NautaDutilh > Brussels, Belgium > Firm Profile
NautaDutilh Offices
CHAUSSÉE DE LA HULPE, 120
1000 BRUSSELS
Belgium
NautaDutilh > The Legal 500 Rankings
Belgium > Dispute resolution Tier 1
Regarded as ‘hard-working, diligent, and always very responsive‘, NautaDutilh‘s fully trilingual disputes practice represents a diverse roster of high-profile clients in a broad spectrum of matters, ranging from post-M&A and banking disputes to arbitral award and sovereign debt enforcement proceedings. The team is jointly spearheaded by Sophie Jacmain and Stan Brijs; a ‘superb‘ duo noted for the depth of their expertise in insolvency and in-court restructuring. Counsel Karel De Smet regularly acts for a range of major financial institutions and companies on high-value contractual disputes, while senior associate Karen Paridaen‘s wide-ranging experience encompasses both cross-border commercial disputes and arbitrations – most recently in the energy and natural resources sectors. Other key names within the team include fellow senior associate Gisèle Uwera, a specialist in real estate disputes, and associate Alexander Roels, who is noted for his emphasis on international arbitration work. All named lawyers are based in Brussels.Practice head(s):
Sophie Jacmain; Stan Brijs
Other key lawyers:
Karel De Smet; Karen Paridaen; Gisèle Uwera; Alexander Roels; Bram Van Cauwenberge
Testimonials
‘They are a good team: hard-working, diligent, and always very responsive.’
‘Sophie Jacmain and Stan Brijs are absolutely superb. One of their great assets is the ability to roadmap and strategise the case from the very outset, as well as their ability to read what is going on in the courtroom and adjust the tactic accordingly.’
‘Very agile and responsive. Unlike many other law firms, they have always prioritised work above billing. I have appreciated their efforts very much for what started out as a dispute impossible to solve amicably. We did not go to court, and we were satisfied with the end result. I believe NautaDutilh’s approach to focus on people and their strong dialogue with the lawyers of the other party were very important for the case.’
‘I have been in close contact with Bram van Cauwenberge, and Stan Brijs. Bram did most of the documentation and gathered the file meticulously according to the information provided by me. Stan provided us with know-how in dispute resolution; his knowledge and professional experience was instrumental to the case.’
Key clients
ABN AMRO Bank
AOT Energy Belgium
Ascom – Stati
Connectis (part of Getronics)
Ghelamco Group
Hunter Engineering Company
KBC Group
Kuehne + Nagel
Lycops – De Beurme – Ommia
MD Verre
Republic of Albania
SCR – Sibelco
Textron
Work highlights
- Acting for the sellers under an SPA in a case presenting: post-M&A claims by the purchaser; director liability proceedings; attachment dispute; and litigation introduced by the insured – customers.
- Acting in a dispute involving more than twenty different proceedings in relation to a real estate project comprising around forty luxury apartments and a Danish design store in Avenue Louise, Brussels.
- Representing the Republic of Albania in relation to creditor’s attempts to enforce, in Belgium, an ICSID Arbitral Award worth over €130m.
Belgium > Insolvency and restructuring Tier 1
Debtors, creditors, foreign bankruptcy administrators, and investors instruct NautaDutilh on the full range of in and out-of-court insolvency and restructuring matters. The team works closely with its counterparts in the Netherlands and Luxembourg, and is jointly led by Sophie Jacmain and Stan Brijs. ‘Very experienced‘ in contentious work, Jacmain has advised the Belgian government on insolvency code reform and the implementation of the EU restructuring directive. Brijs, meanwhile, is ‘a highly knowledgeable and skilled negotiator‘, with expertise in national and cross-border disputes.Practice head(s):
Sophie Jacmain; Stan Brijs
Testimonials
‘The best team available on the Belgian market. Strong knowledge of the market and players, high capacity for litigation, and a high level of technicality.’
‘NautaDutilh’s litigation team has a hands-on, business oriented and solution focused approach.’
‘Sophie Jacmain is definitely a market leader in this field. Smart, a very good technician, and keeps very good contact with clients.’
‘Stan Brijs is a highly knowledgeable and skilled negotiator.’
‘Sophie Jacmain is very experienced and approachable.’
Key clients
ABN AMRO
AOT Energy Belgium
Connectis (part of Getronics)
Liberty Liège-Dudelange
Pimkie Belgium
YSI Capital
Work highlights
- Assisting Liberty Liège-Dudelange SA (LLD), part of the LIBERTY Steel Group, in relation to the annulment of the dissolution of LLD ordered by the Enterprise Court of Liège and the restart of LLD’s activities.
- Assisting the Getronics Group with various challenges following its purchase of certain activities from Getronics Belgium (currently Scinorteg) within the framework of its judicial reorganisation proceedings.
- Assisting Ysi Capital in challenging attachments which the wealthy French Dassault family alleged to have over the client.
Belgium > Intellectual property Tier 1
NautaDutilh fields a ‘top-notch‘, ‘responsive‘, and ‘pragmatic‘ IP team, with particular expertise in complex and cross-border patent and trade mark litigation. Florence Verhoestraete heads the practice alongside ‘excellent IP litigator‘ Tanguy De Haan, who has experience appearing before the highest Belgian, Benelux, and EU courts. Transactional support and regulatory advice are also key areas for the firm’s IP lawyers, especially in life sciences, where Verhoestraete, who also leads the life sciences sector team, is highly regarded. Also noted is experienced senior counsel Philippe Péters.Practice head(s):
Florence Verhoestraete; Tanguy de Haan
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘We received excellent pragmatic advice. The team was very responsive and the business-oriented approach combined with the top-notch legal expertise is a perfect match for us.’
‘The team knows our company very well and knows what is important for our company. As such, they an always assist us with very pragmatic advice that is consistent with our company’s mission and values.’
‘Florence Verhoestraete is very knowledgeable and is always available for excellent advice on contracts. The advice is always pragmatic, to the point, and adjusted to the specific needs and concerns of the client.’
‘Tanguy de Haan is very smart and responsive. He is an excellent IP litigator and strategist. Moreover, he also has a very good sense of humour and is a pleasure to work with.’
Key clients
Castel Frères
Citroën
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)
Guerlain
LEGO
Levi Strauss & Co.
L’Oréal
LVMH
Nestlé
Salaisonniers corses
Scotch Whisky Association
Super Brand Licensing
Unilever
The holders of the PINK LADY trade mark
VIB (Flanders Institute for Biotechnology)
Work highlights
- Assisting a medical devices company in high-value damages claim for alleged patent infringement.
- Assisting Citroën in pan-European injunction proceedings against the use of Polestar’s double chevron logo.
- Assisting Glaxo Group in defending its EU trade mark registration for a three-dimensional purple inhaler before the General Court of the CJEU.
Belgium > Commercial, corporate and M&A Tier 2
NautaDutilh has a strong profile in cross-border deals, particularly throughout the Benelux region, advising high-profile clients in key fields such as energy, financial services, life sciences, and tech. The team offers integrated tax, regulatory, and financing expertise, and is able to handle complex arrangements such as partial sell-offs, carve-outs, and restructuring transactions, alongside more traditional M&A. Dirk Van Gerven, who advises on restructurings, corporate governance, and M&A, co-heads the team alongside Philippe Remels, an active dealmaker across M&A and private equity transactions, and Nicolas de Crombrugghe, a key name for regulated industry deals and public company advice. Counsel Christophe Wathion arrived from PwC Legal in January 2022, and focuses on cross-border M&A, including regulatory and due diligence issues, bolstering the firm’s transactional capabilities alongside senior associate Olivier van Wouwe, who has extensive transactional experience from in-house roles, and joined from an in-house position in February 2022.Practice head(s):
Dirk Van Gerven; Philippe Remels; Nicolas de Crombrugghe
Other key lawyers:
Christophe Wauthion; Oliver van Wouwe
Testimonials
‘Pleasant and efficient cooperation. Expert core team and rapid scale-up and support from related disciplines where needed.’
‘The core team included Philippe Remels and Christophe Wathion, who were both highly committed to the deal, sharp and at the same time a good sense of what was needed to make the deal work.’
Key clients
ABN AMRO
Banque Degroof
Barry Callebaut
Basecamp
Belfius Bank
City Mall
Colruyt
Eagle Pharmaceuticals
ENGIE
Euroclear
Golden Palace
Korys
Mediq
Odoo
Parkwind
Quares Student Housing
Royal BAM Group
Swissport
Vanbreda Risk & Benefits
Virya Energy
Work highlights
- Advised ENGIE on the carve-out of its client solutions business and with preparations for the subsequent divestment thereof in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.
- Advised Royal BAM Group on the sale of part of its Belgian activities.
- Advised Quares Student Housing on the takeover bid by Xior.
Belgium > Environment Tier 2
Steered by experienced partner Jens Mosselmans, the public and regulatory law team at NautaDutilh is praised for its ‘high level of engagement‘ with clients and ‘pragmatic‘ advice on a range of complex matters. Mosselmans’s practice covers contentious and non-contentious work, and the team has niche expertise in major projects and issues relating to energy supply and transition. Counsel Maxime Vanderstraeten is a public procurement expert, while Stef Feyen, who was promoted to counsel in April 2022, is a key contact for soil remediation and chemical pollution matters.Practice head(s):
Jens Mosselmans
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Super high level of engagement and strong project management skills.’
‘Experts in their domain. Easily reachable. High level of partner involvement.’
‘Very responsive with high quality legal advice which is pragmatic and to the point.’
‘Strong vision, strong partnership.’
‘Great support on sensitive files.’
‘Jens Mosselmans is easily reachable and works with the client with a view to rendering hands-on and practical advice.’
‘It is a real pleasure working with this team. Particular mentions for Jens Mosselmans, who is very responsive and to the point, and Stef Feyen, with his in-depth knowledge.’
‘Jens Mosselmans and team are great.’
Key clients
Belgian Shell
ENGIE Electrabel
Fedasil
Inkendaal Hospital
Umicore
Zenitel
Belgium > EU regulatory: Financial services Tier 2
NautaDutilh works with an array of banks and financial institutions on regulatory issues relating to insurance products, banking and financing transactions, payment platforms and e-money, and securities depositories, with strong cross-border relationships and capabilities, as well as a successful record in work both alongside and against regulatory authorities. The team is led by Anne Fontaine, a specialist financial services regulatory practitioner who has notable expertise advising foreign institutions on Belgian operations, while counsel Pierre De Pauw also heavily focuses on the space, most notably licensing applications and clearing issues.Practice head(s):
Anne Fontaine
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Professional – responsive – looking to deliver best service for us as a client.’
‘Pierre de Pauw is able to provide very pragmatic hands on advice, with great efficiency.’
Key clients
ABN AMRO Bank
American Express
Bank Degroof Petercam
Bank of America
Belfius Bank
Euroclear
JPMorgan
Klarna Bank
Mizuho Bank
MUFG
QBE Europe
Rabobank
Santander
Saxo Bank (formerly BinckBank)
The Norinchukin Bank
Triodos Bank
Uber
Willis Towers Watson
Worldpay
Work highlights
- Lead counsel to the Euroclear group.
- Advised Bank Degroof Petercam on various banking and financial regulation topics.
- Advised ABN AMRO Bank on various financial regulation issues relating to their banking and investment services activities in Belgium.
Belgium > Industry focus: Healthcare and life sciences Tier 2
Jointly led by Florence Verhoestraete and Philippe Remels, NautaDutilh‘s life sciences practice handles the full spectrum of healthcare and life sciences work, with an emphasis on cross-border transactional matters and intellectual property. The team advises major domestic and international pharmaceutical and biotech companies on IPOs, financing, and acquisitions. Remels leads on transactions and has extensive experience in private equity, public and private M&A, and healthcare-related corporate law. The practice also has a strong IP litigation arm led by Verhoestraete, who is a highly experienced patent, trademark, and unfair competition litigator with a focus on the life sciences and food sectors.Practice head(s):
Florence Verhoestraete; Philippe Remels
Testimonials
‘The Nauta team seems to have a great experience in the field of IP litigations especially for healthcare and life sciences.’
‘The approach taken by the Nauta team is very creative, but at the same time based on a thorough search about the laws, precedents and recent tendency of the relevant courts.’
Also, the Nauta team has many specialists related to IP litigation, e.g., specialists of relevant technologies or specialists of damage calculations.
‘The Nauta team provides a wonderful service to clients.’
‘What is unique for the team is that, although Ms. Verhoestraete and Mr. de Haan are both experienced, top-class IP litigators, they form a team and collaborate as equal partners rather than senior-junior attorneys. They complement each other in formulating strategies, arguments or recommendations in a variety of difficult aspects of litigations. Also, their view is based on vast and deep experience in IP litigations and they can bridge legal analysis and commercial interests for clients in a creative manner.’
Key clients
Abacus Medicine
Asit Biotech
Azalea Vision
Bausch Health companies Inc.
Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc
Johnson & Johnson
Mediq
Morrow
Nyxoah
Onward Medical
VIB (Flemish Institute for Biotechnology)
Vico Therapeutics International
Work highlights
- Advised Eagle Pharmaceuticals on the acquisition of Acacia Pharma Group plc (EUR 94.7 million in cash and Eagle Pharmaceuticals stock).
- Assisting Onward Medical with its IPO on Euronext Brussels and Euronext Amsterdam (approx. EUR 86 million).
- Advised the underwriters in the $ 700 million capital raise of argenx, alongside US counsel Cooley.
Belgium > Real estate and construction Tier 2
NautaDutilh‘s real estate team works with specialists in M&A, planning, and tax to provide full-service support to clients ranging from investors and developers to end-users. With ‘broad expertise‘ across all aspects of real estate law, team lead Didier De Vliegher is a key contact for financing and complex transactions. Other key names include Thibaut Willems and public and regulatory team head Jens Mosselmans.Practice head(s):
Didier De Vliegher
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘NautaDutilh’s team is highly skilled and uniquely experienced in this area and very responsive to the client’s needs, even on very tight timelines. The team also works collaboratively with clients to ensure that outcomes are fully focused on the client’s desired goals.’
‘A strong team, with strong back-up capabilities. They think along with the client but also ahead.’
‘The team is able to handle any aspect of a real estate project or transaction.’
‘Particular strong points of the team are efficiency, a hands-on approach, and a strong focus on finding solutions. Result-driven.’
‘Didier de Vliegher’s broad expertise allow him to tackle any aspect of real estate transactions. Calmness, determination and a constructive attitude in all circumstances, even difficult ones. Didier always has the right tone. He also does not hesitate to put his team forward.’
Key clients
ABN AMRO Bank
Aedifica
AG Real Estate
Ares Management Limited
AstraZeneca
Basic Fit International
Bouygues
Citibank
Cooley
Fedex
GTT Group
Invesis België
Lineage
Macquarie Capital
Montea
Work highlights
- Assisted Ares Management Limited with all aspects of the acquisition financing for the Zuiderpoort office complex, with a deal value exceeding €100m.
- Advised Bionerga on the development of a major heat network in Flanders.
- Advised Macquarie Capital (Europe) Limited on a PPP to design, construct, finance and maintain a new high-end bus and tram depot, with maintenance halls, a marshalling area, and a tram cleaning and sanding shop, with a deal value exceeding €100m.
Belgium > Banking, finance and capital markets Tier 3
NautaDutilh continues to stand out for its work on IPOs, acting for both issues and underwriters, and debt finance, including large-scale project and PPP financing, real estate finance, and asset-based lending. The firm acts for a number of international banks, as well as REITs, private equity funds, and major companies in the biotech space, regularly advising on cross-border mandates. Practice co-head Thibaut Willems has played a leading role in a number of high-profile PPP and real estate financing mandates, including several complex cross-border arrangements, while co-head Nicolas de Crombrugghe is noted for his strength in ECM matters, particularly IPOs, as well as debt issuances. Counsel Nathalie Van Landuyt advises on syndicated and non-syndicated lending and asset finance.Practice head(s):
Thibaut Willems; Nicolas de Crombrugghe
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Thorough knowledge in various areas.’
‘Strong legal expertise – in-depth market knowledge, in particular in the real estate sector.’
‘Well qualified team with good contacts with FSMA and regulatory authorities.’
‘Nicolas de Crombrugghe is a very pragmatic lawyer with a problem-solving approach.’
‘Particular strong points of the team are: – Efficiency and hands-on approach. – Strong focus on finding solutions. Result driven.’
‘We particularly enjoyed working with: – Thibaut Willems: broad knowledge and able to think out of the box to find solutions. – Ruben Kenis: very customer oriented and efficiently managing the documentation process.’
‘I consider the Nauta team in Belgium to be my first port of call for Belgian law advice. They are highly knowledgeable, give practical advice and very responsive to client requests – all key points when managing a deal across numerous jurisdictions.’
Key clients
ABN AMRO Bank
Aedifica
AG Real Estate
Ares Management Ltd
argenx
Ascencio
Atenor
Bain Capital Private Equity
Bausch Health
Bayerische Landesbank
Belfius
BNP Paribas
Citibank
Clayton Dubilier & Rice
Colruyt
Cowen & Co
CWT (formerly Carlson Wagonlit Travel)
Diversey
Electrabel CoGreen
ENGIE Electrabel
INEOS
Invesis (formerly BAM PPP)
JPMorgan Chase
KBC Securities
Komatsu
Macquarie
Münchener Hypothekenbank
Onward Medical
Parkwind
Perrigo
Puratos
Quares
Santander UK plc
Standard Chartered Bank
Wells Fargo
Work highlights
- Advised Aedifica on its issuance of EUR 500,000,000 0.750 per cent sustainability notes in 2021.
- Assisted the BAM-Alheembouw Consortium, as lenders’ legal advisor, with the DBFM PPP for the design, construction, financing and maintenance of a new school complex in Brussels, Egied van Broeckhoven.
- Acted as lenders’ counsel in connection with the financing of the acquisition of the Ardent group by CVC.
Belgium > Employment Tier 3
Under the leadership of Philippe François, NautaDutilh‘s employment and pensions team advises on matters ranging from contentious dismissals to the employment aspects of transactions and restructurings. Experienced in corporate law, François is particularly adept in employment matters arising from M&A, while Thierry Duquesne has a broad practice covering collective labour law, employee wellbeing, and discrimination issues. Logistics, healthcare, and life sciences are core sectors for the firm.Practice head(s):
Philippe François
Other key lawyers:
Thierry Duquesne; Frédérique Czani
Key clients
AstraZeneca
Banque Transatlantique
Basic-Fit
Carpenter Technology Europe
Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc
Courir
Exki
Gunvor
Izipizi
Kering (Saint Laurent, Balenciaga, Gucci)
Meura/Boccard
Moody’s
Nyxoah
Schneider Electric
Thales
Vaillant
Work highlights
- Successfully represented Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc in court proceedings in relation to a dismissal case for health reasons.
- Continued to advise FedEx further to the initial announcement of its intention to carry out a collective dismissal in its Liège air hub as a result of the integration of the FedEx and TNT air networks.
- Successfully represented Basic-Fit before the Tournai Labour Tribunal in relation to a dismissal case for gross misconduct.
Belgium > Industry focus: Energy Tier 3
NautaDutilh‘s energy and utilities practice is praised for its expertise in a spectrum of renewable and conventional energy work, handling a steady mix of finance, corporate, and regulatory matters, as well as proceedings before the Constitutional Court. The cross-disciplinary team is jointly chaired by corporate and M&A partner Jens Mosselmans and Nicolas de Crombrugghe, a specialist in public and regulatory law. Other key figures include counsel Maxime Vanderstraeten, who focuses on public contracts, and fellow counsel Stef Feyen, an environmental law specialist noted for his expertise in CRM. All named lawyers are based in Brussels.Practice head(s):
Nicolas de Crombrugghe; Jens Mosselmans
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Experts in their field, with a flexible attitude.’
‘Strong project management skills, high levels of engagement, good communication.’
Key clients
Belgian Shell
ENGIE Electrabel
Fluxys
Parkwind
Virya Energy
Work highlights
- Providing regulatory advice to ENGIE on the capacity remuneration mechanism (CRM).
- Assisted ENGIE Electrabel as lenders’ legal counsel with the project financing of “Wind4Flanders Projects Alfa” for the development, financing, construction, testing, commissioning, operation and maintenance of six on-shore wind parks.
- Advised Virya Energy and Parkwind with the acquisition of existing and new shares in Fluves and its subsidiary Marlinks.
Belgium > Private equity Tier 3
NautaDutilh advises European and global private equity funds on inbound and outbound investments, with work including buyouts, minority investments, exits, and joint ventures, providing multi-jurisdictional expertise and additional support on Belgian tax and regulatory issues. The team is led by Philippe Remels and Nicolas de Crombrugghe, who focuses on transactions in regulated sectors such as energy and financial services, with counsel Christophe Wathion also a key team member, with strong capabilities in complex transactional arrangements.Practice head(s):
Philippe Remels; Nicolas de Crombrugghe
Other key lawyers:
Dirk Van Gerven; Christophe Wathion
Testimonials
‘Diverse complementary skill set; good interchangeability as the transaction evolves.’
‘The depth of experience in previous transactions was clear from the beginning and that clearly gave them superior ability to advise and navigate difficult situations.’
‘Very experienced team in all Benelux countries! Well known in their respective markets and state-of-the-art advice in all deal relevant law areas in fast-paced PE transactions. Very high availability and strong teams which allow seamless collaborations in cross border PE transactions.’
‘Nicolas de Crombrugghe is highly skilled, very experienced, knowledgeable and always available. Due to his calmness and outstanding legal knowledge he is able to navigate the client through complex negotiations and to ensure a smooth transaction process. He also handles his team and staffing very well and is always on top of things. Christophe Wathion was also very knowledgeable, smart, fast and highly available also during peak holiday season. Due to his high responsiveness and pragmatic and smart advice, he was able to steer the transaction process towards a smooth closing.’
Key clients
Advent International
Apollo
Astorg
Bain Capital
Carlyle
Clayton, Dubilier & Rice
Cobepa
Korys
Octopus Ventures
SilverTree Private Equity
Sol Global Investments
Summa Equity
VMF
Work highlights
- Advised Bain Capital on its acquisition of a majority stake in House of HR.
- Advised Summa Equity on its acquisition of Intix NV.
- Advised Clayton, Dubilier & Rice with its acquisition of PwC’s global mobility tax and immigration services business in Belgium.
Belgium > Tax Tier 4
Ken Lioen heads the taxation team at NautaDutilh, which works closely with lawyers from the firm’s corporate and real estate departments to provide specialist tax advice on major transactions. The practice also provides regulatory and strategic advice, as well as support in contentious matters relating to taxation, including in arbitration.Practice head(s):
Ken Lioen
Other key lawyers:
Daan Verhaegen; Aurélien Lenaerts
Key clients
Ayming
Colruyt
Montea
Royal BAM Group
Lycops – De Beurme – Omnia
FCR Media
AG Real Estate
City Mall
ENGIE
Odoo
Quares Student Housing
Virya Energy
Hugo Boss
Inclusio
ING Lease
Icen (formally Travelers)
ZS associates
Fedex
Confotherapeutics
Efficy
Nyxoah
IVC/Evidensia
Work highlights
- Advised Lycops-De Beurme on post-acquisition proceedings against P&V.
- Advised Virya on the acquisition of a major stake in VR@SEA.
- Assisted Montea with the issuance of €235m and €380m in green bonds on the US Private Placement market.
NautaDutilh > Firm Profile
The firm: NautaDutilh is an international law firm practising Dutch, Belgian and Luxembourg law. The firm was founded in 1724 and is one of the largest in the Benelux region, with offices in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Brussels and Luxembourg as well as in London and New York.
NautaDutilh Brussels has become an important player on the Belgian legal market, providing high-quality advice and services in the areas of banking and finance, capital markets, corporate and M&A, dispute resolution, intellectual property and ICT law, restructuring and insolvency, public and regulatory, employment and pensions, competition and anti-trust and taxation. Despite a highly crowded and competitive market place, our Brussels office has grown to include 70 lawyers, working alongside top Belgian and multinational clients.
While its practice is anchored in the jurisdictions of Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, NautaDutilh works with a substantial number of clients involved in cross-border and multi-jurisdictional transactions and proceedings. The firm works on a non-exclusive basis with leading law firms throughout the world.
Areas of practice
Banking and finance: NautaDutilh is recognized as a leading banking and finance law firm. Its team is known for its advice in PPP and project finance, asset-based lending, corporate lending and acquisition finance, structured finance and securitization deals, the full range of financial regulatory matters, governance issues faced by financial institutions, compliance matters, regulatory aspects of mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, cross-border transactions and litigation before the Belgian and EU courts and the Belgian regulators.
Capital markets: The capital markets team advises on a range of equity offerings including IPOs, secondary offerings and rights issues. Their debt capital markets expertise includes MTN and commercial paper programmes, notes issues, repackagings and the emerging markets segment of the Eurobond market. Securitisations are an additional focus area within NautaDutilh both for the domestic market and for pan-European transactions, with particular expertise in relation to RMBS and covered bond programmes.
Corporate and M&A: NautaDutilh has a strong team of transaction experts advising on matters involving mergers and acquisitions, the structuring of joint ventures, the establishment of companies (including investment rounds, exit strategies, etc.), the drafting of commercial contracts, corporate governance and compliance issues and corporate housekeeping.
Dispute resolution: NautaDutilh is well-known for litigation in the areas of insolvency, banking, real estate, enforcement and recovery of arbitral awards and cross-border judgments, liability, beside commercial and corporate litigation, as well as domestic and international arbitration. We are present in a number of landmark cases in banking disputes, insolvency litigation and sovereign debt enforcement disputes.
Intellectual property and ICT: NautaDutilh assists clients in all areas of intellectual property, in particular patent and trademark litigation. We also have extensive experience handling disputes related to designs, copyright, neighbouring (related) rights, database rights, trade secrets, advertising and domain names. We provide both IP advisory and transactional services. Our lawyers regularly lead national and cross-border litigation in the Benelux and coordinate multi-jurisdictional litigation before the European courts. We also provide assistance in technology-driven transactions and with the negotiation and drafting of IT and outsourcing contracts.
Restructuring and insolvency: The team advises on financial restructurings as well as on insolvency related litigation and specialises in cross-border cases or cases with an international component. 80% of its cases are carried out in cooperation with foreign law firms.
Public and regulatory: Our public and regulatory team provides advice, does transactional work and often engages in litigation in all areas of administrative and constitutional law. The team has developed a particular expertise in public procurement law (including PPP), environmental law writ large and energy law.
Employment and pensions: As well as advising on the employment law aspects of corporate transactions, in particular with respect to consultation requirements, employee participation and the replacement, and employment terms, of board members, the NautaDutilh pensions and employment team advises on other contentious and non-contentious employment law matters, including collective and individual dismissals.
Competition and anti-trust: The NautaDutilh competition practice has an established merger control capability and has significant experience litigating both before the European courts and in the national arena. The team carries out litigation relating to cases involving State aid, cartel damages, merger control and to behavioural cases such as distribution and horizontal cooperation.
Taxation: In addition to advising on the taxation aspects of corporate and financial transactions, the NautaDutilh taxation team has an established practice advising corporate clients on their ongoing tax affairs and tax planning.
Real estate and infrastructure: We advocate an integrated, cross-practice group approach. At NautaDutilh Brussels, real estate is a sector team, not a practice group like employment or tax. Our real estate team is composed of M&A lawyers who help clients acquire real estate portfolios, as well as urban planning and environmental specialists, tax lawyers and finance, funds and capital markets specialists. This mix allows us to provide high-quality services in an efficient manner. We have an excellent client base and referral network. Clients can rely on us to carry out assignments in a professional manner. The real estate community is a small one, in which respect and reputation are earned over the long term.
Main Contacts
Department | Name | Telephone | |
---|---|---|---|
Corporate M&A | Dirk Van Gerven | dirk.vangerven@nautadutilh.com | +32 2 566 8114 |
Corporate M&A | Philippe Remels | philippe.remels@nautadutilh.com | +32 2 566 8152 |
Public & Regulatory | Jens Mosselmans | jens.mosselmans@nautadutilh.com | +32 2 566 8316 |
Litigation & Arbitration | Stan Brijs | stan.brijs@nautadutilh.com | +32 2 566 8192 |
Litigation & Arbitration | Sophie Jacmain | sophie.jacmain@nautadutilh.com | +32 2 566 8194 |
Banking & Finance | Nicolas Crombrugghe | nicolas.decrombrugghe@nautadutilh.com | +32 2 566 8184 |
Banking & Finance | Anne Fontaine | anne.fontaine@nautadutilh.com | +32 2 566 8146 |
Banking & Finance | Thibaut Willems | thibaut.willems@nautadutilh.com | +32 2 566 8182 |
Employment & Pensions | Philippe François | philippe.francois@nautadutilh.com | +32 2 566 8514 |
Employment & Pensions | Thierry Duquesne | thierry.duquesne@nautadutilh.com | +32 2 566 8512 |
Intellectual Property | Philippe Péters | philippe.peters@nautadutilh.com | +32 2 566 8444 |
Intellectual Property | Florence Verhoestraete | florence.verhoestraete@nautadutilh.com | +32 2 566 8452 |
Intellectual Property | Tanguy de Haan | tanguy.dehaan@nautadutilh.com | +32 2 566 8430 |
Taxation | Ken Lioen | ken.lioen@nautadutilh.com | +32 2 566 8612 |
Insolvency & Restructuring | Stan Brijs | stan.brijs@nautadutilh.com | +32 2 566 8192 |
Insolvency & Restructuring | Sophie Jacmain | sophie.jacmain@nautadutilh.com | +32 2 566 8194 |
Real Estate & Infrastructure | Didier De Vliegher | didier.devliegher@nautadutilh.com | +32 2 566 8140 |
Lawyer Profiles
Staff Figures
Number of lawyers : 433 at this office : 70Languages
Dutch English FrenchOther
Contact : Dirk Van Gerven (managing partner) Other offices : Amsterdam Other offices : London Other offices : Luxembourg Other offices : New York Other offices : RotterdamDiversity
Corporate Social Responsibility; Empowering the Next Generation
Social engagement and corporate responsibility are inextricably bound up with NautaDutilh’s day-to-day legal practice. We help companies in a wide range of sectors to resolve the issues they are or will be facing in an equitable and practical manner.
Sharing knowledge and working in concert are paramount. We feel that corporate social responsibility entails so much more and have taken “Empowering the next generation” as our main motto. We are committed to strengthening the position of the next generation by giving them opportunities in a sustainable world.
A diverse and safe working environment
An important part of our strategy is our diversity policy. We aim to promote a safe working environment in which employees feel free to be themselves. Gender diversity, LGBT+ diversity, and cultural diversity are of primary concern. We believe that diversity makes a team stronger.
The current male to female ratio in our partner population is approximately 30/70. Although this makes NautaDutilh one of the top 5 Dutch law firms in terms of diversity, our goal is 50/50, which we hope to achieve by actively recruiting and retaining talented women with, among other things, effective career coaching and by preventing subconscious prejudice from rearing its head in performance reviews. In terms of up-and-coming talent, we are already at 50/50.
In 2014, NautaDutilh became the first independent law firm in the Benelux to have its own LGBT+ network. We are one of the co-founders of Stichting Forward, which aims to promote the acceptance, recognition, and visibility of LGBT+ in the Dutch legal profession.
NautaDutilh also strives for a greater influx of culturally diverse talent. To implement this in practice, we, for example, work with Diversity Dinner. We have partnered this initiative since its launch in 2016.
You can find a more in-depth overview of our CSR policy here.
Comparative Guides
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The Netherlands: Artificial Intelligence
Published: July 2023
Authors: Joris WillemsSarah ZadehEva Reinders
This country-specific Q&A provides an overview of Artificial Intelligence laws and regulations applicable in The Netherlands.
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Luxembourg: Lending & Secured Finance
Published: April 2023
Authors: Josée WeydertSara Gerling
This country-specific Q&A provides an overview of Lending & Secured Finance laws and regulations applicable in Luxembourg.
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Luxembourg: Mergers & Acquisitions
Published: March 2023
Authors: Margaretha Wilkenhuysen Romain SabatierCaroline NottéAline Nassoy
This country-specific Q&A provides an overview of Mergers & Acquisitions laws and regulations applicable in Luxembourg.