Simont Braun

Alexis Ceuterick is a specialist in employment law and social security, renowned for delivering innovative and pragmatic solutions to clients across a wide range of personnel-related legal challenges, from onboarding to offboarding employees. He advises both Belgian and international companies, with a particular focus on employment and social security law aspects of compensation packages and structuring self-employment arrangements, including consultancy and management agreements. Alexis frequently negotiates with unions on matters such as compensation, working time and collective dismissals. Additionally, Alexis provides expert advice on the employment, social security, and pension implications of corporate restructurings, including mergers, acquisitions, and cross-border employee transfers. With extensive experience advising corporate clients in the financial sector, Alexis is well-versed in addressing industry-specific compensation and benefits issues. In addition to his legal practice, Alexis is a sought-after speaker at seminars and webinars and a (co-)author of several legal publications.

Emmanuel Cornu

Emmanuel Cornu specialises in intellectual property law (trademarks, patents, designs and copyrights) and competition law. He assists national and international clients in the luxury sector, food and telecommunications before both the Belgian courts and the Benelux court, the European Court of Justice, the General Court and the EUIPO (European Union trademark litigation). He also regularly acts as an arbitrator. Emmanuel is registered as UPC representative (Unified Patent Court). With our team of experienced patent litigators, Simont Braun is ready to navigate clients through the early days of the UPC as the new court develops. He has been elected as a President of the Benelux Council for Intellectual Property. He has also been appointed by the FPS Economy, for his legal expertise, as a member of the Industrial Property section of the Council for Intellectual Property, whose main mission is to provide the Minister responsible for intellectual property with advice on any matter relating to intellectual property, in particular in the law-making process. For many years, he has been a member of the committee for patent proxy approvals within the Office for Intellectual Property (2005-2017). Emmanuel is ranked in Band 1 in Intellectual Property by Chambers & Partners, as a Leading Individual by The Legal 500, and in the Gold Band in trademarks byWTR1000. He is Recommended in trademarks by Who’s Who Legal (Global Leaders Guide) and recognised as a��Trademark Star by IP Stars. Emmanuel has been appointed as a third party decider accredited by the French Bar Association of Brussels in the context of the binding third party decision procedure (more information available here). Emmanuel Cornu is a member of the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI), in which context he is the administrator of the Belgian group and president of the Trademarks Commission. He is also a member of the International Trademark Association (INTA), and of MARQUES, the European Communities Trademark Association (ECTA), the International Literary and Artistic Association (ALAI), the Benelux Association of Trade Mark and Design Law (B.M.M.), and the European Patent Lawyers’ Association (EPLAW). Emmanuel was the president of the Belgian delegation to the Council of European Bars (C.C.B.E.). He is a former secretary of the Brussels Bar and a former member of the Brussels Bar Council. He has also been president of the “Conférence du Jeune Barreau de Bruxelles” (Young Bar Association). Since 2009, he is the president, on a pro bono basis, of the Grandes Conférences Catholiques. Emmanuel is the editor-in-chief of the Revue de Droit Intellectuel-L’Ingénieur-conseil (ICIP, Larcier) and is the author and co-author of several publications on intellectual property rights, including the fifth edition of Précis des Marques with Antoine Braun (Larcier, 2009, 1070 pages) and Les marques: marque Benelux, marque internationale, marque communautaire (Guide juridique de l’entreprise, Kluwer, 2007).

Eric De Gryse

Eric De Gryse specialises in intellectual property law. He mainly deals with matters of patent law, know-how and technology transfer in diverse technical fields, in addition to trade mark and design law. He advises clients and acts in national and international litigation, particularly in the areas of pharmaceuticals, chemicals, engineering, food products and retail services. He also has in-depth experience and knowledge of certain specific branches of intellectual property law (such as plant varieties and geographical indications) and in consumer law, trade practices, unfair competition and other regulated areas (advertising in the pharmaceuticals sector, regulation in life sciences, e-commerce, standardisation, certification, collective trademarks and quality labels, labelling and regulation of foodstuffs, wines and spirits, fight against piracy, etc.). Eric is registered as UPC representative (Unified Patent Court). With our team of experienced patent litigators, Simont Braun is ready to navigate clients through the early days of the UPC as the new court develops. Eric De Gryse is a lecturer at the University of Liège, where he teaches the course entitled “Food Industry: geographical indications, certification and labelling” (Master’s in European law: Competition Law and Intellectual Property Law). He has been a researcher with the Intellectual Property Research Centre at the University of Leuven (1994 to 1998) and visiting professor at the University of Ghent (2014-2017). Eric is an editor of Revue de Droit Commercial Belge (section on intellectual property rights, law and technology) and is the author and co-author of several publications in his areas of practice. He is ranked in Band 2 in Intellectual Property by Chambers & Partners, and as a Leading Individual by The Legal 500. He is recognised in the Silver band in Trademark by WTR1000, and in the Silver band in Patent by iAM Patent. He is recognised as Trademark Star and as Patent Star by IP Stars, and he is Recommended in Patents and in Trademarks by Who’s Who Legal (Global Leaders Guide). Eric is an active member of a number of professional associations. He is a former board member of the European Patent Lawyers’ Association (EPLAW) and a current member of the advisory board. He is also a member of the Geographical Indications Committee within the International Trademark Association (INTA), which he chaired in 2016-2017. He has participated in the publication of several reports for the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI). Eric is also a member of the Benelux Association of Trade Mark and Design Law (BMM), of the Deutsche VereinigungfürgewerblichenRechtsschutz und Urheberrecht (GRUR), the International Competition Law League (LIDC) and the Belgian Copyright Association (ABA).

Fanny Laune

Fanny Laune has extensive experience in civil and commercial litigation, as well as in commercial transactions. She has also specific expertise in insolvency law, assisting Belgian and international clients in the various insolvency proceedings (bankruptcy, liquidation, judicial reorganisation). She also advises them upstream of these proceedings, particularly in relation to securities. Additionally, she is a member of the international network Insol Europe (the European association of restructuring and insolvency professionals) and serves on the Insolvency Commission of the International Association of Young Lawyers (AIJA). After more than ten years as an assistant professor for the Civil Procedure course at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Fanny continued as a scientific collaborator within the university’s Judicial Law Unit. This in-depth knowledge of procedural law provides significant added value for our clients in the resolution of their disputes. Complementing her extensive litigation experience, Fanny Laune is also an accredited mediator in civil and commercial matters with the Federal Mediation Commission. She supports our clients not only in all types of disputes before national courts but also in the mediation process, an increasingly favored alternative dispute resolution method. She is recognised by The Legal 500 as a Rising Star in Dispute Resolution and recommended as a Key Lawyer in Corporate M&A. Fanny has authored several publications in civil procedural law, alternative dispute resolution methods, and related issues. Recently, she co-authored the three volumes of a compendium on general civil procedural law (X., Droit du procès civil. Volume 1, 2 et 3 – sous la direction scientifique de Jacques Englebert et Xavier Taton, Limal, Anthémis, 2018-2019-2022). Fanny Laune is a recipient of the Paul Foriers Prize (ULB – 2004) and the René Marcq Prize (ULB – 2008). She also completed an LL.M. at UC Berkeley School of Law (2011–2012) under a Fulbright scholarship.

Fernand de Visscher

Fernand de Visscher is a specialist in intellectual property. He notably handles questions relating to patents and to the protection of designs and artistic and literary works. Fernand’s experience also includes media law, distribution (dealerships, franchises, etc.), computer science, the internet, domain names, including contract law and competition issues in these fields. He assists Belgian and international enterprises in these areas, covering a wide range of structural and contractual operations and disputes requiring resolution via negotiation, mediation or pleadings before Belgian and European courts. He is admitted to the WIPO List of Neutrals as a WIPO Arbitrator, and to the list of third party deciders accredited by the French Bar Association of Brussels in the context of the binding third party decision procedures (more information available here). Fernand is also registered as UPC representative (Unified Patent Court), assisting clients in navigating the increasingly complex European patent landscape as the new court and its case law develop. He is also a member of our Supreme Court team and assists them in matters relating to intellectual property, market practices and competition law. From 2006 until 2022, he was appointed by the FPS Economy for his legal expertise for serving as president of the Industrial Property section of the Council for Intellectual Property. The main mission of the Council is to provide the Minister responsible for intellectual property with advice on any matter relating to intellectual property, in particular in the law-making process. Fernand de Visscher is a former lecturer in design law at the Centre for International Studies in Intellectual Property (CEIPI, Strasbourg) and was visiting lecturer in IP contract law at UCLouvain from 2007 to 2017. He is ranked as a Senior Statesperson in Intellectual Property by Chambers & Partners, in the Silver Band in Patents by iAM Patent and recognised as a Patent Star by IP Stars. He is Recommended in Patents by Who’s Who Legal (Global Leaders Guide). Fernand is the author and co-author of a number of publications in these areas of practice, including Précis du droit d’auteur et des droits voisins (2000) and La saisie-description et sa réforme (2010). He is a member of the editorial board of Revue de Droit Intellectuel l’Ingénieur-Conseil and of Journal des Tribunaux. Fernand de Visscher is also a member of the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI) (and former president of its Belgian group; member of honour, 2022) and of the International Literary and Artistic Association (ALAI), the Benelux Association of Trade Mark and Design Law (BMM), the Licensing Executives’ Society (LES) and the European Patent Lawyers’ Association (EPLAW), of which he was a co-founder and the first secretary as a board member from 2000 to 2005.

Joan Carette

Joan Carette is a Financial law & FinTech lawyer combining broad expertise in financial and regulatory laws with specific knowledge of ICT regulations, including eIDAS, data protection, IT contracting, outsourcing, etc. She advises banks, payment institutions, e-money institutions, FinTechs andRegTechs on all legal and regulatory aspects relating to their activities. Joan’s professional background includes experience with the Belgian financial supervisory authority (at the time, CBFA) where she supervised banks, money exchange, investment firms and payment institutions. She also has extensive experience as an in-house lawyer, acquired in the context of two secondments, the first one with an entity active in payments and the second one with a RegTech. She is a Board member of FinTech Belgium. Joan Carette is ranked in Band 2 in Banking & Finance Regulatory and in Band 3 in FinTech by Chambers & Partners. Clients admire her “very flexible, pragmatic approach,” as well as her “deep knowledge of financial regulation.” She is also ranked as a Leading Individual in FinTech and as a Next Generation Partner in Regulatory – Financial Services by The Legal 500. She is also recommended as a Global Leader in Banking – FinTech by Who’s Who Legal.

Joris Beckers

Joris Beckers is a specialist in real estate transactions. He assists and advises both real estate developers, investors and occupiers throughout the different phases of the real estate cycle, ranging from the structuring of real estate (re)developments and investments, the acquisition of real estate (including real property rights such as usufruct, long lease, right to build), the drafting of occupancy-related contracts (lease, disposal, temporary occupancy), and other real estate-related contracts (a.o. framework, option, JV, shareholder agreements etc.) and the sale of real estate. Furthermore, Joris focusses on ESG and, in particular, the impact of the rapidly increasing volume of legislation concerning sustainability, both on a federal and regional level, on the different actors in the real estate sector. Joris also represents clients both in court and arbitration proceedings in Belgium. In addition to his real estate expertise, Joris has a significant background in commercial contracts, with a particular focus on distribution, franchising and unfair market practices. Joris is also a part-time teaching assistant at the law faculty of the University of Leuven (KUL). In addition to his real estate expertise, Joris has a significant background in commercial contracts, with a particular focus on distribution, franchising and unfair market practices. Joris is also a part-time teaching assistant at the law faculty of the University of Leuven (KUL).

Manuela von Kuegelgen

Manuela von Kuegelgen is a specialist in real estate transactions and administrative law, town and country planning law, and environmental law. She assists Belgian and international clients in structuring complex real estate transactions, real estate development and related litigation. Manuela von Kuegelgen has drafted a complete recast of the Housing Code for the Bruxelles-Capitale Region (Brussels). The legislative ordinance has entered into force on 1 January 2018. She was a teaching assistant at ULB from 1989 to 2007 in the law of obligations and contracts, and in security interests. She is still regularly invited to speak at training courses and seminars on real estate law and town and country planning law, notably for public entities. Manuela is ranked as a Leading Individual in Real Estate by The Legal 500 and in Band 4 in Real Estate by Chambers Europe. She is the author of various publications in French and English on the law of obligations and contracts and on administrative and environmental law. Manuela von Kuegelgen is a member of the editorial committee of Jurimpratique.

Michaël De Vroey

Michaël De Vroey assists clients in various sectors with the protection and enforcement of their intellectual property (IP) rights, including trademarks, copyright, patents, designs, trade secrets and domain names, as well as related areas such as unfair competition, market practices and new technologies. Michaël has extensive experience in advising companies on IP disputes, sending and responding to demand letters, negotiating settlements, representing clients in mediation, and pursuing and defending their interests before the courts and IP offices, particularly in the design, fashion, technology and healthcare sectors. Michaël also handles commercial disputes in court and arbitration, and regularly advises clients on digital media and copyright related issues, consumer and advertising law, and audiovisual media services regulations. Michaël is a registered Unified Patent Court (UPC) representative. He is ranked as ‘Up and Coming’ in Intellectual Property by Chambers Europe, as a ‘Next Generation Partner’ by Legal 500, as a Trademark Expert in the Silver band by WTR1000, as a Patent Expert by IAMPatent 1000, and as a Rising Star by IPStars (ManagingIP). He is also an accredited domain name dispute arbitrator with the Belgian Centre for Arbitration and Mediation (CEPINA / CEPANI). Colleagues, clients and peers describe Michaël as business-oriented, responsive, efficient and pragmatic. WTR1000, the world’s leading directory of trademark professionals, says that “Healthcare, consumer goods and retail specialist Michael De Vroey (…) definitely knows his stuff. He is pragmatic, to the point and always digs deep to find different arguments and unique angles. An efficient and cost-effective practitioner, he sets a perfect example of how trademark matters should be handled.” and “Michaël de Vroey is making waves in court, booking one success after the other for his clients.” Michaël regularly publishes articles on developments in the field of IP in prestigious Belgian and European legal journals and has contributed to handbooks on IP in relation to trade secrets, fashion and video games. He regularly speaks at seminars on IP matters and is a member of the Benelux Association for Trademarks and Designs (BMM) and the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI).

Paul Alain Foriers

Paul-Alain Foriers is a lawyer at the Supreme Court and, since September 1, 2024, Dean of its Bar. He combines an active practice of litigation and of advisory work. He handles complex disputes in civil, commercial, corporate and financial laws, before all jurisdictions. He provides advice on complex questions of civil law. Paul-Alain Foriers was one of the four experts appointed by the Minister of Justice to work on the reform of the Companies Code, which entered into force in May 2019. Today he is an ordinary professor emeritus at the Université Libre de Bruxelles where he taught until 2017, in particular the law of contracts and obligations and until September 2022 the in-depth company law course. Since 2021, he is co-chairman of the commission charged by the Minister of Justice with the reform of special contracts (book 7 of the (new) Civil Code). Paul-Alain is the author of numerous contributions and publications in the fields of contracts, company law and financial law (takeover bids, market abuses, shareholding transparency, etc.). He is the author of a thesis: « La caducité des obligations contractuelles par disparition d’un élément essentiel à leur formation » (Bruylant, 1998). He is a regular speaker at leading law seminars in Belgium and a member of the editing committee of the “Revue Critique de Jurisprudence Belge” and of the “Répertoire Pratique de Droit Belge”. He is ranked as a Senior Statesman in Dispute Resolution by Chambers & Partners, where sources praise him as a “clever, top-level lawyer”. He is also considered a Global Leader in Corporate Governance in Who’s Who Legal. Finally, Paul-Alain is recommended as a Key Lawyer in Corporate M&A and Dispute Resolution by The Legal 500. Paul-Alain Foriers was the Dean of the Law Faculty of the Univeristé Libre de Bruxelles from 2004 to 2009 and held the “Francqui Chair” of the Katholieke Universiteit van Leuven (KUL) in 2004-2005.

Philippe De Prez

Philippe De Prez is a Financial Services Regulatory lawyer with a strong focus in the FinTech industry. He is co-heading the firm’s Financial Services and Digital Finance team and is fluent in English, Dutch and French. He assists on a daily basis domestic and foreign credit and financial institutions, investment firms, payment service providers, e-money issuers, lenders, insurers, crypto platforms, financial intermediaries, public authorities, crowdfunding platforms, issuers of public offers, technical services providers and investors in the tech and financial services industry. Philippe specialises in advisory and contractual work and is an expert in assisting foreign entities on their entry into the Belgian and European market. He has a broad experience in working with the competent financial supervisors and helps clients with their license applications, regulatory queries of all kinds, compliance checks, legal assessment of client journeys, the launch of new products and services or in the framework of audits. Next to his core business in financial services regulation, Philippe has extensive knowledge on connected areas of law such as anti-money laundering, data protection, electronic signatures, outsourcing contracts, marketing conduct of business rules and e-commerce. He has furthermore a keen interest in new technologies both inside and outside the financial world. He is ranked in FinTech by Chambers & Partners: “Philippe goes above and beyond to ensure all of his client’s needs and requests are met and exceeded”. He is ranked as a Next Generation Partner by The Legal 500 in FinTech and EU Regulatory: Financial Services: “Extremely hard working, very knowledgeable, has great connections in Europe who can help further with legal advice in most of the countries and mostly he is super approachable. His fintech knowledge is great, as well as his reputation with the regulator which is also helpful when building connections”. Philippe is also recommended in the Banking – FinTech 2024 global guide of Who’s Who Legal (WWL).

Rafaël Jafferali

Rafaël Jafferali specialises in dispute resolution (including arbitration and proceedings before the Belgian Supreme Court), contract law, tort law and private international law. He primarily handles significant judicial proceedings and arbitration cases, offering expert advice on complex matters. His practice includes both domestic and international arbitration, where he serves as both counsel and arbitrator. He is a member of the two groups of experts appointed by the Belgian Minister of Justice to recodify the law of obligations (which entered into force on 1 January 2023) and special contracts (which was filed as a bill on 16 April 2024). He was invited by the Parliament to testify as expert on the new law of torts (in force on 1 January 2025). Rafaël Jafferali is a Professor for the Chair of Law of Obligations at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) and Affiliated Senior Researcher at the KU Leuven. He is the author of numerous publications in the areas of contract law, tort law and private international law, including a PhD thesis on the theme of retrospectivity in contract law. His publications can be downloaded on the website DI-Fusion of the ULB. Rafaël Jafferali is a member of the editorial committee of Journal des Tribunaux, of Revue de droit commercial, of Revue générale de droit civil, and of Répertoire pratique de droit belge. He is a member of CEPANI (Belgian Centre for Arbitration and Mediation), the European Law Institute and of the Belgian group of Association Henri Capitant. He received the Paul Foriers Prize (2001), the René Marcq Prize (2003), the Medal of the Université Libre de Bruxelles (2003), the Jean-Jacques Boels Prize (2008), Joseph Helsen Prize (2014), the Lucien Campion Prize (2014) and the prize awarded by Revue critique de jurisprudence belge (2015). Rafaël Jafferali is ranked Band 3 by Chambers & Partners in Dispute Resolution: Litigation, as a Thought Leader in Litigation and Arbitration by Who’s Who Legal, and as a Next Generation Partner by The Legal 500 in Dispute Resolution. He is recognised as a specialist in private international law and in contract law and accredited as a third party decider by the French-speaking Brussels bar.

Steven Callens

Steven Callens specialises in M&A, corporate law, corporate governance and dispute resolution. Steven has extensive experience in national and international corporate transactions. He focuses on mergers and acquisitions and private equity investments in a wide variety of economic sectors including marketing, e-commerce and retail, automotive and transport, holdings, the luxury sector, as well as renewable energy and manufacturing. He also represents clients in litigation and arbitration proceedings primarily in post-acquisition, director’s liability and shareholder disputes. Steven is regularly appointed as an arbitrator. Steven regularly speaks at conferences on matters of corporate law and arbitration. He is mentioned as a Key Lawyer in Corporate M&A and Dispute Resolution by The Legal 500: “Steven Callens – pragmatic and proactive approach” – “Steven Callens is very accessible, straightforward and smart”. He is also recognised as a Future Leader in litigation by Who’s Who Legal. Steven is also a member of the Belgian Arbitration Institute (CEPANI), the Luxembourg Arbitration Association, the International Bar Association (IBA) and the Institute of Directors (GUBERNA).

Thomas Braun

Thomas Braun is a specialist in real estate law and construction law. He regularly represents caregivers in the construction sector (contractors, developers, architects, design offices,…) and private individuals in relation to real estate and construction litigation and mediation. Accredited mediator in civil and commercial matters at the “Commission Fédérale de Médiation”, he is also the former chair and an accredited mediator of the “Chambre de conciliation et d’arbitrage en matière immobilière” (C.C.A.I.). Thomas Braun is currently a member of the Special Construction Commission of the Federal Mediation Commission. He participates in the “Chambre de règlement amiable (CRA)” at the “Tribunal de l’Entreprise francophone de Bruxelles” and in bMediation. Thomas Braun has been appointed as a third party decider accredited by the French Bar Association of Brussels in the context of the binding third party decision procedure (more information available here). He contributed to the “Guide de droit immobilier” and is also the author of “Le contrat de sous-traitance”. Thomas Braun was a member of Brussels Bar Council from 2000 to 2003.

Thomas Derval

Thomas specialises in contract & tort, financial and insurance law. He combines an advisory and litigation practice in these fields. He has an all-round regulatory expertise and advises a wide variety of Belgian and international private and public clients active in the regulated economy at large (banking, insurance, investment, payment, credit, crowdfunding, etc.). In this context, he has developed a significant experience in assisting actors of the Fintech and Insurtech industry and quickly grasps the impact of new technologies on his clients’ business. Thomas is an expert in contract law and civil liability. He advises his clients on complex B2B and B2C contract and liability questions, and he represents their interests before the courts in civil and commercial disputes (among others when involving a financial or insurance law component). He also acts in proceedings brought by or before the regulators (FSMA and NBB) or the Ombudsman. In addition to his practice, Thomas is an Assistant Lecturer and a member of the Private Law Centre at the Free University of Brussels (ULB), where he gives seminars in Contract & Tort. He regularly speaks at conferences and writes scientific contributions in his fields of expertise. He is also an expert member of the Unfair Terms Commission, which is notably in charge of advising the Government, the Parliament, public entities and other stakeholders on unfair terms initiatives. Thomas is the recipient of the Georges Boels pleadings prize awarded by the French-speaking Brussels bar. He also received various professional accolades and is notably considered a “rising star” in insurance and is recommended in Fintech.

Tom Swinnen

Tom Swinnen specialises in corporate and M&A (incl. venture capital and private equity). Tom advises both international and national (incl. family-owned) clients on corporate and M&A matters. He and his team regularly act as lead legal counsel in complex inbound or outbound cross-border deals and reorganisations. Tom also acts as a ‘trusted advisor’ for a number of key Belgian clients and families, and is highly regarded for his service-minded and client-oriented style. He regularly speaks at conferences on matters of corporate law and M&A, and is a teaching assistant at the Ghent University in company law. Tom Swinnen is recommended for Corporate and M&A by Legal 500: he is appreciated by clients for the added value he brings to the negotiation table « due to his competence and emphatic behaviour » and is praised as a « pro-active and good listening partner for international M&A deals ». He is rated as “Highly regarded” by IFLR1000 for M&A in Belgium. Tom is a member of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) chairing the Legal Subcommittee, and is a steering member of the Belgian Equestrian Quality (BEQ) cluster powered by Agoria. In addition to his practice as Corporate M&A lawyer, Tom has developed a niche practice focusing on equine law, representing the world’s leading equestrians and equine entrepreneurs established in Belgium. Prior to joining Simont Braun, Tom worked with another leading independent Belgian law firm and headed the M&A/Transaction Law department of the legal arm of a Big4.

Legal 500

Our Team

FAQs

Marketing Resources

Newsletters

Contact us