Thales is head of our Belgian Litigation & Contracts practice. He specialises in restructuring and insolvency-related matters (both contentious and non-contentious) and post-closing litigation, both local and international, in addition to more general contract-related advice.
He can draw on nearly 20 years of experience in advising both banks and corporate multinationals on complex reorganisations, restructurings and insolvency proceedings. He has also acted in a broad range of complex post-M&A, real estate and commercial disputes (both in court and in arbitration). In addition to this contentious experience, Thales advises both suppliers and customers on a wide variety of commercial contracts involving many different jurisdictions and sector.
Expertise
Industries
Experience
Representative matters
A multinational commodity trading company in a highly publicised multijurisdictional restructuring of a major player in the zinc production and mining industry.
A consortium of lenders on the restructuring of a major Belgian fashion group in one of the most publicised restructurings since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
A Belgian software company on a post-M&A dispute with one of its former shareholders relating to the conditions of the transfer of his shares.
The shareholders of a large super market chain on the sale of their participation, and ensuing corporate litigation (including arbitration) initiated by a minority shareholder, who seeks to prevent the sale of its participation to a third party.
A consortium of lenders on the restructuring of a major Belgian fashion group in one of the most publicised restructurings since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
A Belgian software company on a post-M&A dispute with one of its former shareholders relating to the conditions of the transfer of his shares.
The shareholders of a large super market chain on the sale of their participation, and ensuing corporate litigation (including arbitration) initiated by a minority shareholder, who seeks to prevent the sale of its participation to a third party.
Published Work
- B. DE BOCK, T. MERTENS, “Introduction of a pre-pack insolvency procedure in Belgium”, HERO - Herstructurering & Recovery Online, 12 April 2021.
Recognition
“Thales Mertens knows the law very well, but he is also very pragmatic with his no-nonsense approach.”
Chambers, 2024
“He is a very good strategist and tactician, very much a common-sense type of thinker.”
Chambers, 2024
Qualifications
Admissions
Member of the Brussels bar, 2004
Academic
Degree, Law, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KUL), 2003
LLM, Cornell University, 2004
Languages
Dutch, English, French
Disclaimer
A&O Shearman was formed on May 1, 2024 by the combination of Shearman & Sterling LLP and Allen & Overy LLP and their respective affiliates (the legacy firms). Any matters referred to above may include matters undertaken by one or more of the legacy firms rather than A&O Shearman.