Clifford Chance maintains a strong presence in Belgium’s real estate market, advising on high-value acquisitions, reorganisations, developments, and sale-and-leaseback transactions. The practice is led by partner Henri d’Ursel , who focuses on complex cross-border and domestic projects for major investors and funds, while Pieter De Bock is noted for his expertise across ESG.
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Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • The availability of partners, the responsiveness of the entire team, who deliver high-quality work, and the speed and efficiency of turning around documents and advice. The team provides proactive, high-quality commercial advice.
  • Henri d'Ursel and Isaure Borreman both provide extremely valuable commercial advice accompanied by strong legal opinions and with remarkably quick turnaround times.
  • ‘The Clifford Chance team in Brussels has great real estate capabilities, covering all aspects of real estate transactions (ranging from seller/buyer mandates to assistance with long term leases and construction related contracts).’
  • ‘Pieter De Bock is one of our go to lawyers when it comes to real estate transactions. He is a bright, discrete, and solution oriented attorney. Always a real pleasure to work with him.’
  • ‘The real estate team at Clifford Chance in Belgium is considered as the best in the market even by their peers. The team that is led by Henri d'Ursel is recommended by market leaders and international companies and is a one stop law firm that provides excellent advice as to how to structure real estate transactions from a property and tax point of view.’
  • ‘Henri d'Ursel has been a name in the market for a long time and is a trusted advisor and adversary which enables clients to have a speed to market advantage in negotiations.’
  • ‘Historical partnership on key assets, and wide range of knowledge from construction (green field) to refurbishment.'
  • ‘Great team and availability.'
  • ‘Very commercial and practical in their advice. Good at collaborating with wider teams.'

Key clients

  • Cityforward
  • Atream
  • Asterion Industrial Partners
  • Accor Group
  • What's Cooking
  • SFPIM
  • Hansainvest
  • ICN Development
  • Mitsui
  • Patrizia Frankfurt Kapitalverwaltungsgesellschaft mbh
  • Portus Retail LLP
  • Praemia REIM France SA
  • Valesco and Tour des Finances SA
  • Penta Data Center Holding BV
  • Union Real Estate Investment
  • Whitewood Capital
  • Patrizia
  • KanAm Grund
  • LCN Capital Partners

Work highlights

Advised Cityforward on the sale of its residential development portfolio to Home Invest, a landmark deal in the Belgian market and a key step in the transformation of the City of Brussels.
Advised Accor group on a cross-border share exchange with European hotel real estate investment group Covivio Hotels, one of the largest European real estate deals this year.
Advised LCN capital partners, an international private equity real estate firm, on their first large logistics sale and lease-back transaction in Belgium.

Lawyers

Hall of Fame

The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.

Leading partners

The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.

Leading associates

Leading associates with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.

Practice head

Henri d'Ursel

Other key lawyers

Pieter De Bock