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BELGIUM
– Leading tax law firms
www.taxdirectorshandbook.co.uk
30
B
aker & McKenzie
offers
the litigation expertise of
Alain Huyghe, who also has
excellent experience before
the ECJ and local appellate courts, and is
an equally good deal adviser. The team
advised on Abbott’s purchase of Solvay,
including due diligence, tax structuring
and tax input on the purchase
agreement, in one of Belgium’s biggest
M&A deals. Philippe Lion also advised on
a rare M&A deal in the Belgian insurance
sector, in Baloise’s purchase of Avero.
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
’s
‘
open-mind, imaginative, reliable
’ service
is delivered to a network of large public
institutional and financial sector clients,
including the Belgian federal and
regional governments, Goldman Sachs,
Merill Lynch and SocGen. Team leader
Axel Haelterman is ‘
excellent in terms of
his accuracy, responsiveness, knowledge
’,
and continues to enjoy renown for
a strong corporate tax practice, with
particular accents on redomiciliation, tax
optimization, and tax litigation before
the Belgian and EU courts. The team’s
work on the Solvay sale to Abbott was a
notable plus in representation on a deal
of significant size and complexity.
Liedekerke Wolters Waelbroeck
Kirkpatrick
is celebrated for its ‘
strong
tax practice
’, where Daniel Garabedian is
particularly well known. The eight partner
strong team promoted Edoardo Traversa,
of counsel, underpinning a growing
reputation in VAT and EU tax law. Simone
Nudelholc, was appointed to the twenty-
strong Supreme Court Bar, joining John
Kirkpatrick, a rare honour. The team
reorganised the financing structure of
various multinationals after the phasing-
out of the coordination centre regime,
with an estimated worth of €5bn.
‘
Pragmatism and professionalism
’ define
Linklaters
’ tax team, alongside being
‘
technically very strong
’. It is particularly
recommended for all forms of income
tax advice, and support work with the
corporate and real estate teams. Guido De
Wit is ‘
good at VAT
,
real estate and customs
taxes
’ and also praised for his grasp of ECJ
caselaw. Collectively, the team has ‘
precise
expertise, deep specialisation and extensive
experience in complex matters
.’ Highlights
included advising RHJI on an optimal tax
structure for the takeover of Kleinwort
Benson, and assisting Movetis with a tax
ruling confirming the application of a
patent income deduction regime to one
of its products. Ivo Onkelink and Henk
Vanhulle are also recommended.
Loyens & Loeff
offers a balanced mix
of tax advisory and litigation services, in
Belgium – Leading tax law firms