The financial regulation group at Linklaters is ‘excellent, business pro-active and legally profound’, advising clients on complex cross-border and Belgian deals, working closely with Belgian and European supervisory authorities on developing regulations. The practice benefits from extensive investment funds and asset management expertise. Etienne Dessy ’combines theory with practice‘, and has extensive knowledge of UCITS, AIFMD, and MiFID applications. Also of note are Andreas Van Impe and Guillaume Leurquin, both with experience advising clients on all aspects of Belgian and EU financial regulations.
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- Profile
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Excellent knowledge. Helicopter view. Accessibility.’
‘Etienne Dessy is an excellent lawyer, who combines theory with practice. It a also a pleasure to work with him.’
‘The Fin-Reg team at Linklaters Belgium is excellent, business pro-active and legally profound while being close to their client.’
Key clients
- Ageas
- Aion Bank
- AXA
- Bank Nagelmackers
- Bank of America
- Barclays
- Belfius
- BlackRock
- BNP Paribas
- bPost
Work highlights
Advised Indosuez Wealth Management Group, part of Crédit Agricole Group, in acquiring a majority stake in Degroof Petercam, a leading Belgian wealth management firm valued at €1.55bn. The acquisition, involving negotiations with family shareholders and Cobepa, will be followed by a public takeover bid, and includes a partnership agreement with CLdN Finance. Pending regulatory approvals, the deal, expected to finalize in 2024, aims to establish a pan-European leader in wealth management.
Advised CACEIS Bank S.A. on the cross-border merger with CACEIS Investor Services Belgium, following CACEIS's acquisition of part of RBC Investor Services Trust UK branch's custody and middle office business. The merger was completed on 31 May 2024.
Advised Dajia Insurance Group on the sale of 100% of the shares in Bank Nagelmackers to Caisse d’Epargne Hauts de France, a BPCE Group subsidiary. Bank Nagelmackers, known as the oldest bank in Belgium with a strong personal and private banking reputation, was sold through a competitive auction process involving multiple bidders.
Lawyers
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Practice head
Etienne Dessy
Other key lawyers
Andreas Van Impe; Guillaume Leurquin