Our Brussels-based team is regarded by corporates, regulators and peers as one of the leading Antitrust & Foreign Investment practices. We are part of a worldwide group, which enables us to scale up easily and to rely on specific expertise or skills in other offices. Our Brussels team itself is markedly international.

What sets us apart is our track record of success in dealing effectively and efficiently with complex matters by providing top-rate legal advice and astute strategic counselling, and our ability to access and talk easily with decision-makers, as well as our belonging to a broader, truly integrated team.

We handle cases before the European Commission, as well as across Europe and the world, co-ordinating filings for global deals or the defence in conduct investigations.

The Brussels practice has a strong track record assisting clients in merger reviews. In recent years, we have successfully supported clients in getting their deals through in a number of challenging merger reviews. We are at the forefront of defending clients in cartel investigations and other conduct investigations, including dominance cases. Our lawyers have first-hand experience in litigating as well as settling follow-on damages cases.

Our State Aid practice is among the very best in Brussels and we have assisted a number of clients on investigations into banking rescue packages and tax rulings.

Key contacts:

Annamaria Mangiaracina
Bernd Meyring
Gerwin van Gerven
Ina Lunneryd
Liliane Gam
Lodewick Prompers
Neil Hoolihan
Francesca Crotti
Erik Venot

Strategic solutions in finance, structured finance and refinancing

Our firm specialises in providing expert solutions in finance, structured finance (including securitisations) and re-financing, guiding our clients through the complexities of financial markets to ensure growth and compliance, with a strong focus on ESG and sustainable finance.

Banking with ESG Integration

Our banking practice delivers transactional and regulatory support across areas like acquisition financing, credit facilities, and project finance. We focus on ESG principles, helping clients integrate green and sustainability-linked loans to meet current standards in finance.

Debt Capital Markets Services

We offer expertise in debt capital markets, providing advisory services for Green, Social, and Sustainability Bonds. Our support ensures ESG-compliant financings, covering Euro Medium Term Note (EMTN) programmes and Commercial Paper.

Restructuring and Insolvency

Expertise We offer strategic restructuring and insolvency services through credit restructuring, distressed M&A, and insolvency litigation. Our solutions include contingency planning using both in-court and out-of-court procedures.

Key contacts:

David Ballegeer
Anne-Sophie Vankemmelbeke
Etienne Dessy
Thierry L’Homme
Laurens Cools
Francis Wijnakker
Tom Cobbaert

Equity Capital Market Solutions

Our equity capital markets (ECM) team leads the way in capital market transactions, offering top-tier global expertise finely tuned to the Belgian market. Our team of skilled lawyers brings extensive experience in various equity transactions, such as rights issues, accelerated bookbuilds (ABB), private investment in public equity (PIPE) transactions, and initial public offerings (IPOs).

Our track record covers transactions of all dimensions, demonstrating our ability to serve in multiple capacities as either issuer’s counsel or underwriter’s counsel. This breadth of experience equips us to offer precise, pragmatic, and commercially driven advice from the outset.

We maintain strong working relationships with key ECM market players. Our ongoing interactions have given us a good understanding of their practices and standards. Our deep knowledge of market dynamics allows us to foresee potential challenges and offer valuable advice, ensuring the best outcomes for our clients. 

Key contacts:

Arnaud Coibion 
Filip Lecoutre
Thierry L’Homme 
Evita Bassot

We bring our international deal sophistication and in-depth understanding of the Belgian market to the forefront, providing unparalleled services in high value M&A transactions. Our sector-focused approach, integrated with profound industry expertise, ensures efficient due diligence and strategic solutions tailored to our clients’ needs.

Mergers & Acquisitions

Specialising in both public and private M&A transactions, our team leverages deep transactional capabilities and sector-specific knowledge to identify risks and offer practical solutions. We expertly handle complex transactions and ensure efficient execution for a diverse clientele, including large multinationals, leading Belgian companies, private equity houses, and financial institutions.

Private Equity and Funds

Our specialised PE team support clients throughout the entire investment life cycle. From fund set-up and (tax) structuring to advising on acquisitions, buy-and-build transactions, and financing, we are there every step of the way. We also guide clients through management incentive programmes and exits, whether through a buyout, IPO, or alternative investment return strategies.

Corporate Reorganisations

We provide comprehensive assistance on corporate reorganisations, combining local market insight with global experience. Our solutions are designed to address unique challenges and ensure seamless transitions during business restructuring, taking into account all legal aspects and the interaction towards different stakeholders.

Corporate Advisory Work

Our advisory services cover a range of issues for both listed and non-listed companies, including family-owned businesses. We provide expert guidance on corporate governance, directors’ liability, and disclosure requirements, along with strategic advice on employee incentive and stock option plans, joint ventures, and shareholder agreements. Our expertise empowers clients to navigate complex corporate landscapes with confidence.

Key contacts:

Arnaud Coibion
Filip Lecoutre
Eric Pottier
An-Sofie Van Hootegem
Thierry L’Homme 
Evita Bassot

Our firm leads in employment law, delivering innovative, client-focused solutions to meet strategic objectives. Specialising in strategic employment and incentives, we guide clients through complex legal landscapes.

Clients benefit from our expertise in managing corporate restructurings and employment matters, handling senior employee transitions, business restructurings, disputes, and crisis management. With an international network, we offer seamless employee relations management across jurisdictions, including incentives and pensions.

Our practice spans strategic advisory, contentious, non-contentious, and transactional matters across industries. We form tailored teams to address client needs, offering advice that enhances business operations.

Leading corporations and financial institutions trust us with employment challenges such as incentive plans, dismissals, union negotiations, C-level contract drafting, GDPR compliance, whistleblowing and internal investigations.

Additionally, clients gain from our proficiency in ESG, DEI (including pay transparency), and the impact of AI in the workplace.

Key contact:

Nele Van Kerrebroeck

Our Energy and Infrastructure team offers a sector-focused approach, delivering a comprehensive range of legal services. We handle everything from Project Finance, advising both sponsors and lenders, to Corporate M&A services through Energy, Environment, and public law regulatory matters. Our expertise also covers competition law, tax, funds structuring, and equity capital markets.

Working efficiently as a unified team, we leverage our extensive experience and global network to deliver valuable insights and solutions from day one. This seamless service ensures effective support for our clients’ needs.

In the Belgian market, we have advised major players on significant Energy and Infrastructure projects. Our services span all energy areas—onshore/offshore wind, photovoltaic, hydrogen, battery storage, carbon capture, oil, and gas—and infrastructure projects, including energy transmission, digital infrastructure, and the construction of roads, tunnels, bridges, ports, airports, hospitals, schools, and elderly homes.

Key contacts:

Arnaud Coibion
Laurens Cools
Liliane Gam
Pieter Puelinckx
Xavier Taton

Our leading ESG practice in Brussels provides comprehensive legal guidance on the evolving landscape of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues. We are at the forefront of EU legal developments, including the EU Taxonomy Regulation, the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), supporting clients both within and outside the EU in navigating these complex frameworks.

Integrated legal solutions for the ESG transition

Our integrated team excels in delivering strategic, transactional, and regulatory advice across various practices and sectors. We cover key areas such as finance, the impact on mergers and acquisitions, social impact, and risk management, ensuring our clients can effectively transition to sustainable practices. With our deep understanding of ESG-related risks and opportunities, we assist clients in crafting robust governance frameworks and climate-related disclosures.  

Comprehensive services in risk management and litigation

Our experts offer significant insights into ESG risk management and litigation, tailored to meet the unique challenges of this fast-evolving area. We support our clients with strategies that mitigate risks, ensuring compliance with the latest regulatory standards.  

Transformational impact in finance and business operations

We understand the critical intersections between ESG factors and financial performance, offering advice that transforms business operations and value chains. Our market-leading expertise helps clients seize the opportunities and mitigate the challenges associated with the transition to a lower carbon economy, positioning them for long-term success.

Key contacts:

David Ballegeer
Guillaume Croisant
Tom Cobbaert

Expertise in Financial Regulation and Investment Funds

We provide comprehensive legal support in financial regulation and investment funds, ensuring our clients navigate complex regulatory environments effectively.

Financial Regulation

Our team of adept financial regulation lawyers, both contentious and non-contentious, advises on all facets of financial service institution regulations. We are pivotal advisors on critical, sensitive regulatory issues, assisting clients in matters that could affect their reputation. With the growing intricacies of financial activities in Belgium, our clients benefit from our profound understanding of Belgian and EU regulatory frameworks. We maintain strong connections with Belgian and European supervision authorities and offer expert guidance on regulatory capital requirements, clearing and settlement, payment services, OTC derivatives, custody, reorganisations, MiFID II, ESG, and more. Our practice excels in complex governance matters, cross-border M&A in the financial sector, group reorganisations, and regulatory investigations.

Investment Funds

Our firm is a leader in the investment funds and asset management market, partnering with key asset managers active in Belgium. As investment funds become crucial alternative financing sources and partners for projects in infrastructure, real estate, and biotech sectors, we engage actively in fund formation, manager authorisations, capital raising, distribution, and ESG conversion. Our expertise ensures clients are well-equipped to leverage investment funds for economic growth and project development.

Key contacts:

Etienne Dessy
Andreas Van Impe

Our team provides its clients with legal advice on IP/TMT matters, as well as in the context of litigations. It has a wide experience in patents, trade marks, software and copyrights, as well as in the areas of unfair competition and parasitic behaviour. We work closely with other departments within the firm, in particular the M&A, Competition, Tax and Banking practices.

Our advice covers all aspects of IP protection, including patents and know-how, trade marks, copyrights, designs and models, unfair competition and parasitic behaviour, domain names and software.

Our fields of expertise include the collection of evidence/search and seizure (saisie-contrefaçon and reports), infringement and unfair competition proceedings, litigation, preliminary injunction proceedings, revocation and lack of use actions, claims for ownership of IP rights, negotiation and drafting of IP contracts, employee’s inventions litigation, due diligence of IP rights portfolio, R&D tax incentives and the use of IP as collateral for financing purposes. We also handle market practices, unfair competition and other consumer-related issues.

Key contacts:

Pieter Van Den Broecke

Our Belgian Litigation, Arbitration and Investigations practice is regularly instructed on some of the most prominent cases in the market, by a wide range of corporates, financial institutions and funds across all sectors. We are particularly recognised for our cross-border and multijurisdictional capabilities, collaborating with colleagues of our leading global practice to deliver an integrated seamless service.

Litigation

Our team of seasoned litigators handles a broad range of complex commercial litigation matters across various industries (including for financial institutions, multinational corporates and industrials). We have specific and market-leading experience in securities litigations, class actions, post-acquisition claims, insolvency & restructuring matters, competition damage claims, as well as tax-related disputes, and routinely work hand-in-hand with colleagues across our network globally to litigate cross-border disputes. We also frequently act in high-stakes public law proceedings including before the Constitutional Court and the European Court of Justice to defend the interests of businesses in highly regulated industries.

Arbitration

We offer a first-class arbitration practice, covering all aspects of international and domestic arbitrations and related Belgian court proceedings (recognition and enforcement of awards, attachment proceedings, etc.) and collaborate with our leading global arbitration practice on cross-border and multijurisdictional matters. We have experience under the rules of the major arbitral institutions (ICC, CEPANI, NAI, DIS, etc.), in ad hoc proceedings (e.g. under the UNCITRAL Rules), in a wide range of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms (including mediation and expert determination), as well as investment protection matters under bilateral and multilateral investment protection treaties, EU law and the European Convention on Human Rights.

Investigations

We provide comprehensive support to clients across the entire spectrum of criminal, regulatory and internal investigations. Our team boasts extensive expertise in advising and representing clients on a wide array of business and white-collar crime issues including fraud, financial crime, international and European sanctions and (anti-)money laundering (AML). We also frequently act in high-stakes regulatory proceedings before the financial markets, telecoms, energy and consumer protection regulators as well as in subsequent judicial review proceedings. By collaborating seamlessly with specialised teams throughout the firm, our investigations team delivers strategic pre-trial advice, negotiates settlements with regulators and criminal authorities, and staunchly defends clients before regulatory bodies and criminal courts. We have also broad expertise assisting clients with drawing up compliance programmes, including with respect to international sanctions, AML and bribery and corruption.

Key contacts:

Stefaan Loosveld
Xavier Taton
Florence Danis
Eric Pottier (certified mediatior)
Guillaume Croisant
Gert-Jan Hendrix

Our Real Estate practice is uniquely organised to offer a fully integrated, one-stop approach for all real estate transactions and infrastructure projects. Our team includes specialists in key areas such as real estate mergers and acquisitions (M&A), investment and development, real estate finance, project finance, litigation, tax, competition law, and real estate funds. We are experts in handling large merger operations and joint ventures between real estate companies, or companies whose business involves real estate.

Expertise across diverse real estate sectors

We also have expertise in capital markets derivatives, structured finance, real estate disputes, construction, environmental issues, planning/zoning, and energy. We have significant experience in handling public-private partnerships (PPPs), infrastructure, and major venture projects. This includes large residential projects, industrial projects, hospitals, nursing homes, shopping centres, and office buildings. Our clients benefit from a comprehensive approach, empowering us to execute market-leading international real estate deals from inception through financing to securitisation and capital markets.

Creating value and managing risks

We partner with clients to create value, manage risk, enhance returns, and minimise costs and other charges by utilising a diverse array of innovative structures. Our team is proficient in urban planning law and environmental law, ensuring compliance and sustainability across all projects.

Trusted relationships and comprehensive services

Our firm has established long-standing relationships with national and multinational real estate owners, users, developers, contractors, and investors, including funds and REITs. These clients trust us for a wide range of services, including advisory, litigation (including administrative litigation), and transactional work. Whether investing in or selling real estate assets, structuring projects, listing real estate companies, or managing day-to-day operations, letting and commercialisation, we offer expertise that covers all aspects of real estate management.

Stay informed with our Belgian market insights

Additionally, we have developed a dedicated page to help you navigate the dynamic Belgian real estate market, where we regularly publish key updates. This resource ensures you stay informed on the latest trends and developments, crucial for making strategic decisions in real estate.

Key contacts:

Yves Moreau
Pieter Puelinckx

Our Brussels-based tax practice is renowned in the industry, acknowledged by financial institutions, corporations, funds, regulators, and peers. We boast significant experience and a strong reputation, providing us privileged access to decision-makers. Our comprehensive expertise in all areas of tax work distinguishes us among international law firms.

Tax Advisory Services

We provide extensive tax planning strategies domestically and internationally, focusing on optimal tax structuring for various business activities, including international holdings, R&D, intellectual property, financing, sales, marketing, production, logistics, and distribution. Our adept handling of complex corporate income tax and VAT issues ensures tailored tax solutions for each business's needs.

Tax and VAT Disputes

We are adept at managing tax and VAT disputes at administrative and court levels in Belgium and Europe. Our capabilities in criminal tax litigation are strengthened through collaboration with our Litigation, Arbitration & Investigations team. We also manage EU State aid and free movement cases, working alongside competition law specialists to develop strong legal strategies.

Transaction Advice

We offer transaction advice for domestic and cross-border M&A, finance, and real estate, including corporate restructurings and fund structuring. We specialise in complex finance deals, real estate acquisitions, and designing management and employee share schemes, such as carried interest and co-investment for private equity. Our approach ensures smooth execution and maximised tax efficiency in every transaction.

Key contacts:

Caroline Borgers
Guido De Wit
Henk Vanhulle
Matthieu Possoz

The team provides guidance on complex transactions in relation to telecommunications/e-business projects, IT and outsourcing agreements, as well as personal data protection.

The Brussels TMT practice is recognised globally for its thorough and high-quality analysis, as well as its pragmatic and commercial approach. It covers the full range of TMT regulatory and contractual issues, assisting clients on key transactions, whether at a national or global level. It works seamlessly across jurisdictions and practice areas (such as M&A, Employment, Finance and Dispute Resolution) to offer an integrated and efficient service and to provide our clients with comprehensive guidance which is closely adapted to their needs.

We advise, draft and negotiate contracts in the context of acquisitions of companies and their assets in the telecom and media sectors, telecommunications agreements, information technology agreements (software licensing, maintenance and integration, etc.) and outsourcing agreements (including offshoring, data centres and cloud computing).

We also have a deep expertise in data protection (data protection policies, transfer solutions including binding corporate rules, compliance due diligence, dealings with data protection authorities, and big data projects), e-business regulatory and commercial transactions (including e/m-health, e-money, website policies), as well as telecommunication regulatory.

Key contacts:

Guillaume Couneson