HFW > Brussels, Belgium > Firm Profile

HFW Offices

HFW
BLUE TOWER
AVENUE LOUISE 326
1050 BRUSSELS
Belgium
Visit website +32 2 643 34 00 +32 2 643 34 88

HFW > The Legal 500 Rankings

Belgium > Aviation Tier 2

HFW‘s aerospace team is led by experienced partner Pierre Frühling, who divides his time between the firm’s offices in Paris and Brussels. The firm provides full-service support in regulatory, transactional, and contentious matters to a strong client base predominantly made up of airlines and insurers. Senior associate Alix d’Arjuzon is also noted, with a broad practice covering litigation, financing and leasing, and the drafting and negotiation of contracts, as well as a developing specialism in environmental matters.

Practice head(s):

Pierre Frühling

Other key lawyers:

Alix d’Arjuzon

Key clients

Aeromexico

Aeroservices Handling

Aircalin / Air Calédonie International

Air Arabia

Air Canada

Air Corsica

Allianz AGCS

All Nippon Airways

Arkia Israeli Airlines

AXAXL

Cargo Air

Cargojet

Cargolux

Cathay Pacific

CMA CGM

Corsair

Croatia Airlines

Delta Air Lines

Delvag

El Al

Global Aerospace

Hi Fly (Portugal)

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines

Korean Air

La Réunion Aérienne

LATAM

Liege Airport

Luxaviation – Abelag

Nippon cargo

Pegasus

Swissport Cargo

Vietnam Airlines

Wizz Air

Work highlights

  • Advised Delta Air Lines on several Covid-related regulatory issues, including access to European Union sanitary requirements.
  • Advised Liege Airport on several regulatory issues, including EU aviation security regulations.
  • Advised Air Corsica on several European Union environment regulatory issues.

France > Aviation

The aviation team at the Paris office of global firm HFW remains a force in the marketplace, assisting major airlines, insurers, airports and aircraft maintenance providers, involved in everyday matters and high-stakes litigation. Led by aviation expert Pierre Frühling, who operates out of Paris and Brussels, and Jean-Baptiste Charles in Paris, who is a specialist in multi-jurisdictional major catastrophe losses, the group handles dispute resolution, contracts, state aid, regulatory compliance and insolvencies. Senior associate Alix d’Arjuzon, who divides his time between Paris and Brussels, provides support on regulatory matters.

Practice head(s):

Pierre Frühling; Jean-Baptiste Charles

Other key lawyers:

Alix d’Arjuzon

Testimonials

‘Jean-Baptiste Charles: beyond the expected skills, his availability and commitment to the files is quite remarkable, as is the transparency in management/invoicing and the ability to meet the deadlines announced.’

‘Excellent analytical skills and very good communication with clients. Excellent relations between the lawyers of the different offices of HFW.’

Key clients

Aeromexico

Air Corsica

Aircalin

Allianz AGCS

All Nippon Airways

Arkia Israeli Airlines

AXA XL

Cathay Pacific

CMA CGM

Corsair

Croatia Airlines

Delta Air Lines

Delvag

El Al

Global Aerospace

Goshawk

Hi Fly

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines

Korean Air

La Réunion Aérienne

Mont Blanc Helicopteres / HBG Group

Latam

Saudia

Vietnam Airlines

Wizz Air

Work highlights

  • Advised the shipowner CMA CGM in applying for a French Operating Licence and Air Operator Certificate, granted in June 2022, to start its aviation operations.
  • Advised Air Corsica in all its environment strategy, including leasing/buying new low emissions/low consumption aircraft and carbon offset projects.
  • Advised Blade Urban on entering into its cooperation agreement with Héli Sécurité (France) and Monacair (Monaco).

France > Aviation finance

The aviation finance group at the Paris office of HFW leverages the experience of its team to advise major airlines, airports, financial institutions, air freighters, aviation insurers, aircraft maintenance providers, aviation handling agents and other transport companies seeking to expand their aviation cargo operations. Headed by the experienced Pierre Frühling, the team assists with a diverse range of contentious and non-contentious matters, including large aircraft fleet deals and restructuring (leases and purchases), regulatory compliance and agreements between airlines (concentrations, joint-ventures).

Practice head(s):

Pierre Frühling

Key clients

Air Austral

Air Corsica

Air Loyauté

Air Tahiti Nui

Aircalin

Bank of America

Blade Urban

Cargolux

CMA CGM

Corsair

Croatia Airlines

Goshawk

Hi Fly

Kuwait International Bank K.S.C.P.

Mont Blanc Helicopteres/HBG Group

Vietnam Airlines

Work highlights

  • Advised the shipowner CMA CGM in launching its aviation cargo operations, including in getting its French operating licence and air operator certificate, granted in June 2022.
  • Advised Air Corsica in buying 5 new generation ATR-72 XT “green” aircraft.
  • Advised Blade Urban in entering into its large-scale cooperation agreement with Héli Sécurité (France), another French operator Monacair (Monaco), covering the fleet of the 3 operators and integrating the distribution systems into Blade Urban.

HFW > Firm Profile

The firm: HFW is a global, sector-focused law firm providing expert advice to clients in aviation, commodities, construction, energy and resources, insurance and reinsurance, and shipping.

The firm prides itself on the deep industry expertise of its lawyers, and its entrepreneurial, creative and collaborative culture. HFW has over 600 lawyers operating in 20 offices across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Australia.

Areas of practice
Aviation: HFW Brussels office hosts one of the most pre-eminent full-service aviation practices in Belgium, acting for the industry on finance and leasings, the full spectrum of insurance and liability-related issues, as well as EU, competition, state aid and regulatory issues. The team is a recognised leader in resolving the most complex claims and has unrivalled experience of aviation safety and economic regulation, combined with competition and antitrust expertise.

Regulatory law: the firm is closely involved in advising clients on EU public procurement law and border remedies. Notably, the firm advises a number of railway and logistics providers, and this practice encompasses banking and financial law as well as the telecommunications and energy sectors. This practice also relates to other regulated industries such as insurance, postal and transport (harbours, waterways and airports).

Insurance: the Brussels office has a market leading aviation insurance practice and have worked on some of the most high profile cases in the market in recent years. The practice has grown significantly over the years and can now boast experience in acting on several high profile Belgian insurance claims, including fire, industrial hazards, professional liability claims, as well as acting on a number of insurance regulatory matters.

Competition and state aid: the firm’s EU and competition law practice provides both a stand-alone service to clients, as well as relevant support to other departments on relevant commercial transactions or disputes. It helps clients to use competition and trade law positively for competitive advantage, as well as defending them from attack by the authorities and in the courts.

Main Contacts

Department Name Email Telephone
Air transport Pierre Frühling
EU litigation Pierre Frühling
General EU regulatory Pierre Frühling
Insurance Pierre Frühling

Staff Figures

Number of lawyers : 615
at this office : 11

Languages

Dutch
English
French
German
Greek

Other

Other offices : Dubai
Other offices : Geneva
Other offices : Hong Kong
Other offices : Houston
Other offices : London
Other offices : Melbourne
Other offices : Paris
Other offices : Perth
Other offices : Piraeus
Other offices : São Paulo
Other offices : Shanghai
Other offices : Singapore
Other offices : Sydney
Associations : Abu Dhabi
Associations : Beirut
Associations : Jakarta
Associations : Kuwait
Associations : Riyadh
Associations : Singapore

Student (Future Lawyers )

The Legal 500 Future Lawyers Verdict

A ‘specialism in maritime law’, ‘focus on litigation’ and ‘international opportunities (both in terms of work and secondments)’ drew trainees to HFW. The renowned shipping law firm is a Future Lawyers Winner for its (guaranteed) overseas seats, with trainees singling out ‘my Singapore secondment’ and ‘getting a seat abroad in Geneva’ as favourite experiences of their training contracts so far. Recruits liked the idea of ‘high-quality work and training’ whilst ‘still being able to maintain a good work/life balance’. The lawyers at HFW are ‘not pretentious’, supervisors are ‘approachable’ and ‘our teams tend to be smaller and rely on trainees more so we get given good work’. HFW boasts an ‘extensive training programme and a wealth of knowledge resources’, and this is ‘topped up by the experience of the other fee earners and their willingness to share their knowledge’. Trainees were slightly concerned that ‘there is not much diversity, at any level’ and that there does not seem to be ‘much being done to fix this’. The salary beyond trainee level was also criticised; it ‘doesn’t seek to reward staff’ said one respondent. One or two recruits felt frustrated at 'being told we have to do a seat abroad (it was advertised as guaranteed, not mandatory, in our training contract applications)’. Nevertheless, trainees loved ‘being involved in matters which have made the news’ and ‘managing my own case, defending a small claim on behalf of insurers; I saw it through from filing the defence to settlement just after exchange of questionnaires’. Less exciting moments were ‘working on a due diligence project at 2am when I had Covid’ and helping to close a deal over the Christmas period - I barely slept for a week’. For a ‘great firm if you are interested in disputes and/or shipping’ where ‘everyone is so friendly’, research HFW.