Simmons & Simmons > Brussels, Belgium > Firm Profile
Simmons & Simmons Offices
AVENUE LOUISE 149, B 16
1050 BRUXELLES
Belgium
- Go to...
- Rankings
- Firm Profile
- Lawyer Profiles
Simmons & Simmons > The Legal 500 Rankings
Belgium > EU regulatory: Pharma, medical devices and biotech Tier 2
The healthcare and life sciences team at Simmons & Simmons is differentiated by its niche expertise in blood-based medicines, in vitro diagnostic medical devices, biopharmaceutical products, and advanced therapy products. Olivier Mignolet oversees the firm's Brussels office, and regularly leads on complex regulatory mandates along with Annabelle Bruyndonckx; between them, the duo cover the gamut of matters, from research and development, to production, to marketing authorisation.Practice head(s):
Olivier Mignolet; Annabelle Bruyndonckx
Key clients
Align Technology Switzerland GmbH
AlloVir, Inc.
Andocor NV
Coloplast NV
GlaxoSmithKline, Inc. (Global Health)
Samsung Bioepis Co., Ltd.
The Oncidium Foundation
Stallergenes Greer, Inc.
Vitaflo France SARL
Belgium > Industry focus: Healthcare and life sciences Tier 2
Exhibiting 'outstanding' proficiency in handling regulatory matters concerning medical devices and biopharmaceutical products, Simmons & Simmons is noted for advising a notable client base which includes GlaxoSmithKline, Haleon, and Sanofi. The 'very balanced and effective' Olivier Mignolet and Annabelle Bruyndonckx lead the team. Mignolet has vast knowledge of regulatory issues and commercial litigation, while Bruyndonckx maintains a medtech and digital healthcare-focused practice, often advising global biotech and pharmaceutical companies on qualification, product liability, and marketing authorisation issues, supported by Nele Jonckers, who has a great deal of knowledge in handling cross-border compliance matters. Alexander Wenzel joined the practice from Cooley LLP, contributing his deep experience in advising biotech manufacturers.Practice head(s):
Olivier Mignolet; Annabelle Bruyndonckx
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘The team is unique, with expert knowledge. The Belgium team often proposes innovative approaches.’
‘Very committed, very smart, extensive knowledge.’
‘Olivier Mignolet and Annabelle Bruyndonckx form a very balanced and effective duo. They have a perfect knowledge of their field of expertise; they are proactive and extremely reliable.’
‘Annabelle Bruyndonckx is directly involved with the public health authorities and has a superb network. ’
‘The life sciences team is service minded, responsive and willing to help.’
‘Annabelle Bruyndonckx has an extensive knowledge of the legislation and the sector. Her understanding of the reality of the business is impressive and she has an excellent capacity to identify the essence of the issue and how to resolve it in a pragmatic way.’
‘Simmons and Simmons offer a unique understanding of the needs of healthcare companies. Their knowledge of the regulatory system is outstanding, as are their connections to deliver the correct document to the right hands. They are service-oriented; you can count on their expertise, ethics, and commitment.’
‘Know-how, availability, creativity, knowledge of the issues, and reliability. Annabelle Bruyndonckx is the lawyer you want onboard in any complex legal regulatory situation; Nele Jonckers is the perfect complement to support her work.’
Key clients
Alcon
Align Technology
AlloVir
Alnylam
Andocor
Becton Dickinson
beMedTech
Coloplast
Danone
Depharm
Exphar
GlaxoSmithKline
Haleon
Medista
Noventure
Octapharma
The Oncidium Foundation
Oncosil
Rhythm Pharmaceuticals
Roche Diagnostics
Samsung Bioepis
Sanofi
Seagen
Servier
Snitem
Stallergenes Greer
Terumo
Trasis
Xilloc
Vitaflo
Zimmer Biomet
Belgium > Banking, finance and capital markets Tier 4
Since the inception of the practice in 2022, Simmons & Simmons advises a growing base of lenders and borrowers on a wide variety of debt finance transactions, handling acquisition and trade financings in addition to advising on securitisation transactions. Under the leadership of experienced acquisition finance expert Eric Blomme, the team is capable of assisting with complex financing structures, including mezzanine facilities, and also stands out for its cross-border work. Securitisation expert Martin Carlier and leveraged finance specialist Cécile Odeurs are further key contacts.Practice head(s):
Eric Blomme
Testimonials
‘The team is knowledgeable, synchronised and accommodating, everyone was on the same page and delivered the same message. The team was proactive and was able to handle difficult situations. When the counterparty was slow and not as proactive, the team managed to lead and close the negotiations on our terms.’
‘Eric Blomme was extremely knowledgeable, he was able to handle difficult negotiating points on the spot, he understood our view and what we were trying to achieve very fast and worked hard to get us to that point. Martin Carlier was also very knowledgeable and interacted well with the team, his input was productive and positive. Both Eric and Martin were able to think outside the box and provide us with creative solutions to address our points.’
‘Eric Blomme is easily accessible, very experienced and pragmatic. Excellent listening skills and provide advices in order to facilitate the dealmaking and taking into account his client’s interests.’
‘A highly committed and competent team. Responsiveness to specific client requests is excellent.’
‘As a foreign company, we always felt that Eric Blomme and Cécile Odeurs provide an excellent insight in the speciality of Belgian company law and potential differences to our domestic laws. They guided us smoothly through a credit facility and security documentation, the form of which had been so far unknown to us.’
‘Always available and answered in time. Also very cooperative with opponents to find solutions rather than show problems. For financial advisory we want to mention Eric Bloome and Cecile Odeurs, who represented us throughout the financing process with our banking partner.’
‘Simmons & Simmons LLP has long been recognized for its commitment to excellence and expertise in regulatory finance. In this respect, we would like to highlight the precious contributions of Martin Carlier. Martin has a profound knowledge of financial regulations and a commendable dedication to client success. He always looks for a pragmatic approach to solve complex challenge and we particularly appreciate his accessibility.’
‘Martin Carlier’s work in the Belgian practice of Simmons & Simmons has been impressive, particularly in relation to regulatory finance and fund related advice. Martin has a deep understanding of cross-border regulatory finance issues and ensure meticulous attention to detail. Furthermore, Martin’s expertise in transactional banking is noteworthy, allowing clients to approach complex transactions with confidence.’
Key clients
ABN AMRO Bank N.V.
Allianz SE
Atlas Capital Markets
Barclays PLC
Deutsche Bank AG
Eni Finance International
Euroclear SA/NV
ING Belgium SA/NV
J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.
Monument Assurance Belgium
Morgan Stanley & Co. International plc.
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.
Traxys
UBS Switzerland AG and affiliates
Work highlights
- Advised commodities trader Traxys as lead counsel on the extension of $1.57bn flagship multicurrency syndicated borrowing base credit facilities.
- Advised Atlas Special Opportunities LLC as subscriber in connection with a €20m subscription agreement in respect of convertible bonds issued by Oxurion NV, a listed Belgian biotech company.
- Advised the mezzanine lender on the refinancing of the Manhattan office building, located in Brussels.
Belgium > Dispute resolution Tier 4
Simmons & Simmons‘ disputes practice acts in high-profile litigation and arbitration, with particular expertise in the life sciences and financial sectors; the chemicals, fashion, and hospitality industries are also key areas of strength for the team. Olivier Mignolet and Annabelle Bruyndonckx lead the team, and are praised for being ‘very competent lawyers with a high attention to detail‘. Also of note is Jérémie Doornaert, who brings ‘strong knowledge of the pharma sector‘ to the practice.Practice head(s):
Olivier Mignolet; Annabelle Bruyndonckx
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘The team is always available and able to provide high level legal assistance.’
‘Olivier Mignolet and Annabelle Bruyndonckx are very competent lawyers with a high attention to detail and the ability to provide business-oriented legal advice.’
‘Jérémie Doornaert: available, strong knowledge of Pharma sector.’
Key clients
Align Technology
Banque Centrale de Guinée
Depharm
GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals SA
Grant Thornton / ARF
Ordre des pharmaciens
Work highlights
- Represented Ecnavla 8 UK Limited as well as its sole asset, Alvance Aluminium Belgium, in a number of proceedings concerning the control on Alvance Aluminium Belgium and Alvance Aluminium Duffel.
- Representing Ordre des Pharmaciens in litigation against the Belgian Data Protection Authority before the Markets Court.
Belgium > EU regulatory: Privacy and data protection Tier 4
Best known for its work in the life sciences, TMT and financial services sectors, Simmons & Simmons leverages its contentious prowess to handle data protection-related mandates on behalf of clients from these industries. Olivier Mignolet and Alejandro Guerrero provide dispute resolution and TMT expertise respectively, while Jérémie Doornaert is the key GDPR specialist.Practice head(s):
Olivier Mignolet; Alejandro Guerrero
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘The data protection team is small but has a very good reputation in the life sciences sector as it has a deep understanding of the issues that the sector must face.’
‘They combine legal expertise with a client-friendly and practical approach.’
‘Jérémie Doornaert is very pragmatic, has a good understanding of the business and is able to translate the GDPR principles into business-oriented solutions. In addition, he is very responsive and respectful of deadlines.’
Key clients
ArgenX
Ascensia Diabetes Care
Barclays
beMedTech
Celyad
Coloplast Belgium
DiaSorin SA
GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals
GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals
Hownet Aerospace
HSBC
Medista
Meta Platforms, Inc. (Facebook)
MiDiagnostics
Monument Re
Moody’s
Morgan Stanley
Oncidium Foundation
Ordre des Pharmaciens
Rhythm Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Sanofi Belgium
Servier Benelux SA
Stryker
Warner Bros
Work highlights
- Representing Meta in a dispute with the Belgian Data Protection Authority concerning the setting and use of cookies on the site’s own and third-party websites.
- Representing Ordre des Pharmaciens in litigation before the Belgian Data Protection Authority and the Market Court.
- Advising a global pharmaceutical company on the transfer of human samples from Belgium to the US, including all data protection and regulatory aspects.
Belgium > Employment
Belgium > Competition: EU and global
Simmons & Simmons > Firm Profile
The smartest business solutions come when we work together – international, but operating as one integrated team.
Collaborative, agile and partner-led: that’s Simmons & Simmons. A law firm that challenges, creates new possibilities and offers opinion not just option. A law firm that acts as your business partner and works with you, not for you.
We focus on four highly regulated sectors (asset management and investment funds, financial institutions, healthcare and life sciences and technology, media and telecommunications) – using our specialist skills to understand your business, and the forces at play around it. All grounded in exceptional knowledge of the legal detail.
This is how we consistently deliver smarter, more efficient ways to tackle our clients’ most complex challenges.
Lawyer Profiles
Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
---|---|---|---|
Eric Blomme | Banking & Finance Partner at Simmons & Simmons, based in Brussels. Head… | View Profile | |
Annabelle Bruyndonckx | With over 25 years of experience in advising clients in the Healthcare… | View Profile | |
Alejandro Guerrero | Alejandro is a partner in our EU Competition Law and Tech Regulation… | View Profile | |
Carl Meyntjens | Carl’s practice focuses on corporate and financial law. He has nearly 30… | View Profile | |
Olivier Mignolet | Olivier specialises in commercial law and commercial litigation/arbitration, with a particular emphasis… | View Profile | |
Koen Platteau | Koen advises clients on EU and Belgian competition law matters and has… | View Profile | |
Dimitri Van Uytvanck | Dimitri heads the employment & benefits department for Belgium. He specializes in… | View Profile |