ASTREA CVBA > Antwerp, Belgium > Firm Profile

ASTREA CVBA
POSTHOFBRUG 6
B-2600 ANTWERP
Belgium

Email firm Visit website 32 3 287 11 11 32 3 287 11 12

Belgium > Industry focus: Transport Tier 1

ASTREA CVBA is entrusted by a host of domestic and international transport sector clients – including shipping agents, stevedores and long-established corporations – owing to the breadth of its expertise in advisory and contentious work. Testament to its transport and maritime law acumen, the department has considerable experience in matters of ship leasing, cargo damage and collisions, to name a few key focus areas. Marc Van Looveren is proficient in commodity trading work, logistics and shipping matters; he also represents domestic and multinational companies in cargo claims, as well as ship and bunker arrests. Ruud De Houwer variously assists his clients with wreck removals, carrier’s liability and collision mandates.

Leading individuals

Marc Van Looveren - ASTREA CVBA

Rising stars

Ruud De Houwer - ASTREA CVBA

Practice head(s):

Marc Van Looveren

Other key lawyers:

Ruud De Houwer

Testimonials

‘A strong, well-experienced transport and trade team. Impressive clients, skilled lawyers, and a pleasure to work with.’

‘Marc Van Looveren is smart, and combines a pragmatic approach with thorough legal skills and knowledge.’

‘The team is easy to access and responds quickly. They handle complex matters in the field of transportation, and they are also involved in logistics contract negotiations.’

‘Ruud de Houwer is very clever and nice to work with. Marc Van Looveren has in-depth knowledge about the logistics market.’

‘Marc Van Looveren is excellent, and highly knowledgeable with respect to vessel arrests.’

‘Excellent knowledge about the transport industry and able to give very practical advice on contracts and permit related matters. Quick to respond and good availability.’

‘I have worked with Marc Van Looveren for many years now and his advice is very precise, timely and helpful, displaying several options how to move forward.’

Key clients

Skuld P&I

Standard Club P&I

Belgian Federal Government – Department of Transport and Mobility

Belgian Federal Government – Department of Health and the Environment

Saga Welco

Maxeon – SunPower

Einride AB

Dole GmbH

Maersk

Spliethof, Transfennica

Fast Forward Freight

Crystal Cruises

Katoen Natie Group

Van Es Group

Noord Natie Holding

SCUA Belgium

Lukoil Benelux BV

Topoil AB

Heros Sluiskil BV

Saga Welco

U.K. Club

Cargill

Arcadia Commodities Trading

LIEBHERR

Marincon

Steelforce

Work highlights

Assisted the federal government in their claim of over €3.5 million in oil cleaning and spill prevention costs, as well as contesting the shipowner’s claim of over 15 million euros for removal of the wreck of mv.
Assisted the owners of the mv. “Athens Star”, a chemicals tanker, following the collision of this vessel with port infrastructure at ExxonMobil’s terminal in the Port of Antwerp in January 2019.

Belgium > Insolvency and restructuring Tier 3

Independent Belgian firm ASTREA CVBA fields an ‘efficient‘ and ‘available‘ insolvency team. Set within the commercial department, the insolvency practice is skilled in distressed acquisitions alongside restructurings and debt recovery. Team lead Louis Verstraeten is both a ‘trusted adviser‘ and an acclaimed litigator, with clients including business and foreign creditors as well as debtors.

Practice head(s):

Louis Verstraeten

Other key lawyers:

Clara Vanhecke

Testimonials

‘Excellent client service. Always available.’

‘They are all very well educated, and they take the time to help and to find solutions.’

‘Very good team – available and competent.’

‘Louis Verstraeten is an impressive lawyer and crisis manager who always knows what to do and to say to calm things down.’

‘Small teams, efficient and very clever.’

‘Louis Verstraeten is extremely reactive and very professional. His advice is accurate and does not only cover legal matters, but also market insights and strategic issues.’

‘Personal engagement and relevant knowledge.’

‘Louis Verstraeten is a trusted adviser, and always delivers exceptional legal work. He has a very pragmatic, down to earth approach, and is solution-oriented and able to successfully navigate through complex files.’

Key clients

AB InBev Belgium NV

Airopack BV/ Airosolutions NV

Cargill BV

Cargill NV

Katoen Natie NV

Hoad Holding BV

KEYMUSIC België

BERO Monaco Sarl

Blok Pekaar Bol BV

Diagnostics Medical Systems SA

BHP Billiton Marketing AG

Inbev Belgium nv/sa

FORT Advocaten

Mace International Construction Group

SEAFRIGO

Schulze & Braun

GOERG GmbH

Hi-Tech Radiators

Work highlights

Obtained a landmark court decision for Medical Devices International SA on the effects of debt cram downs on claims of public authorities for subsidies granted to the insolvent entity.
Assisting Fuchs & Associés Finance Sarl in the distressed acquisition of a Belgian competitor in difficult regulatory circumstances.
Setting up a restructuring framework for Key Music NV/ Key Music Netherlands BV, combining Belgian judicial reorganisation proceedings together with the Dutch scheme of arrangement (WHOA).

Belgium > Commercial, corporate and M&A Tier 4

ASTREA focuses on complex, often cross-border transactions in regulated sectors, offering industry-specific expertise in areas such as automotives, tech, real estate, as well as regularly advising on distressed M&A. The team regularly works with international firms on Belgian and EU due diligence for multi-jurisdictional deals, and is also able to handle regulatory considerations. The practice is led by Frédéric Verspreeuwen, who combines transactional work with corporate litigation and restructuring expertise, corporate real estate specialist Micha Van den Abeele, Steven De Schrijver, a key driver of the firm’s international M&A work, and Dieter Veestraeten, a key name for corporate finance.

Practice head(s):

Frédéric Verspreeuwen; Micha Van den Abeele; Steven De Schrijver; Dieter Veestraeten

Key clients

DMS

Archimed

NAMSA

Engineered Performance Technologies

INEOS Olefins Belgium

Music Hall Group

Stephenson Harwood

XpressBioX

Gerantis

Quirynen Energy Farming

Jaguar Land Rover Belux

Argenta Spaarbank

Inbev Belgium

Allia Insurance Brokers

Toyota Belgium

Ford Motor Company (Belgium)

Middleby

Bockhold

Belgium > Industry focus: IT and telecoms Tier 4

Belgium > Intellectual property Tier 4

Olivier Van Fraeyenhoven and senior counsel Christine De Keersmaeker head ASTREA CVBA‘s intellectual property team, which provides full-service support to clients in sectors including media, fashion, and automotives. Van Fraeyenhoven has broad experience, while De Keersmaeker is especially recommended for strategic portfolio management.

Practice head(s):

Olivier Van Fraeyenhoven; Christine De Keersmaeker

Other key lawyers:

Thaissa Nuyens

Testimonials

‘In-depth knowledge of the profession.’

‘Thaissa Nuyens differentiates herself by her extensive knowledge of the subject and her ability to immerse herself in it to provide us with the most appropriate and accurate advice.’

Key clients

Greenpan LtD – The Cookware Company Ltd

American Clothing Associates

IP management & Consulting

Aga Rangemaster

Krëfel NV

The Searchers

New Sobelwood

WespEurope N.V.

Studio Straf BV

Sander & Partners

Filip Arickx & Ann Vandevorst

Move to Cure

Mazda

DPG Media

NATAN

Odile Jacobs

Work highlights

Assisting Hong Kong-based cookware manufacturer The Cookware Company with respect to safeguarding its worldwide trade mark rights in litigation proceedings in Belgium.
Assisting American Clothing Associates of the River Woods clothing brand with the strategic protection, management, and exploitation of its IP, aiming at growing the IP and business value of the company.
Assisting Studio Straf with the protection of its IP worldwide.

Belgium > Dispute resolution

Firms to watch

Led by Marc Van Looveren and Olivier Van Fraeyenhoven, the Antwerp-based ASTREA CVBA is highly experienced in a range of domestic and multi-jurisdictional disputes, most notably in the transport and logistics sectors.

The firm: Astrea is the independent all-round Belgian law firm promising result-oriented legal advice with 12 partners and more than 45 devoted legal experts spread between offices in Antwerp and Brussels. The firm was established in 2006 by a handful of experienced lawyers who had gained a wealth of experience in various firms, and has steadily expanded with experienced specialists and young talent. Astrea offers high-quality legal services to Belgian and international businesses, ranging from promising start-ups and growth companies to long-established corporations (including more than 15 Fortune 500 companies). Astrea also undertakes regular work for government departments and public bodies in Belgium.

The firm’s broad-based composition allows it to offer a comprehensive approach. Based on the individual client’s needs and the specific issues at hand, it assigns a customised team of specialist lawyers to each case. This enables it to consider every relevant area of law and provide the most efficient solution.

A unique blend of passion and respect is the strength of the Astrea team. The approach of every team member is always client-oriented and client-driven. It responds quickly, and is proactive and pragmatic. Quality is essential, but the firm also aims to be as cost-efficient as possible.

Areas of practice: Astrea is specialised in the following practice areas: corporate/M&A; banking and finance; real estate law; environmental law; administrative & public law; employment law; IT and privacy law; intellectual property, commercial law and contracting; insolvency and restructuring; transport and logistics law; distribution law; EU -and competition law; Insurance.

Astrea is focused on the following sectors: automotive; entertainment; environment and sustainability; fashion; food and beverage; real estate; technology; public; life sciences & healthcare; sports; media; petrochemical industry; transport and logistics; retail.

Department	Name	Email	Telephone
Transport and logistics	Marc Van Looveren	mvl@astrealaw.be	+3232871133
Commercial and distribution	Olivier Van Fraeyenhoven	ovf@astrealaw.be	+3232871109
Commercial and distribution	Filip Desmedt	fde@astrealaw.be	+3232871108
Real estate and environment	Ciska Servais	cs@astrealaw.be	+3232871123
Real estate and environment	Philippe Van Wesemael	pvw@astrealaw.be	+3222159758
Employment	Rudi Desmet	rds@astrealaw.be	+3232871128
Corporate/M&A	Micha Van den Abeele	mvda@astrealaw.be	+3232871120
Corporate/M&A	Frédéric Verspreeuwen	fvs@astrealaw.be	+3232871113
IT and privacy	Olivier Van Fraeyenhoven	ovf@astrealaw.be	+3232871109
Insolvency and restructuring	Marc Van Looveren	mvl@astrealaw.be	+3232871133
Intellectual Property	Olivier Van Fraeyenhoven	ovf@astrealaw.be	+3232871109
Intellectual Property	Christine De Keersmaeker	cdk@astrealaw.be	+3222159758
Dispute resolution	Marc Van Looveren	mvl@astrealaw.be	+3232871133
Dispute resolution	Olivier Van Fraeyenhoven	ovf@astrealaw.be	+3232871109
Environment	Ilse Cuypers	icu@astrealaw.be	+3232871183
Administrative and public	Philippe Van Wesemael	pvw@astrealaw.be	+3222159758
Banking and finance	Dieter Veestraeten	dve@astrealaw.be	+32 22159758
Commercial and distribution	Barbara Terriere	bte@astrealaw.be	+32 32871110
IT and privacy	Barbara Terriere	bte@astrealaw.be	+32 32871110
Transport and logistics	Ruud De Houwer	rdh@astrealaw.be	+3232871106
Dispute resolution	Ruud De Houwer	rdh@astrealaw.be	+3232871106

Name	Position	Profile
Ilse Cuypers	Ilse Cuypers is a partner at Astrea and specializes in environmental law…	View Profile
Ruud De Houwer	As a partner at Astrea, Ruud specializes in commercial law, maritime and…	View Profile
Filip Desmedt	Filip Desmedt is a partner at Astrea and specializes in commercial and…	View Profile
Rudi Desmet	Rudi Desmet is a partner at Astrea. He has over 30 years…	View Profile
Ciska Servais	Ciska Servais is a partner at Astrea and as Astrea’s head of…	View Profile
Barbara Terriere	Barbara Terriere is a partner at the Antwerp office of Astrea. She…	View Profile
Olivier Van Fraeyenhoven	Olivier Van Fraeyenhoven is a partner at Astrea and specializes in distribution…	View Profile
Marc Van Looveren	Marc Van Looveren is a partner at Astrea, specializing in liability and…	View Profile
Philippe Van Wesemael	As a partner at Astrea, Philippe van Wesemael specializes in real estate…	View Profile
Micha Van den Abeele	As a partner at Astrea, Micha Van den Abeele specializes in corporate…	View Profile
Dieter Veestraeten	Dieter Veestraeten has more than 20 years of experience in advising large…	View Profile
Frédéric Verspreeuwen	Frédéric Verspreeuwen is a partner at the Antwerp office of Astrea since…	View Profile