Robbie Tas is holder of several degrees earned at the KU Leuven (1990 Bachelor of Applied sciences; 1993 Master in Business engineering, specialization finance; 1994 Master of Laws; 1994 Complementary studies ‘Fiscal systems’; 2002 PhD in Law). From 1994 to 2001, he served as a research fellow within the team of Professor Koen Geens at the Jan Ronse Institute of the KU Leuven. In 2002, he obtained his PhD with a thesis on the maintenance of capital in public limited liability companies and private limited liability companies. From 1997 to 2003, Robbie was in charge of the legal secretariat of the International Commission of Appeal at NASDAQ Europe. He was member of the board of directors of electricity company Luminus from 2002 to 2005. Since 2004, he is a lecturer in the Master’s Programme of Corporate Law at the KU Leuven, Brussels campus. In 2012, he was guest lecturer in the postgraduate programme ‘Estate planning’ at the VUB. Robbie is a regular contributor to ‘TRV’, the Journal for Legal Entities and Companies. He is also president of ‘VRG-Alumni’, the alumni association of the law faculty of the KU Leuven. He has published extensively on corporate and association law and is a much sought-after speaker on these topics. He is an active member of the Belgian center for company law. The minister of justice called upon his expertise within the context of the company law reform. He is also an independent director and president of the board of directors of the investment fund Aphilion Robbie started his career as a lawyer in 1995 at the Brussels’ law firm De Bandt Van Hecke & Lagae (currently Linklaters). In 2000, he set up his own law firm in Leuven. In 2002, he became partner at the law firm Maxius. In 2006, he participated in the creation of the law firm Curia. He co-founded intui in 2013. Robbie is specialized in commercial and business law, with particular focus on corporate and non-profit law. His clients include independent businessmen and companies, shareholders and directors. He has also a particular interest in issues related to liberal professionals, whether they practice in a partnership or otherwise. He is an experienced and respected litigator, with a particular focus on disputes between shareholders / directors of companies. Although he prefers negotiated solutions to litigation, he does not shy away from tenacious court proceedings if and when required. He also regularly acts as an arbitrator in national and international commercial disputes. Finally, Robbie has extensive experience in advisory and transactional work.
intui
The ‘excellent, knowledgeable, shrewd and responsive team’ at intui handles a wide range of litigation, acting in shareholder disputes, directors liability cliams, and post-acquisition litigation. The team is adept at acting across sectors, representing market-leading clients in the finance, real estate, leisure, and construction industries. Based in Leuven, Caroline Hotterbeekx leads the practice, alongside Anneleen Steeno and Robbie Tas, who split their time between Leuven and Brussels. Naomi Glibert is commended for her ’fantastic work ethic‘ and has expertise in banking, financial, and corporate law.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Robbie Tas is the best in Belgium in dispute resolution. He is very tactical, very intelligent and pragmatic. He can be patient to estimate what the adverse party will do, can be assertive when needed and is very good at finding solutions. The results he obtained so far are fantastic. Caroline Hotterbeeckx is very knowledgeable, has a fantastic style of communication and is very efficient.’
‘Excellent knowledgeable, shrewd and responsive team. Have great insight in the legal matters at hand and apply a very sensible strategy to obtain the best possible outcome for the client.’
‘Naomi Glibert: fantastic work ethic, very responsive, incredibly detail-oriented. Goes the extra mile and doesn't hesitate to take any action to get/keep things moving. Robbie Tas: vast experience in dispute resolution, especially in corporate law. Aggressive when appropriate, but also balanced and cautious when needed. Has surrounded himself with a very capable team with the right mix of skills, who he empowers to work independently and take initiative, which is a sign of great leadership.’
‘Robbie Tas is an excellent, experienced litigator who combines thorough legal knowledge with strong soft skills and knows how to build a strong case. Caroline Hotterbeekx is very solid, she knows her files and is very responsive.’
‘Robbie Tas is a eminent leading partner and authority in Company Law, very well assisted by Pieter Van Braband, a skilful and communicative counsel.’
‘Very good availability. Not only profound legal knowledge, but also very helpful in light of discussing the general tactic to achieve a specific result. Very good reputation in the market for representing minority shareholders.’
‘Robbie Tas has strong academic roots. He also is a seasoned litigator, and simply one of the brightest lawyers out there. Caroline Hotterbeekx is very pragmatic, yet thorough and sensitive to the client's needs. She is top-notch.'
Key clients
- Quarzwerke GmbH
- Bangaram BV
- KBC Bank
- Puratos Group
- Ghelamco
- LRM
- Easypay Group
- Adecco Group
- Werpax
Work highlights
- Acting for Quarzwerke GmbH and LL Holding GmbH (a German mineral producer) in a liability procedure against the directors of SCR-Sibelco NV/SA following the merger of Sibelco’s subsidiary Unimin with Fairmount Santrol and its subsequent bankruptcy.
- Representing the former legal counsel of Optima Bank, a Belgian bank which was declared bankrupt in 2016, in connection with several director’s liability claims.
- Acting for KBC Bank nv in all its procedures related to fraud and phishing in any form.
Lawyers
Leading individuals
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Robbie Tas, Anneleen Steeno, Caroline Hotterbeekx