a second tier firm,

At Liedekerke Wolters Waelbroeck Kirkpatrick, the advice is ‘always technically accurate and commercial, and the individuals not only understand the law but also what their client wants to achieve’. The group advises several large multinational companies on employment, pensions, immigration and social security law, and is handling a number of restructurings in the energy, chemicals and telecoms sectors. Practice head Vincent Busschaert and Aimery de Schoutheete are recommended.

Within Legal market overview,

Dexia Bank’s problems in 2011 provided Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, Liedekerke Wolters Waelbroeck Kirkpatrick, Stibbe and Laga with key roles in restructuring the Franco-Belgian institution. Another major hit to the economy came from ArcelorMittal’s decision to partially close an east Belgian steel plant and lay off hundreds of workers, although this provided work for employment law practices.

Within Real estate, Liedekerke Wolters Waelbroeck Kirkpatrick is a first tier firm,

Liedekerke Wolters Waelbroeck Kirkpatrick’s real estate practice delivers ‘top-level service’, and can draw on the firm’s tax, corporate and litigation departments as necessary. The team recently assisted Befimmo on the €51m turnkey sale of a large Brussels office building to Vivaqua, which was one of the largest single asset transactions in Belgium in 2010. Practice head Yves Delacroix is ‘a real specialist’, and ‘one of the best in Belgium’.

Within Shipping and transport, Liedekerke Wolters Waelbroeck Kirkpatrick is a second tier firm,

Liedekerke Wolters Waelbroeck Kirkpatrick’s Marc Godfroid specialises in transport law and related civil liability and insurance matters. His team acts for clients in the shipping, rail and road-haulage sectors, as well as for insurers, and advises on contracts, litigation, administration and regulations.

Within Tax, Liedekerke Wolters Waelbroeck Kirkpatrick is a first tier firm,

Liedekerke Wolters Waelbroeck Kirkpatrick’s eight-partner tax team primarily handles high-end advisory work, but is also very capable in litigation, and Henk Verstraete is assisting a financial institution in a €1bn dispute relating to Belgian tax on stock exchange transactions, and how that applies to internet-based transactions. On the non-contentious side, Philippe Malherbe is advising a multinational on a €1bn restructuring to allow its foreign parent company to benefit from new tax credit rules in its state of residence. Practice head Daniel Garabedian is recommended.