Wouter Van de Voorde
Partner
Wouter is Head of Belgium Corporate.
He specialises in corporate law and M&A work, private equity, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and private placements. As a prolific corporate deal lawyer, Wouter has a broad corporate practice and advises a wide range of clients and sectors, appearing on many of the largest and most high-profile transactions in the market.
As such, Wouter is consistently recognised by all major legal directories for his achievements: “Wouter has a prominent practice acting for Belgian clients on significant strategic mergers. He is also widely experienced in advising international banking and private equity clients on acquisitions.”, “He has excellent technical skills and is a very pragmatic lawyer.” (Chambers & Partners, 2023)
Expertise
Industries
Experience
Representative matters
JERA on the landmark acquisition of a 100% interest in Parkwind NV, the largest offshore wind platform in Belgium and an offshore wind innovator in Europe. The combined synergy will accelerate Parkwind's offshore wind business into new markets as part of the global decarbonisation initiatives and growth in the low-carbon fuel production business.
CVC Capital Partners, a European private equity fund, on its acquisition of a minority stake in SD Worx, a leading European HR, payroll and workforce management solutions provider, in order to accelerate their European growth plans.
Equistone Partners Europe and management on the sale of Amadys, leading system integrator of end-to-end connectivity solutions for the telecom, infrastructure and energy markets to ETC Group, backed by Cinven, the global private equity firm.
The Port of Zeebrugge, in connection with its landmark merger with the Port of Antwerp. The combination, which has been discussed for more than 10 years, brings together the first and second largest ports, not just in Belgium, but in Europe.
Published Work
- Mergers and Acquisitions in Belgium' - Wim Dejonghe and Wouter Van de Voorde - 2001, Kluwer Law International - The Hague, London, Boston
Qualifications
Admissions
Belgium, 2002
Registered Foreign Lawyer, England and Wales, 2021
Academic
Master, Law, Universiteit Gent (RUG), 1994
Master, European Law, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1995
Languages
Dutch, English
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.