Wim Aerts
Clifford ChanceThe team at Clifford Chance is prolific in advising on financial and capital markets transactions in the energy, infrastructure, and industrials spaces, maintaining close relations with leading institutional and direct lenders as well as with major corporate borrowers such as VARO Energy and Traxys. Bolstered by cross-practice corporate and financial regulatory offerings, the group is capable of covering a wide range of debt finance matters, including high-value project financings, acquisition financings, and complexly structured sustainability-linked credit facilities. The expertise of Wim Aerts and Niek De Pauw furthermore allows the team to handle debt and equity capital markets matters, including IPOs and capital increases. De Pauw co-leads the practice with Lounia Czupper, an expert on bank lending and financial regulation. Bert De Maeyer left the team in March 2023.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Very qualified lawyers, with a lot of experience and practical knowledge of the sector. Available,solution oriented, providing useful advice.’
‘Lawyers have a very extensive knowledge of the field and the functioning of the various parties intervening in a transaction, which allows them to provide us with very practical and concrete advice/recommendations.’
‘Very reactive to questions. Take ownership of processes. Excellent in managing large bank syndicates. Good local network with stakeholders.’
‘Niek De Pauw has strong technical expertise. Celine Feys has strong execution and process management skills.’
‘Complete team proficient in the complete spectrum of business practices. Multidisciplinary approach to challenges and efficient involvement of international teams where required.’
‘High level of business understanding compliments vast legal knowledge, professionalism and matriculation. Special mention to Lounia Czupper.’
‘The team is made of top lawyers across geographies. What makes Clifford Chance really unique is its capacity to provide the best advice across several geographies. This is critical for complex cross-border projects.’
‘Individuals have been consistently excellent in terms of advisory but also very strong in understanding clients' needs and in being very reactive.’
Key clients
- Abrdn
- Allianz Real Estate
- Anheuser-Busch InBev
- AXA Group
- Azelis
- Belfius Bank
- BNP Paribas Fortis
- Citigroup Global Markets
- EQT Exeter
- Ethias
- Fedrus International
- Highbridge Capital Management
- HSBC
- ING
- KBC Bank
- KBC Securities
- Moneyflow
- Patrizia
- Premia Holdings
- SFPI/FPIM
- Société Générale
- Traxys
- Whitebox Advisors
- Whitewood
Work highlights
- Advised VARO Energy on a $1.13bn term loan, including a $165m green loan, a $2.2bn secured multicurrency revolving borrowing base facility, and a $710m ancillary guarantee facility.
- Advised Azelis, a leading global innovation service provider in the specialty chemicals and food ingredients industry, on a series of capital raising transactions, including its offering of €400m 5.75% senior unsecured notes due 2028 and its €200m capital increase pursuant to the successful placement of new shares via an accelerated bookbuilding.
- Advised the lenders on a sustainability-linked revolving loan facility agreement for Fluxys SA.
Lawyers
Leading associates
Leading associates with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Lounia Czupper
Clifford ChancePractice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Lounia Czupper, Niek De Pauw