The retail park encompasses ca. 10,000 sq.m. of shopping area divided over 9 stores and is let to chains such as Carrefour, Hubo, JYSK, Vanden Borre Kitchen, Impermo, BNP Paribas and Sushiworld.

Read press release.

This transaction follows the earlier acquisition this year of the shares of Immo Bree Invest nv, the company controlling the Gerkens retail park in Bree.

Gerkenspark encompass together ca. 11,500 sq.m. of shopping area divided over 9 stores, including Jumbo, McDonald’s, Jysk, X2O, Torfs, ZEB, vanHaren, Yess! and Impermo.

More at: https://www.pertinea.com/news/bree-draft/

Racine assisted Pertinea on both transactions with a multidisciplinary team led by partner Anthony Van der Hauwaert with the support of Stijn Claeys, Sien Vermeesch, Arne Baert, Joeri Leten and Alexis Debier.

We would also like to thank the colleagues at Cazimir for their tax support.

The post Racine assists Pertinea Property Partners on two of its latest acquisitions first appeared on Racine.

Consult the rankings of 2021 here.

The post Racine in Leaders League rankings first appeared on Racine.

Racine Brussels advised Belgian family office Immo Corporate on the acquisition of the Olen Shopping Park from Aberdeen Standard European Balanced Property Fund.

The Olen Shopping Park is the owner of a retail park located in the Antwerp province in Belgium totalizing 35,400 m² GLA spread over 33 units. Anchor tenants include food retailer Albert Heijn, Decathlon, Maison du Monde and H&M.

We are proud and thankful of the Racine team that has worked on this transaction, which is the largest retail transaction in Belgium in 2020 in a very challenging market.

The Racine transaction team consisted of Anthony Van der Hauwaert and Sien Vermeesch with support of Stijn Claeys, Arne Baert and Louise Geerebaert. The deal value remains confidential.

Stay informed? Follow Racine on LinkedIN.

The post Racine assisted on the acquisition of the Olen Shopping Park first appeared on Racine.

Racine Brussels is also this year the exclusive contributor to The Legal 500: Construction Law (3rd edition) Country Comparative Guide.

Our partner Isabelle Cooreman and senior associate Bram Tollet provide an overview of the laws and regulations governing the construction industry in Belgium. These series of online country comparative legal guides are designed to give the in-house community greater insight to the laws and regulations in unfamiliar jurisdictions. Each country chapter is written by a firm ranked by The Legal 500 in an easy to use Q&A format.

The post Construction Law 2020 – Belgium first appeared on Racine.

Racine Brussels is proud to again be recommended as a leading firm in the following practice areas in this year’s Legal 500 EMEA guide:

• Corporate, Commercial and M&A
• Insolvency and Restructuring
• Real Estate and Construction practice

Our Partner Joan Dubaere has been recommended as a “leading individual” in Insolvency and Restructuring and Rubben Lindemans as “rising star”.

This is what Legal 500 says about us in their 2020 guide:

Corporate, Commercial and M&A

Our corporate and commercial practise is considered ‘very agile‘ and attracts praise for its ‘hands-on approach, outstanding knowledge of the local market and its ability to access its cross-border network‘. ‘The team is well acquainted with the Belgian Market and knows the right people at the right place. They work with a lot of discretion.‘

Practice head Anthony Van der Hauwaert has a broad practice with experience in corporate, M&A and private equity transactions as well as real estate and employment matters. Stijn Claeys is a key name to note for commercial and competition advice, particularly in the retail sector.

Insolvency and Restructuring

Our insolvency and restructuring team has ‘a very strong reputation for insolvency‘ and attracts praise for being ‘embedded in local practice and down to earth‘. It is a ‘Large practice with in depth experience and a real focus on insolvency.‘ ‘The group is instructed in insolvency and restructuring-related litigation and is frequently appointed as trustee and liquidator in bankruptcies and liquidation proceedings. Racine has a strong reputation in the area of insolvency law. With a considerable number of accredited bankruptcy administrators within this firm, it is the go-to firm when dealing with insolvency situations. Their combined practical experience is unrivalled by any other Belgian law firm.

Practice head Joan Dubaere, Stijn Vanschoubroek, Stefaan Aerts and senior associate Rubben Lindemans are all experienced in insolvency matters.

Real Estate and Construction practice

Racine’s ‘very professional‘ team provides ‘sound legal advice‘ to clients regarding real estate disputes, and has also been handling acquisition mandates. They provide ‘solution driven advice’ and are ‘client oriented with a solid theoretical knowledge‘. The ‘eloquent’ Isabelle Cooreman is the name to note.

Some testimonials from clients and peers:

‘Joan Dubaere and associate Rubben Lindemans have a pragmatic approach and propose practical solutions for clients.‘

‘Stefaan Aerts is a talented lawyer with a hands-on approach, which is highly valued by clients. His advice is always clear and straightforward. It is also a pleasure working with someone who is this available and responsive.‘

‘Rubben Lindemans has also built a strong reputation as one of the rising stars in the insolvency landscape. I look forward to working with him.‘

‘Stijn Claeys and his team offer a hands-on approach, efficient meetings and get straight to the core of the problem.‘

‘Stijn Claeys captures the problem or legal issue very quickly and builds a practical response with the client’s specifics in mind.‘

‘Stijn Vanschoubroek was very much available and helped out on a daily basis. He is a great person to work with: direct, interactive, no-nonsense.‘

‘Isabelle Cooreman is very pragmatic and goal oriented‘.

Follow the link to view the rankings and editorial.

*             *             *             *

RACINE RECOMMENDED IN THE LEGAL 500 EMEA 2019 GUIDE

Racine Brussels is proud to be recommended as a leading firm in the following practice areas in this year’s Legal 500 EMEA guide:

• Corporate, Commercial and M&A
• Insolvency and Restructuring
• Real Estate and Construction practice

Our corporate and commercial practise is praised for its “commercially-minded” approach and stands out for its profound experience, excellent service and for providing very good value for money. The ‘committed and solution-driven’ Anthony Van der Hauwaert is highlighted as ‘a shrewd and calm negotiator’. Stijn Claeys is noted for his ‘pragmatic, hands-on approach and profound legal knowledge’.

Our insolvency and restructuring team is considered “well known and highly reputed in the market” and attracts praise for its ‘no-nonsense pragmatic approach’. The truly professional Joan Dubaere and Stijn Vanschoubroek, who combines sharp legal analysis with a cost-effective approach, jointly head the practice, which includes the ‘hands-on and pragmatic’ Anthony Van der Hauwaert.

Isabelle Cooreman is recommended for our Real Estate and Construction practice.

The post Racine recommended in the Legal 500 Emea 2020 Guide first appeared on Racine.

On the occasion of the meeting of the National Security Council and the Minister-Presidents on 27 March 2020 with the aim of preventing further spread of the COVID-19 virus, the measures taken previously were extended until 19 April 2020, with a possible further extension until 3 May 2020.

During this period, the following measures shall remain in force:

1. Citizens are required to stay at home to avoid contact outside their family as much as possible:

• Except to go to work.
• Except for essential travel (to the doctor, food shops, post office, bank, pharmacy, to refuel or to help people in need).
• Outdoor exercise is allowed and even recommended. You can exercise together with family members living under the same roof and together with one friend. Trips with family members living under the same roof are allowed. It is important to keep a reasonable distance.
• Larger gatherings of people are not allowed.

2. Companies – irrespective of their size – are obliged to organise working from home for every position where this is possible, without exception.

• If this is not possible for certain employees, social distancing will be strictly respected. This rule applies both to the performance of work and to transport organised by the employer. If companies cannot meet these obligations, they must shut down.
• If the authorities find that the social distancing measures are not being complied with, first a heavy fine will be imposed on the company; in the event of non-compliance after the fine has been imposed, the company will have to shut down.
• These provisions do not apply to key industries and essential services. However, they will have to ensure that the social distancing rules are respected as much as possible.

3. Non-essential shops and retail outlets will remain closed, with the exception of food shops, pharmacies, pet food shops and newsagents.

• In addition, access to supermarkets will be regulated, with the number of customers being limited (1 person per 10m² and a maximum presence of 30 minutes).
• Bars are obliged to put their terrace furniture inside.
• Night shops are allowed to remain open until 10 PM and must comply with the social distancing instructions.
• Regarding hairdressers, one client at a time is admitted per hairdresser’s salon.

4. Public transport should be organised in such a way as to ensure social distancing.

5. Non-essential travel outside Belgium is prohibited.

6. Outdoor markets are shut down. Food stalls are only allowed in areas where they are indispensable.

7. Horeca and leisure activities will be closed during the whole week.

In addition to these measures, regional or local authorities may have taken stricter preventive measures (following the example of the municipality Knokke-Heist).

These measures have a significant impact on your business, from an operational, logistic and HR point of view.

Existing B2B contracts may also be impacted.

In the following contributions, we elaborate on these issues:

• Temporary unemployment
• Relief measures you may benefit from
• Possibilities for HR matters
• Impact of COVID-19 virus on your lease agreements, distribution contracts, deliveries, …

The post Corona virus in Belgium first appeared on Racine.

In view of the measures against the corona virus, Racine aims to provide as much clarity as possible regarding its business operation and service.

First and foremost, Racine continues to guarantee its services as before. At the same time, Racine also takes the necessary precautions regarding the health and safety of its lawyers and personnel.

Therefore, we encourage our lawyers to work remote from home. In this way we can guarantee that our lawyers are always available through the usual means of communication.

Physical meetings and consultations will be limited as much as possible or will take place remotely (by telephone or conference call) if needed.

Furthermore, Racine monitors the developments in the courts in order to keep you informed and up to date about the latest status of the

proceedings.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you require assistance.

We hope that you remain safe and healthy.

Team Racine

The post Racine and Covid-19 first appeared on Racine.

Cette législation vise les architectes et entrepreneurs, ainsi que les bureaux d’étude, pour autant que ces intervenants effectuent des prestations de rénovation ou de construction en Belgique, sur des logements pour lesquels l’intervention de l’architecte est obligatoire et porte sur le gros œuvre fermé.

Rappelons à ce sujet que les professionnels précités sont censés pouvoir prouver la réalité de ladite assurance.

Après avoir légiféré pour imposer aux intervenants précités d’assurer leur responsabilité décennale lorsqu’ils construisent ou rénovent des logements, le gouvernement fédéral a poursuivi sa réforme par les ministres Peeters et Ducarme : la loi du 9 mai 2019 relative à l’assurance obligatoire de la responsabilité civile professionnelle des architectes, des géomètres-experts, des coordinateurs de sécurité-santé et autres prestataires du secteur de la construction de travaux immobiliers et portant modification de diverses dispositions légales en matière d’assurance de responsabilité civile dans le secteur de la construction (M.B. 26 juin 2019), est entrée en vigueur le 1er juillet 2019.

L’ensemble des métiers intellectuels de la construction doit assurer sa responsabilité civile professionnelle, en cas de construction ou de rénovation d’un bâtiment immeuble quel qu’il soit, que l’intervention d’un architecte soit nécessaire ou non. Une telle législation intervient dans un réel souci de protection du maitre de l’ouvrage. La loi dispose explicitement qu’elle s’impose aux architectes, géomètre-experts et coordinateur de sécurité-santé, mais aussi aux autres prestataires du secteur de la construction, c’est-à-dire « toute personne physique ou morale, autre que le promoteur immobilier, qui s’engage à effectuer, pour le compte d’autrui, moyennant rémunération directe ou indirecte, en toute indépendance mais sans pouvoir de représentation, des prestations principalement de nature immatérielle dans le cadre de travaux immobiliers exécutés en Belgique » (article 2, 4° de la loi du 9 mai 2019), dont la responsabilité civile peut être engagée en raison de prestations intellectuelles qu’ils accomplissent, à titre professionnel ou des prestations intellectuelles de ses préposés (article 3 de la loi du 9 mai 2019).

La loi envisage ensuite les conditions minimales de couverture, les sinistres couverts, les dommages exclus et les sanctions pénales. Précisons enfin que la loi précitée ne s’applique pas aux entrepreneurs.

The post Assurance responsabilité civile professionnelle obligatoire pour les professions intellectuelles du secteur de la construction first appeared on Racine.

De TM is op vele vlakken zeer vergelijkbaar met de vroegere THV: het betreft een vennootschap van bepaalde duur, zonder rechtspersoonlijkheid en met hoofdelijke (en onbeperkte) aansprakelijkheid van de vennoten. Hoewel de regels betreffende de TM in het huidige WVV uitgebreider werden uitgewerkt dan de regels betreffende de THV in het vroegere Wetboek van vennootschappen, blijft er een belangrijke rol weggelegd voor de contractuele vrijheid van partijen. De vroegere constructies van geïntegreerde en niet-geïntegreerde samenwerkingsvormen kunnen nu dus ook vormgegeven worden in het kader van een TM-overeenkomst.

Wanneer u overgaat tot oprichting van een TM dient u ervoor te zorgen dat zij wordt ingeschreven in de Kruispuntbank van Ondernemingen (KBO). Deze verplichting vloeit voort uit het Wetboek van economisch recht (WER: artikelen III.49, § 1, 1° en I.1, 1°, (c)). Vaak stelt zich, gelet op deze inschrijvingsplicht, de vraag vanaf wanneer dergelijke inschrijving in orde moet zijn. Zeker in het kader van overheidsopdrachten waar er soms een lang voorbereidend traject wordt doorlopen, stelt deze vraag zich.

Het WER geeft aan dat deze inschrijving dient te gebeuren “voor de aanvang van hun activiteiten” (artikel III.49, § 1, 1°). Het hierbij gehanteerde concept van de “aanvang van hun activiteiten” is echter niet meteen het helderste criterium. Zodoende rezen er vragen omtrent het uiterste moment van inschrijving.

Die vraag werd tijdens een vergadering van de Commissie voor Justitie die plaatsvond op 18 september 2019 ook aan de Minister van Justitie Koen Geens gesteld, waarop deze verduidelijkte dat er tijdens de gunningsfase nog geen inschrijvingsplicht bestaat. Dit leidt hij af uit het gegeven dat de maatschap pas over een inschrijving in de KBO dient te beschikken van zodra er sprake is van deelname aan het rechtsverkeer en er rechten en verplichtingen worden aangegaan met derden. Dit brengt hem tot de conclusie dat de inschrijvingsplicht geldt van “zodra de betrokken aannemers worden aangesteld als uitvoerder van de werken, zelfs indien de werken nog niet zijn aangevangen”. Vóór het ogenblik van aanstelling en dus tijdens de periode voor het klaarmaken en indienen van een offerte, zou dergelijke inschrijvingsplicht nog niet gelden, aldus de Minister (zie het volledige verslag op: https://www.dekamer.be/doc/CCRI/pdf/55/ic012.pdf).

Dit antwoord heeft de verdienste enige duidelijkheid te scheppen doch de juridische waarde ervan staat (nog) niet vast. Bijkomend wordt er zodoende tegemoetgekomen aan een pragmatische overweging: in de praktijk lijkt het immers weinig nut te hebben om steeds bij of vóór inschrijving reeds een KBO-nummer aan te vragen voor samenwerkingen waarvan men niet eens weet of ze effectief tot concrete activiteiten zullen leiden (buiten het voorbereiden van de offerte zelf).

Om hiermee in orde te zijn, doet u er dus goed aan om de nodige stappen te ondernemen van zodra u wordt ingelicht van de aanvaarding van uw offerte.

The post Oprichting van een tijdelijke maatschap: wanneer dient uw KBO-inschrijving in orde te zijn? first appeared on Racine.

Opened in 2010, the hotel has 150 rooms and is located in the heart of the European district.

The Racine team was led by Partner Anthony Van der Hauwaert with support by senior associate Sien Vermeesch.

The hotel is part of a larger development known as ‘Leopold Village’ composed of apartments, retail space and the hotel. Anthony Van der Hauwaert advised the owners since their acquisition of the land in 2006 on the construction, financing and realization of this development.

Further information can be found in coverage by the newspaper L’Echo (in French) and in the Schroder’s press release (in English).

The post Racine assists on the sale of the Aloft Brussels Schuman hotel first appeared on Racine.