Legal500

Clifford Chance

65 AVENUE LOUISE, BOX 2, 1050 BRUXELLES, BELGIUM

Washington DC, Warsaw, Tokyo, Sydney, Singapore, Shanghai , and 28 more

What we say about the firm's legal practice in Belgium

Banking, finance and capital markets

Within Banking, finance and capital markets, Clifford Chance is a first tier firm,

Clifford Chance’s lawyers are seen as ‘first rate’ with a ‘very good reputation in financing business’. Foremost in client minds is Yves Herinckx, whose standout work included acting for a bank in one of the very first acquisitions by a private equity firm since the credit crunch, the €73m purchase of ADB by Montagu Private Equity. Alongside this lies continuing work for the Belgian government, advising on state support to KBC, Dexia, and Fortis, as well as assisting Royal Park Investments on a state-backed refinancing. Bert de Maeyer was promoted to partner.

Competition

Within Competition, Clifford Chance is a second tier firm,

‘It is very savvy on our industry in particular, and business in general’, say clients of Clifford Chance, where Tony Reeves is ‘smart, business-minded, incredibly responsive, totally committed to his clients’; he advised NEC at the conclusion of the Qualcomm investigation. Despite Simon Baxter’s departure, the practice has been very active. Thomas Vinje advised Opera before the European Commission regarding Microsoft’s tying of Internet Explorer to its dominant PC operating system. GE is a regular client on a variety of mandates, ranging across the firm’s advisory, regulatory and litigation services.

Corporate and M&A

Within Corporate and M&A , Clifford Chance is a second tier firm,

‘The overall level of service at Clifford Chance is excellent, from quality to reliability of opinion, to timing’. The firm has remained active in the field of energy, advising on two major transactions, namely Publi-T’s €160m acquisition of an additional stake in Elia and Publigas’ €635m acquisition of GDF Suez/Electrabel’s stock in Fluxys. The practice counts Dexia, InBev and TNT as clients, plus private equity firms Apax Partners and Bridgepoint, alongside several listed REITs. Clients single out Philippe Hamer as ‘an extremely mature lawyer providing excellent input in company law, commercial contracts and litigation’.

Customs, trade, WTO and anti-dumping

Within Customs, trade, WTO and anti-dumping, Clifford Chance is a third tier firm,

Clifford Chance has been advising The City UK on trade issues relating to the UK immigration cap, (relating to existing bilateral trade agreements), and acting for Cermaq on the EC anti-dumping review of imports of Norwegian salmon. Tony Reeves is recommended.

Dispute resolution

Within Dispute resolution, Clifford Chance is a third tier firm,

Clifford Chance ‘respects its clients, is extremely efficient, with lawyers who are open to business’. Sébastien Ryelandt is recommended for his work on class actions, and, together with counsel Benoît Allemeersch, he continues to also handle a mix of claims, including investment arbitration hearings, (one worth €55m). The team achieved a notable acquittal for Dexia in the Ghent Court of Appeal in September in a €2bn case alleging securities fraud over the Lernout & Hauspie collapse, following a four-year trial.

EU regulatory

Within EU regulatory: Information technology, Clifford Chance is a first tier firm,

Clifford Chance’s Thomas Vinje’s IT clients include Yahoo!, Nokia and EMI, who he advises on competition law and relevant EU regulations.

Information technology

Within Information technology, Clifford Chance is a third tier firm,

EU regulatory and competition-related work is the main strength of Clifford Chance’s IT practice. This includes work for the European Committee for Interoperable Systems, and it advocates ECIS positions before a variety of fora, including on the EU’s ICT standardisation initiative. Clients include Opera, Adobe and Yahoo!.

Intellectual property

Within Intellectual property, Clifford Chance is a third tier firm,

Clifford Chance’s EU-centred IP advice included assisting Fujitsu in relation to copyright, levies and digital rights management, cyber-security, software patents and open source. It also advised Panasonic on IP policy issues in relation to a multinational trade agreement.

Real estate

Within Real estate, Clifford Chance is a first tier firm,

Clifford Chance is seen as a ‘Rolls-Royce in the legal industry’, being ‘quick and flexible with a very commercial approach’, perfect for ‘large professional players in the real estate market’. Henri d’Ursel is singled out for his close teamwork with tax partner Thierry Blockerye, and also for being ‘very well known and respected’, and someone who is ‘very effective in getting the deal done’. The team advised Union Investment on a shopping centre purchase in Kortrijk, the biggest such transaction in Belgium in 2009. Clients include Banimmo, Foruminvest and JPMorgan.

Tax

Within Tax, Clifford Chance is a second tier firm,

At Clifford Chance, Thierry Blockerye’s real estate tax work runs neatly alongside corporate and finance tax skills. Together with Katrin Eyckmans, he has worked on the tax optimisation of real estate transactions, saving significant sums of money. The tax treatment of Royal Park Investments, the SPV set up by the Belgian state, Fortis, and BNP Paribas, in a €5.75bn deal, involved immense technical issues, and is testament to his diversity of practice. Clients include Fortis Real Estate and Dexia.

What we say worldwide

Please choose another Clifford Chance office to view full details of what we say in that region, or choose from this list to view a specific editorial reference in context.

United Arab Emirates

Offices in Abu Dhabi and Dubai

Australia

Offices in Sydney and Perth

Belgium

Offices in Brussels

China

Offices in Shanghai and Beijing

Czech Republic

Offices in Prague

Germany

Offices in Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, and Munich

Algeria

Foreign firms : Foreign firms

Spain

Offices in Madrid and Barcelona

France

Offices in Paris

Ghana

Legal market overview : Legal market overview

Hong Kong

Offices in Hong Kong

Indonesia

Foreign firms : Foreign firms

India

Italy

Offices in Rome and Milan

Japan

Offices in Tokyo

Kuwait

Legal market overview : Legal market overview

London

Offices in London E14 and London EC2R

Luxembourg

Offices in Luxembourg

Morocco

Foreign firms : Foreign firms

Netherlands

Offices in Amsterdam

Oman

Legal market overview : Legal market overview

Philippines

Foreign firms : Foreign firms

Poland

Offices in Warsaw

Qatar

Offices in Doha

Foreign firms : Foreign firms

Romania

Offices in Bucharest

Russia

Offices in Moscow

Singapore

Offices in Singapore

South Korea

Foreign firms : Foreign firms

Taiwan

TMT : TMT

Thailand

Offices in Bangkok

Tunisia

Foreign firms : Foreign firms

Turkey

Offices in Istanbul

Ukraine

Offices in Kiev

United States

Offices in Washington DC, New York, and Menlo Park

Vietnam

Search News and Articles

Legal Developments by:
Clifford Chance

Routine settlement correspondence - potentially an act of victimisation?

The Sex Discrimination Act 1975 renders it unlawful to victimise a person through less favourable treatment because they have brought sex discrimination or equal pay proceedings. Similar provisions exist in relation to other areas of discrimination.

- Clifford Chance

Legal Developments in Belgium

Legal Developments and updates from the leading lawyers in each jurisdiction. To contribute, send an email request to

Gaming & Gambling Law Newsletter January 2012

Judgment in the Rank Group plc cases (C-259/10 and C-260/10): interpretation of the principle of fiscal neutrality applied to gambling

- ALTIUS (in cooperation with Tiberghien)
FSMA MiFID Action Plan announced

Like in many of our neighboring countries, the Belgian Financial Services and Markets Authority (FSMA) is taking a more persistent approach in pursuing compliance with MiFID conduct of business. In that regard it has announced a “MiFID Action Plan”.

- Liedekerke Wolters Waelbroeck Kirkpatrick
International mobility - limited access to the Belgian labour market

Bulgarian and Romanian workers still need a work permit until 31 December 2013.

- Claeys & Engels, member of Ius Laboris
Modification of the dismissal rules as from 1 January!

Claeys & Engels has updated the calculation modules on www.formuleclaeys.be. Higher level white-collar employees who enter into service after 1 January 2012 will, in the event they are dismissed, be entitled to a notice period, calculated on the basis of the IPA Act. The new notice period amounts to 30 days per started year in service, with a minimum of 91 days.

- Claeys & Engels, member of Ius Laboris
Social elections 2012: Day X-35 (between 3 and 16 January)

On day X-35 at the latest, the employer must announce several decisions. The latter may be subject to appeal before the labour tribunal at the latest on day X-28.

- Claeys & Engels, member of Ius Laboris
Enantiomers and race-mates: the same product?

On October 3 2011 the Brussels Commercial Court invalidated Lundbeck's supplementary protection certificate (SPC) for escitalopram, the 'S' enantiomer of its racemate citalopram. The court held that escitalopram is the same product as citalopram, and that the former's SPC did not comply with Articles 3(c) and (d) of EU Regulation 469/2009. The court held that it was in the interests of patients to declare the decision provisionally enforceable.

- ALTIUS (in cooperation with Tiberghien)
Employment Law News Flash

Another year draws to its close. At the eleventh hour, a government was formed, a budget was agreed and political pledges were made to tackle the current adverse economic and financial climate. The year-end - traditionally a busy period with the issuing of hefty Programme Statutes - marks the beginning of intensified law-making under the reign of Di Rupo I.

- ALTIUS (in cooperation with Tiberghien)
Towards a new dismissal regime

The new regime of dismissal compensation must be simple and should in no way lead to a cost increase for employers. Unnecessary procedures before the courts must be avoided. The purchasing power of the dismissed individuals must be maintained.

- Claeys & Engels, member of Ius Laboris
The Dutch 30 % -rule: change for Belgium

The Dutch second Chamber recently approved some important changes with respect to the conditions for the Dutch fiscal 30 %-rule. As a result, this rule will in practice no longer be available for Belgians.

- Claeys & Engels, member of Ius Laboris
New salary thresholds for white-collar workers

As every year, the Federal Public Service Employment has adapted the thresholds of remuneration to be taken into consideration for the application of certain provisions of the employment contract for white-collar workers.

- Claeys & Engels, member of Ius Laboris