Corporate, M&A, Finance

Our experienced corporate and finance team and all of its senior lawyers are recommended by leading directories. Our dedicated and pro-active lawyers are committed to providing you with business-driven solutions, combined with technical excellence at the highest standards.

We have a wealth of expertise in assisting our domestic and international clients, thanks to our fine global maze of service-oriented law firms, with a real operational integration and proven track record.  This is reflected by the variety of our clients, ranging in size from large multinationals, financial institutions and international and Belgian PE or VC players, to the Belgian operations of multinationals, Belgian companies and start-ups in practically all business sectors. We dedicate our full attention to large transactions and to day-to-day work streams.

Our corporate team benefits from state-of-the-art assistance in other areas of law, including competition, tax, real estate, employment and benefits, general commercial law, regulatory and intellectual property.

The below sample is a reflection of our recent corporate and finance expertise.  For more information on these and other transactions, please do not hesitate to contact us:

Private mergers and acquisitions

• Van Bael & Bellis lawyers were the lead counsel for one of the world's top-10 petrochemical companies and the largest non-oil company in the Middle East on its acquisition of a UK petrochemicals business, and its worldwide acquisition of the plastics division of one of the largest multinationals.
• Counsel to the largest Taiwanese industrial group in relation to the acquisition of a stake in a Belgian brewery group.
• Acted for an international media group in relation to the divestment of its Belgian cable operator to another Belgian cable operator.

Public mergers and acquisitions

• Assistance to a leading global pharmaceutical listed company in relation to the Belgian aspects of the largest public take-over in the pharmaceutical sector ever.
• Van Bael & Bellis acted for a global technology company on the first acquisition of an important stake in a Belgian listed company active in the IT sector under the new take-over law which remained under the threshold for compulsory take-over bids.
• Counsel to an international media group in relation to the graduate acquisition of a controlling stake in a Belgian listed telecom and cable operator.

Capital markets and securities

• Our lawyers assisted the main shareholder in relation to the IPO of a Belgian telecom and cable operator, as well as in relation to subsequent issues and listings of securities in this operator.
• Our lawyers assisted the underwriters in relation to two of the last three IPOs on Euronext Brussels.
• Assistance to the main shareholders and the directors of Belgian listed companies on regulatory issues related to listed entities.

Private equity, venture capital and funds

• Our lawyers assisted a wide range of domestic and international private equity groups in relation to a variety of MBOs, LBOs and auctions, including in the real estate, port, holiday parks, cable operator, aluminium, chemical and many other sectors.
• Our lawyers assisted various Belgian and international venture capital groups in relation to VC investments, in particular in the biotech, IT and energy sectors.
• Our lawyers assisted international funds in relation to the Belgian law aspects of their restructuring following the recent financial crisis.

Corporate restructuring

• Counsel to  Europe's largest independent IT group in relation to the divestment of its Belgian operations through an asset deal.
• Our team assisted a leading global pharmaceutical listed company in relation to the restructuring of its Belgian operations, following its public take-over of another global pharmaceutical company.
• Van Bael & Bellis has advised an international bank group in relation to the Belgian law aspects of its restructuring within the framework of the recent financial crisis.

Corporate governance and corporate litigation

• Assistance to various shareholders and directors of such shareholders in relation to corporate governance issues related to their position as main shareholder and director of Belgian listed companies respectively.
• Counsel to shareholders in relation to corporate litigation and arbitration proceedings.  These legal actions related to disputes between shareholders, or following claims from shareholders involving directors of private and listed companies.
• Van Bael & Bellis also assisted buyers in relation to post-closing litigation and arbitration proceedings.

Incorporation, set-up and corporate housekeeping

• Assistance to Belgian companies and international groups in relation to the incorporation and set-up of entities, not only from a corporate law perspective, but also in relation to other legal requirements (including from an employment and tax law perspective).
• We also assist these companies in a pro-active manner with their corporate housekeeping obligations.

Finance and legal opinions

• We assisted a Dutch private equity player in relation to the acquisition finance aspects of its acquisition of a leading Benelux car repair company.
• Van Bael & Bellis assisted many of the abovementioned clients on all legal aspects of acquisition finance. While advising our clients on transactions, Van Bael & Bellis lawyers always take into consideration the financing side of transactions.
• We assisted a wide variety of international financial institutions and companies in relation to the perfection, management and foreclosure of the Belgian aspects of international security packages.
• We are able to provide the entire array of legal opinions to lenders, borrowers, security agents and all other parties involved in international lending transactions.