Liedekerke > Brussels, Belgium > Firm Profile

Liedekerke > The Legal 500 Rankings

Belgium > Environment Tier 1

Situated within the firm’s regulatory department, Liedekerke‘s environment team operates both as a standalone practice and in conjunction with the firm’s corporate and real estate lawyers, covering matters relating to the circular economy, soil pollution, waste management, and pesticides. Practice heads François Tulkens and Dominique Devos are well regarded in litigation and real estate law, respectively, with Devos a key contact for brownfield developments in Flanders. Of counsel Filip De Preter has broad expertise, while senior associate Bert Van Herreweghe is recommended for his experience in planning and zoning.

Belgium > Industry focus: Energy Tier 1

Led by the very experienced Damien Verhoeven – regarded by clients as ‘one of the front-runners in the energy law world‘ – Liedekerke‘s cross-departmental team acts for a formidable roster of market-leading producers, suppliers, and other entities on the full gamut of energy sector work. Recently, the team has been involved in Capacity Remuneration Mechanism (CRM) implementation, carbon capture projects, and nuclear phase-out efforts, as well as new project developments and contentious proceedings within the industry. François Tulkens is noted for his experience in nuclear sector work, as well as for assisting with permitting issues for various gas and electricity heavyweights. Olivier Vanden Berghe specialises in commercial contract issues and litigation, and former Kinshasa office head Thibaut Hollanders is noted for his expertise in international renewable energy projects, with recent highlights including major hydropower and solar development in the DRC. Names to note at associate level include the ‘brilliant’ Lola Malluquin, a regulatory specialist who notably advises on CRM and battery storage matters, and Jonas Van Orshoven, who has most recently assisted multinationals with burgeoning domestic solar projects. All named lawyers are based in Brussels.

Belgium > Industry focus: Retail Tier 1

Noted for its capabilities in IP, tax and corporate transactions, among other matters, the team at Liedekerke is a firm choice for a host of retailers, real estate developers, outlet stores, and distributors. Olivier Vanden Berghe is a highly experienced commercial litigator who is also sought out for assistance with joint ventures, cooperation agreements and distribution networks. Yves Delacroix is a seasoned real estate transactions lawyer with ample knowledge of lease matters, construction law issues and sale and leasebacks, while Etienne Kairis serves as a go-to name for matters within the automotive sector.

Belgium > Real estate and construction Tier 1

Liedekerke‘s real estate team works closely with the firm’s tax, corporate and finance, and planning and environment departments, and is strong across sectors including logistics, hotels and leisure, and senior housing. Team lead Yves Delacroix is sought after for his broad transactional expertise, which includes sales and leasebacks and strategic acquisitions. Alexandre Emond advises on major developments, while Julie de Bonnet, who was raised to the partnership in January 2022, is well regarded for both contentious and non-contentious work. Senior associate Marie Heyvaert is also recommended.

Belgium > Banking, finance and capital markets Tier 2

Liedekerke advises major Belgian banks on acquisition financing, energy finance, and refinancing mandates, as well as acting on the borrower side for loan restructurings, corporate lending, and private equity work. The firm also continues to expand its work across equity and debt capital markets work, including innovative green notes issues as well as IPO-related matters, with capital markets lead Wim Dedecker an active player for issuers and underwriters. Damien Conem  takes the lead on corporate finance work, while Freya Mareels specialises in the full range of banking matters and financing transactions, particularly cross-border work, supported by Thomas Vanthournout, who was promoted to counsel in January 2022 in recognition of his strong contribution to the team.

Belgium > Commercial, corporate and M&A Tier 2

Liedekerke stands out for its work on cross-border transactions in a diverse range of sectors, most notably real estate, TMT, life sciences, and energy. Clients include international corporates, both public and private, private equity and venture capital investors, and a number of start-up and scale-ups. Corporate finance lead Damien Conem heads up the team, which also includes Christel Van den Eynden, who handles a wide range of multi-jurisdictional transactions in the high-tech and energy sectors, Jacques Meunier, who has diverse expertise across M&A and private equity work, and Wim Dedecker, a key name for public company and capital markets cases, including corporate and securities law issues. Céline Tallier was promoted to counsel in January 2022 and acts for large companies and SMEs on transactions.

Belgium > Competition: Belgian law Tier 2

Liedekerke has broad competition law expertise and acts for an array of domestic and international clients including major names in tech, consumer goods, and aviation, as well as the public sector and industry organisations. The team, led by the vastly experienced Stefaan Raes, acts for clients before the BCA alongside Belgian and European courts in merger control cases, cartel and behavioural investigations, dawn raids, and regulatory issues. Vincent Mussche is another key name in the team, coordinating multi-jurisdictional merger proceedings and also handling Belgian aspects of state aid cases. Associate Nina Carlier is noted for her work on internal competition compliance programmes, utilising past in-house counsel expertise.

Belgium > Dispute resolution Tier 2

Fielding a large team of ‘excellent experts with an international mindset‘, Liedekerke boasts a sizeable and sophisticated international arbitration offering, spearheaded by Arnaud Nuyts, a veteran advocate praised for his ‘superb advocacy skills‘ and ‘impressive command of the law‘. Nuyts co-chairs the disputes group alongside commercial contracts and litigation head Olivier Vanden Berghe and Roel Fransis, an expert in insolvency and finance litigation. Africa desk chief Aimery De Schoutheete is a seasoned litigator and arbitrator, as well as an expert in OHADA law, with considerable experience in francophone Africa and Great Lakes region proceedings. Bruno Hardy – who was promoted to counsel in July 2022 – routinely serves as counsel in international arbitrations across the engineering, energy, and construction sectors, among others. All named lawyers are based in Brussels.

Belgium > Employment Tier 2

Clients including public authorities and major multinationals flock to Liedekerke‘s employment and benefits team for ‘hands-on advice‘ on labour law issues ranging from collective dismissals and closures to disputes over discrimination and harassment. Paul Geerebaert leads the team, with a long record of appearances before the Belgian labour courts as well as experience in matters such as the negotiation of agreements and transfer of undertakings. Vincent Busschaert is well regarded for his broad practice, while senior associate Leen Holvoet is seen as an ‘exceptional lawyer‘.

Belgium > EU regulatory: Financial services Tier 2

Liedekerke focuses exclusively on strategic regulatory projects, advising financial institutions, insurance companies, fintech companies, and asset managers on a wide range of issues, including MiFID2 and other regulatory regime compliance, crypto assets, digitalisation, and enforcement actions. The team is led by specialist financial service regulatory practitioner Tom Van Dyck, who is a trusted adviser to a number of major European banks as well as emerging market disruptors. Associate Sarah Michot has in-house secondment experience in the asset management space, and also works with insurers and banks on regulatory questions.

Belgium > Fraud and white-collar crime Tier 2

Liedekerke‘s fraud and compliance team represents clients in internal and criminal investigations and civil and criminal court proceedings. Social security, employment, and environmental offences are a core specialism for the practice, which also provides compliance advice and assists with the filing of criminal complaints. Team lead Magda Vandebotermet has broad experience, including appearances before the criminal courts up to the Court of Cassation. Notable support comes from senior associate Margot Vandebeek.

Belgium > Insolvency and restructuring Tier 2

Roel Fransis heads the restructuring and insolvency offering at Liedekerke, where he has particular experience in cross-border litigation. The firm acts for both debtors and creditors across a wide range of industries, from energy and manufacturing to retail, sports and IT, and advises on issues extending to conservatory garnishments and contractual renegotiations. In collaboration with lawyers from the corporate and finance departments, the practice also advises on distressed M&A.

Belgium > Intellectual property Tier 2

The intellectual property team at Liedekerke handles the full range of advisory, transactional, and contentious IP matters, with a focus on trade marks, design rights, trade secrets and copyright. Experienced commercial lawyer and team lead Etienne Kairis has particular expertise in the automotive sector, while Sarah Van Den Brande, who was promoted to partner in January 2022, is strong across copyright, trade mark, and design matters, as well as in data protection issues. Counsel Bernard Vanbrabant is also recommended, in particular for anti-counterfeiting work.

Belgium > Industry focus: Transport Tier 3

Working in conjunction with a number of departments on cross-disciplinary mandates, Liedekerke frequently assists clients on a range of transport law matters. The team’s breadth of expertise encompasses rail, maritime, and aviation law, where the team works closely with a host of airlines, road haulage companies, and shipping entities, both domestically and internationally. The team is headed up by Jean Pierre Kesteloot, a highly experienced lawyer whose considerable workload regularly includes shipping, road carriage and insurance matters.

Belgium > Tax Tier 3

Liedekerke‘s tax practice is strongly focused on transactional tax issues, assisting Belgian and international clients with both contentious and non-contentious matters. The team is jointly led by Lievin De Wulf, who specialises in the tax elements of business and corporate law, and Pierre Desenfans, who has niche expertise in real estate tax.

Belgium > Legal market overview