Thales Mertens
Partner
Brussels
Thales Mertens
Partner
Brussels
Contact Details
Thales is head of our Belgian Litigation & Contracts practice. He specialises in 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 more than 15 years’ experience of 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 sectors.
Thales is a regular lecturer, and has published on the Vienna Sales Convention, and on various insolvency-related topics.
Qualifications
Professional
Member of the Brussels bar, 2004
Academic
Degree, Law, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KUL), 2003
LLM, Cornell University, 2004
Related articles
Publications: 07 October 2021
M&A litigation – a case of back to the future
An expected tidal wave of Covid-related M&A litigation has not materialised, but the current spate of deals and rising prices could see disputes spike and investors turn once again to the courts.
Publications: 02 September 2013
Belgian legislator amends Continuity of Enterprises Act in an effort to limit potential abuse
Qualifications
Professional
Member of the Brussels bar, 2004
Academic
Degree, Law, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KUL), 2003
LLM, Cornell University, 2004
Other noteworthy experience
Advising:
- Represent international pipeline services company in its non-judicial restructuring of approximately $150 million in secured debt, including through an equity investment and a new secured credit facility.
Published work
- B. DE BOCK, T. MERTENS, “Introduction of a pre-pack insolvency procedure in Belgium”, HERO - Herstructurering & Recovery Online, 12 April 2021.
Recognition
He knows what he's talking about, is knowledgeable on both the law and the strategy, and is resourceful and creative.
Chambers, 2021
Drive, work force, motivation, intellectual capacity, accessibility, quick reaction and response.
Legal 500, 2020
