Mr Michaël Heene > DLA Piper > Brussels, Belgium > Lawyer Profile

Representing local and multinational film, television, and sports players, the practice at DLA Piper often collaborates with the firm’s corporate, employment, and tax teams. Public sector clients also regularly rely on the knowledge of the team led by Alexis Fierens. Fierens has a vast understanding of advisory and contentious IP matters. Bob Martens and Michaël Heene are integral to the team, while Heidi Waem is noted for her data protection expertise.

DLA Piper‘s corporate and M&A team is ‘unique because of its extensive global footprint’ and ability to support clients across Europe and globally, particularly in cross-border, mid-market M&A deals. The team’s key sector specialties include the financial services, insurance, life sciences, and energy industries. Clients praise team co-head Michaël Heene‘s ‘pragmatic approach‘, while co-head Erwin Simons is recommended for his diplomacy. ‘Outstanding, reliable, efficient’, Aubry Daerden also co-heads the team, which was bolstered in September 2024 by the addition of Virginie Frémat, who joined from CMS.

DLA Piper’s private equity practice provides ‘precise support’ on matters from fund formation to venture capital investments, also providing advice on tax planning and management. Michaël Heene co-heads the team in Antwerp with Pierre Berger; Heene often advises private equity houses and their portfolio companies while Berger is a go-to for regulatory issues and regulatory-driven strategic projects. In Brussels, finance and projects head Caroline Hoste leads the team alongside tax specialist Chris Thompson.

DLA Piper‘s finance services and insurance sector team draws on expertise from the firm’s finance, projects, litigation, corporate, and IP teams to support clients in the fintech sector. Its workload spans authorisation and compliance matters, transactional and product advice, as well as investigations and enforcement. Pierre Berger heads the team, specialising in fintech innovation and advising on blockchain, cryptocurrencies, and digital transformation for financial services clients. Michaël Heene is a key name from the corporate M&A team, while Nicolas Kalokyris brings financial services experience, often assisting financial actors looking to offer new products. For financial regulatory advice, Marie Goossens is a go-to.