The Legal 500

Within Aviation, Loyens & Loeff is a second tier firm,

Loyens & Loeff’s multidisciplinary team has ‘in-depth knowledge of contractual issues’. Practice head Grégoire Jakhian shows ‘good understanding of industry-specific issues’.

Within Banking, finance and capital markets, Loyens & Loeff is a second tier firm,

Loyens & Loeff’s ‘committed and hands-on’ team provides an ‘excellent service, by working in a practical and collegiate manner’. It has a particularly strong project finance practice, where the lawyers are ‘very experienced in the renewable energy field’, and recently assisted the lenders and arrangers on the financing of the second and third phases of the 325MW C-Power offshore wind farm. Secured lending, refinancings and restructurings are also a significant part of the practice. The ‘dedicated’ Marc Vermylen leads the team.

Within Corporate and M&A , Loyens & Loeff is a second tier firm,

The corporate lawyers at Loyens & Loeff are ‘extremely business-driven and ready to adjust to the needs and means of each individual deal’. Department head Grégoire Jakhian recently advised Van Gansewinkel on its acquisition of Veolia’s Belgian waste management activities, and Peter Callens advised IKO Europe on the acquisition of 50% of shares in Metrotile Europe. Damien Conem, who was recently promoted to counsel, is ‘very knowledgeable of M&A practices in Belgium and eases the legal process to ensure the deal gets done’.

Within Dispute resolution, Loyens & Loeff is a second tier firm,

Loyens & Loeff, which focuses on corporate and commercial disputes, recently advised BNY Corporate Trustee Services in injunction proceedings regarding a €2bn mandatory convertible bond issue. Zenitel, Rabobank and TNT are new clients. Geert Bogaert and Peter Callens are recommended, as is the ‘clever and practical’ Martine De Roeck, who holds over 20 years’ litigation experience and was appointed as a deputy judge at the Antwerp Court of Appeal in 2010.

Within Intellectual property, Loyens & Loeff is a third tier firm,

Loyens & Loeff impresses with its ‘very quick response times, in-depth case knowledge, and to-the-point advice’ across the spectrum of IP, particularly cross-border cases. It recently advised longstanding client Carrefour in several IP-related conflicts. Practice head Yves Van Couter is ‘very efficient and available’, and counsel Hans Dhondt gives ‘comprehensive explanations and accurate legal advice’.

Within Labour and employment, Loyens & Loeff is a second tier firm,

Loyens & Loeff’s employment team is characterised by its ‘excellent industry knowledge and value for money’. Christian Willems, who has over 20 years’ experience, recently advised Kerry Group on the closure of its production department, which involved negotiations on the economics of the restructuring, as well as the social plan. Jean-Louis Davain is recommended for domestic and international human resources tax planning, and Filip Saelens is also a noteworthy contact.

Within Media and entertainment, Loyens & Loeff is a second tier firm,

Loyens & Loeff’s media and entertainment team is a subset of the IP department and the firm’s broader commercial practice. The experienced Yves Van Couter is the partner in charge of all contentious and non-contentious media matters.

Within Real estate, Loyens & Loeff is a second tier firm,

Loyens & Loeff’s responsive, knowledgeable and accurate team is adept at handling real estate transactions. It advised AG Real Estate on buying from Redevco a logistics complex, which was pre-let to Carrefour. Practice head Christophe Laurent ‘remains poised and tries to find feasible solutions’.

Within Tax, Loyens & Loeff is a first tier firm,

Clients note the expertise, responsiveness, and appropriateness of advice as the key qualities of Loyens & Loeff’s tax department. Led by the ever reliable Xavier Clarebout, the group has clear expertise in general tax advice, tax litigation, transfer pricing as well as accounting law. In 2011, Christian Chéruy and Marc Dhaene advised a German group on structuring aspects of the acquisition of a manufacturing company with entities in the US and Europe. The firm also represented a US group in a tax controversy and the worldwide restructuring of its business. Accounting specialist Yvan Stempnierwsky is also recommended.