Belgium

Baker McKenzie, established in 1949 and headquartered in Chicago, is one of the largest law firms in the world by both headcount and revenue. 

Focusses / specialisms 

The firm’s banking offering is among the market’s best, with key competence possessed in leveraged/ acquisition finance, real estate finance and syndicated lending. The firm has also recently made strides in trade and export finance and asset-based/borrowing base lending. Apart from lending work, the firm is active in restructuring and regulatory work. 

In capital markets, the firm is visibly strong in equity work but also has an active debt and securitisation practice. The firm is well known for the quality of its issuer and underwriter-side work in Belgium and globally and maintains an excellent relationship with stock exchanges and regulators. The firm also has a highly capable fund formation practice, with a distinct focus on venture capital, private equity and real estate closed end funds. 

In M&A the firm is among the top advisers in the market. It assists on a high share of the country’s most impactful transactions spanning both private and public deals. 

Key clients 

Key clients include ING, BNP Paribas Fortis, KBC, Belfius, Bridgepoint, Hermes, Waterland, TA Associates, Goldman Sachs, Samsonite, Traxys, Biocartis, Degroof Petercam, MDxHealth, Resilux, argenx, JP Morgan, Fortino Capital, Kempen & Co, M80 Capital, FPIM, EDF, Ergon Capital Partners, Deutsche Lufthansa and Galapagos. 

Client feedback: 32nd edition (2022/2023) 

Capital markets: Equity 

“Within BeNeLux, Baker McKenzie is one of the most experienced advisers in capital markets. They can also rely on their international network, staying abreast of new evolutions and practices. Their partners are very hands-on and are pragmatic in finding legal solutions.” 

M&A 

“Pragmatic, business-oriented, solution-driven.”