Experienced lawyers

This department offers Belgian and international clients a combination of in-depth knowledge of the Belgian and international market with the reach and expertise of a global legal practice.

The team draws on its considerable first class expertise across mergers and acquisitions (M&A), joint ventures, private equity, equity capital markets, restructurings and advisory work such as corporate governance to provide innovative and cost-effective solutions.

Lawyers working in the corporate department constantly work together in multi-disciplinary and international teams.

Our Belgian team works with clients to meet the challenges of the modern workplace with a forward-thinking approach. We cover all aspects of HR, pension and compensation policies, taking into account relevant issues such as labour law, social security, tax and EU provisions.

We give innovative employment, incentives and pensions advice and develop creative strategies and solutions to HR-related issues relevant to each organisation. We litigate for our clients and handle transactions for them in the HR arena (closures, collective lay-offs, outsourcing, pension plan bargaining, incentives plans).

Our Brussels team is a centre of excellence, providing other Allen & Overy offices and clients with advice on relevant EU regulatory compliance issues, including utilities, renewables and chemicals. Our cross-disciplinary teams are very proactive, are good at lateral thinking and provide an integrated service.

Our EU and Competition law practice advises on all aspects of EU law and specialises in the provision of advice on competition law. In advising our clients we have a positive aim, we do not simply advise on what cannot be done but instead work imaginatively and constructively to ensure that our clients' commercial objectives are met, while fully complying with EU and national competition rules.

Our Belgian practice offers a complete banking and finance service and a comprehensive, cross-border capability, in conjunction with our client’s other international offices.

It handles a wide variety of transactional and advice work for banks, public entities, financial institutions and corporates in debt capital markets, securitisation, structured finance, regulatory, leveraged acquisition finance, global loans, project finance (projects and private-public partnerships) and restructuring.

The Belgian Intellectual Property (IP)/IT team advises on a wide range of IP rights from patents, trademarks and copyrights to media and entertainment law. The IT practice focuses on licensing, ecommerce and major IT projects.

Allen & Overy has a strong team of experienced litigators who ensure that a client's IP rights are protected against infringers before the national and European courts and in arbitration proceedings.

Allen & Overy's Belgian Litigation practice aims to help clients resolve a dispute before it escalates, either by advising on prevention or by pursuing alternative dispute resolution methods. In addition to general advice and drafting, we handle litigation in the fields of product liability, building contracts, insurance, insolvency, aviation, distribution agreements and franchising. Specific teams deal with ecommerce, energy law, cross-border leasing, banking litigation, criminal law, corporate litigation, white-collar crime and cross-border dispute resolution.

Our Public Law practice orms a key part of Allen & Overy's international market leading PPP/PFI projects practice (which has extensive experience of advising global customers from a wide range of business sectors and national market leaders). It’s integrated into Allen & Overy Belgium's market leading Real Estate practice and provides specialist advice on public procurement, administrative and constitutional law issues.

Actively involved in litigation and proceedings before the Belgian State Council, administrative courts and civil law courts in relation to public law issues and we’re instructed by various Belgian federal and regional regulators to prepare, develop or enhance the implementation of legislative initiatives.

Almost every commercial transaction has tax implications. Our tax lawyers in Belgium have a wide range of expertise on which our clients can draw. Our lawyers' ability to think creatively while satisfying our clients' business needs mean that we are at the forefront of innovation in tax structure. We advise on domestic and international tax issues affecting Allen & Overy's clients.

This insurance covers you if you are the victim of certain accidents occurring at any time (whether at work or in your private life) and anywhere in the world, including in your own home.

The Assistance Programme provides free access to a range of specialist support and information services, including telephone and face-to-face counselling.

In the event of complete incapacity (caused by illness, accident, childbirth, etc) Allen & Overy will continue to pay part of your fees throughout the first three months of incapacity.

The respective bars have concluded a group professional liability policy whereby part of your bar contribution acts as an insurance premium. Above the amount covered by the bar, for Allen & Overy matters, you are also insured through the Allen & Overy policy which provides worldwide cover.

All trainees are automatically covered for business journeys while travelling overseas. Benefits are payable for medical and emergency travel expenses; loss of baggage; loss of money or traveller's cheques; cancellation, curtailment and change of itinerary; travel delay; passport indemnity; personal liability and legal expenses.