Wim Dejonghe
Senior Partner
London

Wim Dejonghe
Senior Partner
London
Contact Details
Wim Dejonghe has been part of Allen & Overy’s senior leadership team since 2008, first as Global Managing Partner, and since 2016, as the firm’s Senior Partner.
During that time he has led the firm through a period of significant change in the legal industry and the global business landscape, winning recognition in 2018 as “Law Firm leader of the Year” in the British Legal Awards. Driving innovation and change and embedding a growth mindset are the hallmarks of his approach.
As Managing Partner, he played a central role in restructuring the partnership and shaping the business in the wake of the financial crisis, putting the firm on a path of consistent growth and freeing up investment to expand A&O’s network of international offices at a time when many law firms were either retrenching or stagnating. These moves cemented A&O’s position as a global elite law firm.
Wim played a pivotal role in establishing the Legal Services Centre in Belfast, offering clients new ways to control their legal costs. It was the first of a series of innovations he spearheaded which have contributed to A&O being named “Most Innovative Law Firm in Europe” a record six times in the FT Innovative Lawyer awards. These include the creation of Peerpoint, the consultant lawyer platform, the Project Management Office, A&O Consulting and Fuse, A&O’s thriving tech innovation space. He has also played a lead role in driving A&O’s diversity and inclusion agenda and, externally, has become a frequent public speaker offering deep insights into trends in the legal sector and business and economic affairs.
As a trusted adviser for many large organisations, clients are at the heart of his thinking. Wim has developed a strong connection with senior executives trying to make sense of real commercial issues.
Wim joined A&O as a partner in 2001, having previously been a partner at Loeff Claeys Verbeke since 1993. He was Managing Partner of the Belgian offices from 1996 until his election as A&O’s Global Managing Partner. He also co-headed the firm’s Global Corporate practice.
A multilinguist, Wim has also practised in Washington DC, New York and Barcelona. He co-wrote the book “M&A in Belgium”, the only in-depth and comprehensive legal guide to the Belgian transactions market.
Expertise
Practices
Sectors
Qualifications
Professional
Admitted as advocate, Belgium, 1989
Stagiaire, Belgium, 1986 -1989
Registered European lawyer, England and Wales, 2008
Academic
News & insights

News: 24 DECEMBER 2020
Allen & Overy support for clients in navigating the end of Brexit transition period
After many months of protracted negotiations, a Brexit trade deal has finally been agreed.
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Publications: 10 DECEMBER 2020
Making headway in diversity and inclusion: managing through Covid-19
Wim Dejonghe and Gareth Price, our new senior leadership team, discuss the vital task of creating a more diverse and inclusive workplace, this year’s exceptional challenges, and prospects for 2021.
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Publications: 25 AUGUST 2020
The year in review: Resilient performance highlights long-term strategic progress
We achieved strong financial performance in the year to 30 April 2020, as a buoyant year was disrupted latterly by the Covid-19 pandemic. Our resilience results from years of strategic investing to…
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Publications: 02 JUNE 2020
The impact of A&O’s partnership with War Child two years on
A&O's global partnership with War Child – an international charity that protects, educates and safeguards the rights of children caught up in war – ran from 2016 to 2018 and involved nearly every A&O…
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Expertise
Practices
Sectors
Qualifications
Professional
Admitted as advocate, Belgium, 1989
Stagiaire, Belgium, 1986 -1989
Registered European lawyer, England and Wales, 2008
Academic
Awards & accolades
Alumnus of the year
Law faculty of KU Leuven (VRG), 2017
FT & HERoes 50 Male Champions list
Financial Times & HERoes, 2018
Law Firm Leader of the Year
British Legal Awards, 2018
Published work
- Dejonghe. W, Van de Voorde. W, 2001, "Mergers and Acquisitions in Belgium", Kluwer Law International, The Hague, London, Boston
- "European Counsel Mergers and Acquisitions Handbook", Chapter on Belgium, Millenium Edition: "From Bid to Closing", 2000
- "Vennootschapsrecht & Fiscaliteit", articles on mergers and acquisitions in several editions