Praised for its ‘excellent experience in M&A transactions’, the commercial, corporate, and M&A team at Clifford Chance boasts particular strength in energy sector work, both domestic and international. Team head Xavier Remy is a go-to for large M&A and joint venture transactions, while Niek De Pauw is noted for his ’excellent business acumen, negotiation skills and creative mindset’, combining corporate, private equity, and equity capital markets expertise. Along with the energy sector, technology and infrastructure sector work are a mainstay of Patrice Viaene‘s practice; Celine Feys is also experienced in matters regarding the technology sector.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Corporate & M&A team has excellent experience in M&A transactions, and well integrated with Competition law team.’
‘Niek De Pauw stands out for his sound legal knowledge combined with excellent business acumen, negotiation skills and creative mindset to consider solutions with adequate risk/reward balance to find common ground.’
‘Very commercial team, great understanding of our business and what works for us. The best M&A legal team that we work with.’
‘Patrice Viaene leads the team excellently. He is very persuasive with counter parties and generally achieves fair and equitable outcomes.'
'Celine Feys is particularly strong.’
‘Great work, proactive team, we think together, they are out of the box thinking and efficient.’
‘Niek De Pauw is very efficient and practice driving - make the links between the different topics.'
‘Business and solution oriented, good expertise, good communicators.'
Key clients
- Kingspan
- TotalEnergies
- Marguerite
- Saroafrica International Limited
- FOSUN International Limited
- SFPIM
- Publigas CV – Publigaz SC
- Deliverect
- LIBERTY Steel Group
- Tikehau Capital
Work highlights
Advising TotalEnergies on its exclusive negotiations with Alimentation Couche-Tard for the setting up of a partnership in Belgium and Luxembourg.
Assisted Saroafrica International Limited with the acquisition of a majority share (approximately 87%) in the SIAT GROUP, a Belgian plantation group focused on palm oil and rubber plantations from FIMAVE, the Vandebeeck Family holding company.
Advised SFPIM, the Belgian sovereign wealth fund, on its investment on behalf of the Belgian State in John Cockerill Defense, a Franco-Belgian leader in the ground defence sector.
Lawyers
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Practice head
Xavier Remy
Other key lawyers
Patrice Viaene; Niek De Pauw; Gillis Waelkens; Celine Feys