Lawyers in Belgium

Maxime Vanderstraeten

Local Partner

NautaDutilh

Maxime de l’Estang

See https://www.willkie.com/professionals/d/de-lestang-maxime

Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP

Maïka Bernaerts

Maïka Bernaerts specialises in corporate law and M&A, with extensive expertise in contracts, tech and data. Maïka regularly assists clients on a broad range of economic and corporate matters, including M&A transactions, fundraising, corporate governance, stock option plans, data processing and complex contracts, in particular involving tech aspects. She acts as a primary legal advisor to her clients, providing global comprehensive legal guidance, creating long-lasting relationships with clients and fully understanding their organisation and specific needs. Her experience spans cooperative companies, start-ups and established national and international companies across diverse markets (whether focusing on products, services or SaaS). Since 2016, she has been a teaching assistant and an associate researcher at the Centre for Private Law (economic law and Jurislab units) at the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB). Since 2025, she has also been appointed as senior lecturer/professor (‘maître de conférences’) to teach company law at the Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management (ULB). Maïka regularly publishes articles on corporate law and related issues, focusing on cooperative companies, but also on personal data processing. Notably, she co-authors the section on legal persons (companies, foundations and associations) in the bi-annual chronicle of private law legislation in the Journal des Tribunaux, demonstrating her in-depth knowledge of corporate law. Maïka Bernaerts is a recipient of the Jean-Jacques Boels Prize (French-speaking Brussels Bar – 2024), the Nadine Watté Prize (ULB – 2017) and the Erasmus Prize (University of Liverpool – 2015). She is recognised by IFLR1000 as a Rising Star in Corporate M&A. Prior to joining Simont Braun, Maïka Bernaerts worked with another leading independent Belgian law firm and a boutique Belgian law firm specialising in corporate and finance law.

Simont Braun

Melanie Ruelens

Quinz

Melissa Verplancke

Managing Associate

Linklaters

Meryam Dalia Eutamene

Laurius

Micha Van den Abeele

As a partner at Astrea, Micha Van den Abeele specializes in corporate law, national and international mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, private equity and venture capital transactions. Micha has in-depth experience in corporate real estate, setting up joint ventures, and assisting in acquisition and investment transactions of project developers. She advises not only on the transaction, but also on pre- and post-closing, such as joint ventures and agreements with shareholders, landowners, managers and architects. In addition, Micha and her team support start-ups, scale-ups and listed companies in their legal obligations, ranging from drafting complex contracts to advising boards of directors on general corporate law and business organizations. With her technical background Micha is part of Astrea’s corporate team. She is also a member of the International Bar Association (IBA) and the Women’s Law Network (WLN).

ASTREA CVBA

Michael Bollen

Experienced lawyer, Laurius partner and transactional real estate expert. When it comes to corporate real estate, Michael Bollen is in the driving seat. With his in-depth know-how and striking practical experience, he knows the professional real estate market inside out. Structuring and transferring real estate (companies), establishing business rights, providing sharp advice on real estate financing and disputes, … Michael does it all with impeccable quality for an international clientele. From private and institutional investors to real estate funds, companies and developers. As one of Laurius’ key executives, it is Michael’s professional mission to assist every client with quality, speed and integrity. He places maximum emphasis on personal relationships with his clients, attaching particular importance to transparent communication and smooth case follow-up. Easy to reach, involved and reliable.

Laurius

Michael Bulckaert

Managing Associate

Simmons & Simmons

Michael Clancy

Partner Michael Clancy focuses on EU competition law, including advising clients on antitrust and cartel investigations, distribution, R&D collaborations, patent and trademark licensing and other commercial agreements, the clearance of mergers and joint ventures, and abuse of dominance issues. Michael has significant experience in the life sciences (pharmaceuticals, biotech, and medical devices), cosmetics, and software & technology sectors. His notable experience includes successfully defending clients in antitrust investigations by the European Commission in both the pharmaceutical and cosmetics sectors, his ongoing work on the appeal against the Commission's first decision on reverse-payment patent settlements in the pharma industry, as well as his ongoing work defending clients in the Commission’s auto-parts investigation. Michael also has in-depth experience advising a range of clients on their distribution, licensing, and other collaboration agreements.

Van Bael & Bellis

Michael Mullins

Winston Taylor

Michael Okkonen

Partner

Dechert LLP

Michael Van Acker

Michael Van Acker is a partner in Baker McKenzie's Banking & Finance practice group in Brussels, having been with the Firm since 2004. Michael advises on international finance, with a particular focus on leveraged finance deals across a number of industries and asset types. He is also well accomplished in advising on financial restructurings. Michael has represented a wide range of lenders and private equity sponsors on the leveraging of domestic and cross-border buy-outs, real estate acquisitions, and property redevelopments, among others.

Baker McKenzie BV/SRL

Michaël De Vroey

Michaël De Vroey assists clients in various sectors with the protection and enforcement of their intellectual property (IP) rights, including trademarks, copyright, patents, designs, trade secrets and domain names, as well as related areas such as unfair competition, market practices and new technologies. Michaël has extensive experience in advising companies on IP disputes, sending and responding to demand letters, negotiating settlements, representing clients in mediation, and pursuing and defending their interests before the courts and IP offices, particularly in the design, fashion, technology and healthcare sectors. Michaël also handles commercial disputes in court and arbitration, and regularly advises clients on digital media and copyright related issues, consumer and advertising law, and audiovisual media services regulations. Michaël is a registered Unified Patent Court (UPC) representative. He is ranked as ‘Up and Coming’ in Intellectual Property by Chambers Europe, as a ‘Next Generation Partner’ by Legal 500, as a Trademark Expert in the Silver band by WTR1000, as a Patent Expert by IAMPatent 1000, and as a Patent Star by IPStars (ManagingIP). He is also an accredited domain name dispute arbitrator with the Belgian Centre for Arbitration and Mediation (CEPINA / CEPANI). Colleagues, clients and peers describe Michaël as business-oriented, responsive, efficient and pragmatic. WTR1000, the world’s leading directory of trademark professionals, says that “Healthcare, consumer goods and retail specialist Michael De Vroey (…) definitely knows his stuff. He is pragmatic, to the point and always digs deep to find different arguments and unique angles. An efficient and cost-effective practitioner, he sets a perfect example of how trademark matters should be handled.” and “Michaël de Vroey is making waves in court, booking one success after the other for his clients.” Michaël regularly publishes articles on developments in the field of IP in prestigious Belgian and European legal journals and has contributed to handbooks on IP in relation to trade secrets, fashion and video games. He regularly speaks at seminars on IP matters and is a member of the Benelux Association for Trademarks and Designs (BMM) and the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI).

Simont Braun

Michaël Heene

DLA Piper

Michel Bonne

Partner Michel Bonne focuses on corporate M&A. He has advised a wide range of listed and privately held corporate, private equity and financial companies on Belgian and cross-border M&A transactions, including restructuring , private M&A, capital markets (IPOs, secondary offerings and take-over bids), private equity and venture capital placements, real estate transactions, privatisations, mergers, joint ventures and reorganisations. His experience covers a broad range of sectors, including energy, media, financial services, telecom, IT, retail, real estate, life sciences, aviation and biotech.

Van Bael & Bellis

Michel Struys

Partner

Hogan Lovells International LLP

Michiel Boeren

Partner

Tiberghien

Michèle Grégoire

Partner

Jones Day

Miguel Caramello-Álvarez

Partner

Andersen

Mike Cowie

Partner

Dechert LLP

Milena Robotham

Milena Robotham specialises in European competition law and has broad experience representing companies in proceedings before the European Commission. Milena advises a range of corporate clients, including in contentious behavioural matters, complex merger control cases and advisory and compliance matters. She has particular expertise in technology and energy markets. Milena has experience advising on high-profile cases both from the in-house and outside counsel perspective.

Clifford Chance

Miranda van Limpt

Quinz

Mireille Buydens

Partner Mireille Buydens heads the IP, IT and Trade Practices department of Janson with Hans Dhondt. She is particularly recognised for her expertise in the field of patents, trademarks and copyright, with extensive experience in complex IP transactions. She ranks amongst the leading IP lawyers in Belgium and she regularly acts for international chemical and oil companies, as well as major multinationals in the food sector. Mireille is highly regarded for her advice and is also well known for her litigating experience and skills. Mireille is a professor at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) and at the University of Liège and is a lecturer at the CEIPI (Centre d'Études Internationales de la Propriété Intellectuelle). She is the author and co-author of several books on intellectual property. Mireille was admitted to the Brussels Bar in 1992 and to the Paris Bar in 2001. After practising within other large Brussels and US business law firms, she joined Janson as a Partner in 2013.

Janson