The Legal 500 > Europe, Middle East & Africa > Belgium > Real estate and construction

Clifford Chance’s 'very strong and very responsive' real estate team stands out for 'combining top-notch real estate, tax, financing and fund advice' when assisting clients with high-profile, high-value transactions. Department head Henri D’Ursel is 'a strong commercial leader in the market' and 'a tough negotiator'. Alexandre Ooms, 'a very strong tax partner', is noted for his expertise in advising on real estate tax issues. Counsel Pieter De Bock is 'brilliant'.

At Liedekerke Wolters Waelbroeck Kirkpatrick, the 'very professional' team is well known for its 'very strong knowledge in real estate matters', with transactional mandates prominent in the group's workload. The client base includes widely recognised retail, hotel and financial services entities. Yves Delacroix leads the 'pragmatic' team; Alexandre Emond ('intelligent and a pleasure to work with'), 'dedicated' counsel Julie De Bonnet and Pierre Desenfans, who stands out for his expertise in tax matters, are key names.

Rudy Nauwelaerts and Rony Vermeersch jointly lead Stibbe's 'very experienced' real estate team, which 'provides tailor-made advice quickly and efficiently'. The group reports an uptick in PPP matters within the real estate space, and also counts high-profile transactional matters and financing instructions as key areas of expertise. The practice works in synergy with corporate and public law experts on logistics, retail and hotel projects, among others. Corporate law expert Jan Bogaert is noted for assisting with real estate M&A matters. In 2019 Pieter Bogaert left the firm to join Xior Student Housing, and Matthias Maselis joined as a partner from Clifford Chance.

Baker McKenzie CVBA/SCRL has been active handling high-value transactional matters for international and domestic financial institutions; office, hotel and retail acquisitions have been prominent in the team's workload. Jean-François Vandenberghe heads the department.

DLA Piper attracts praise for its 'in depth knowledge of real estate law'. The 'knowledgeable' team is adept at handling a wide spectrum of real estate matters, with retail sector projects featuring prominently in the group's recent workload. Department head Dirk Caestecker is 'dedicated' and 'straightforward'.

Loyens & Loeff is 'very knowledgeable in Belgian real estate'; high-value transactions and acquisitions are core strengths of the practice. The 'outstanding' Christophe Laurent leads the team, in which Ariane Brohez is a name to note.

The 'reliable and professional' team at Lydian provides 'in-depth advice across a wide range of real estate matters', and has established expertise in acting for international and national clients on both investor and developer-side mandates. Practice head Wouter Neven has 'a pragmatic attitude' and 'displays an excellent ability to manage complex real estate matters'. Counsel Bruno Stroobants is 'very proactive and knowledgeable'.

NautaDutilh's 'solution-driven' team has 'excellent legal knowledge and experience in real estate and construction business'. PPP mandates, high-value transactions, lease matters and contentious real estate instructions have been included in the group's recent workload. The 'professional and experienced' Didier De Vliegher heads up the practice.

Schoups' 'very professional' team is 'specialised in all aspects of the construction business' and 'combines being knowledgeable with being very accessible'. The practice has an excellent reputation for its strength in complex construction projects, development disputes, and contentious and non-contentious public procurement matters. Practice head Marco Schoups' 'experience and vast knowledge of the Belgian real estate and construction sector and important players is indispensable'. Key names include the 'bright and keen' Siegfried Busscher, who 'offers very hands-on and thorough counsel in construction matters'; the 'well regarded' Kris Lemmens, noted for his expertise in public procurement work; and construction law expert Maarten Somers.

Simont Braun's 'rigorous and meticulous' team has 'strong expertise in the real estate sector', and leverages the expertise of its public and administrative law practice to provide a multidisciplinary service to a broad client roster. The 'very reactive' practice head Manuela von Kuegelgen has 'very good negotiation skills'. Associate Laura Grauer is a key contact.

Recent work for the team at ALTIUS includes advising on redevelopment projects, high-profile acquisitions and market entry matters for clients drawn from the retail, hotels, banking, food and tourism sectors. Lieven Peeters shares leadership of the practice with real estate regulatory expert William Timmermans.

At Cresco Advocaten, Filip De Schouwer leads a team which has established strength in acting for a client base of retail, food and beverage and hotel companies across a range of real estate litigation and transactional mandates. Key names include Natalie Lemense, who is noted for her expertise in dispute resolution; and senior associate Steven Daems, who is strong in corporate matters. Tessa Gijbels left the firm in February 2020.

Recent highlights for the team at Deloitte include assisting bpost with the €80.5m sale and lease-swap transaction for the Centre Monnaie building in Brussels, following its purchase by Whitewood for redevelopment. Maximillien van de Werve is the name to note.

K Law's 'very strong' and 'very well balanced' team 'covers all real estate matters'. The group provides ongoing assistance to Codic International regarding its high-profile sale of the PassPort building in Zeventem to a Korean investor. Department head Gerald Van Walle is 'a dealmaker with excellent knowledge of the law, combined with a pragmatic approach'. Jim Bauwens is 'dedicated, strongly identifies with the client he works for and really goes the extra mile'.

The real estate team at AKD garners praise for its 'professionalism'. Large-scale relocation projects form the backbone of the practice; international retail entities are prominent in the client roster. Steven Ongena heads the department, in which counsel Pol Cools is a name to note.

Lars Van Bever heads the real estate practice at Eubelius, which is strong in advising real estate investor-side clients on real estate investment funds in Belgium and assisting BE-REITS with regulatory and tax issues, among other areas. The group has been particularly busy handling elderly care accommodation projects. Wouter Claes has established expertise in real estate tax matters. Senior attorney Tim Van Moorhem is also recommended.

Eversheds Sutherland (Belgium) CVBA (a member of Eversheds Sutherland)'s real estate practice leverages the expertise of the 'approachable' Johan Joos. Real estate-related corporate work is a core strength for the team.

Laurius reports an uptick in instructions relating to student accommodation projects. The 'very professional' group's expertise also spans elderly care, offices, residential and hospitality development projects, which it handles mainly for investor-side clients. Practice head Michael Bollen is 'proactive' and 'always thinking ahead'.

Luc Linders leads the 'very professional' real estate team at Monard Law. The group is noted for its strength in advising contractor clients on contentious real estate matters, and counts PPP infrastructure projects as a core area of expertise. Development projects have also featured in the department's recent workload. Key contacts include the 'responsive' Stefaan Van Dyck and Benoit Samyn.

MVVP is perhaps best known for its strong expertise in assisting prominent clients from the retail sector with transactional matters. Stefaan Verbouwe is the name to note.

Racine's 'very professional' team provides 'sound legal advice' to clients regarding real estate disputes, and has also been handling acquisition mandates. The 'eloquent' Isabelle Cooreman is the name to note.