It is with great sadness that we inform you that our esteemed partner, colleague and friend Stefaan AERTS passed away on August, 18, 2022.

At the end of last year, Stefaan was diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus. “This will probably be my most difficult case,” he said. As you know, he was “aiming for nothing less than victory”.

Alas, despite his lust for life and his iron will, he could not win this unequal battle.

Words cannot describe how touched we are by this loss and our thoughts go first of all to his daughters Eloïse and Noémie, his parents and parents-in-law, his sisters, brothers-in-law and sister-in-law, but also to the many friends who were very close to Stefaan throughout this trying period.

Stefaan started his legal career at our firm. With his passionate approach and personal dedication, Stefaan quickly became one of the driving forces behind Racine. He was an experienced lawyer, a gifted litigator and a reliable advisor. But above all, he was a dedicated colleague and partner.

Stefaan will be sorely missed. At his express request, the Racine team is ready to continue to serve his clients, many of whom he had been advising for years. We commit to provide the same level of commitment and expertise as Stefaan did.

All Racine staff, lawyers and partners are deeply affected by this loss and the firm will never be able to fill the void left by Stefaan. We are very grateful for all the years we had the pleasure of working with Stefaan. His humour and wit, his “straight to the point” conversations and his insightful remarks will always be remembered.

We would like to thank everyone for the many expressions of sympathy we received. Colleagues testify to his expertise and in-depth knowledge of his cases. Clients remember with gratitude his positive attitude and experience. We will collect all these memories and testimonials and pass them on to his daughters and family. A register of condolences is also available here.

If you have any questions regarding this sad news, you can contact our Managing Partner, Stijn Vanschoubroek (svanschoubroek@be.racine.eu – +3224120166) or one of the other partners or associates of the firm.

The post Obituary notice – Stefaan Aerts 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

This is what Legal 500 says about us in their 2021 guide:

Corporate, Commercial and M&A

Anthony Van der Hauwaert heads up the corporate and transactional team, while retail sector expert Stijn Claeys leads the commercial group.

The firm advises publicly listed and private companies on a wide range of transactional and advisory matters, including domestic and cross-border M&A, group restructurings, share capital transactions, shareholder agreements, corporate governance and director liability.

Commercial work includes advice on franchising, advertising, supply agreements and consumer protection. Claeys has particular expertise in distribution law issues.

Testimonials

‘Hands-on team with smooth negotiators.‘

‘Stijn Claeys is partner at the commercial department. His strength is that he thinks along with the client, he understands the business very quickly, goes straight to the core of the problem, does not turn around the issue, tries to find practical solutions with ear for commercial arguments (if any), but he does not avoid tricky discussions and he is witty.‘

‘Always accessible, they think also out of the box, ready to go with you until the end of the process (dedicated).‘

‘I work with Anthony Van der Hauwaert. He is very knowledgeable and friendly. He understands the need very quickly and responds to it very well and quickly.‘

‘Stijn Vanschoubroek was our single point of contact, coordinating from his side with his colleagues internally. It sounds easy, but to keep communication clear & transparent seems to be a big issue in more complex situations for many companies.‘

‘The team is very professional and discrete. Always available for helping you out.‘

‘Pragmatic, cost-efficient and client-focused approach.‘

‘Racine has a great corporate team with lots of international experience and credentials. They understand complex global deals and work smoothly together with other lawyers from other jurisdictions.‘

Insolvency and Restructuring

At Racine, the focus is primarily on insolvency and restructuring-related litigation, with practice co-heads Joan Dubaere and Stijn Vanschoubroek often appointed as trustees and liquidators in various domestic proceedings. The team’s client roster includes both debtors and lenders, and it has a further ability to handle distressed M&A-related matters.

Counsel Rubben Lindemans is another key name; he specialises in reorganisation proceedings and enforcement. Rubben  has been recommended as a “rising star” in Insolvency and Restructuring.

The post Racine recommended in the Legal 500 Emea 2021 Guide first appeared on Racine.

Consult the rankings of 2021 here.

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

Barbara François has more than ten years of experience with regards to Belgian and international  employment and social security law and she is specialized in all HR-related matters. Before joining Racine, Barbara was HR manager for more than two years with the biggest fitness club chain in Europe, responsible for Belgium and Luxemburg. Previously, she worked as an employment lawyer with an international law firm.

Barbara graduated as a Master of Laws with great distinction at Ghent University (2007), specializing in employment law.

At Racine, Barbara will focus on the assistance of Belgian and international clients within the department of employment and social security law and she will represent our clients at the courts of labour.

Rubben Lindemans has an extended expertise with regards to insolvency law. Rubben regularly assists enterprises with national or cross-border restructurings. When it comes to corporate restructurings Rubben also advises clients on commercial, financial and real estate transactions and he represents clients in out-of-court dispute settlements, litigation in courts and arbitration. He also has a special interest in seizure and enforcement law.

Rubben graduated in 2009 from the Catholic University of Leuven and subsequently obtained a degree in General Management at Vlerick Management School. He has been a practical assistant at the Catholic University of Leuven in the commercial, company and economic law department from 2012 to 2016 and since 2019 Rubben is a voluntary scientific officer at the Insolvency Law Institute (KUL). Rubben is a member of INSOL Europe and of the Belgian Centre for Arbitration and Mediation CEPANI.

Joan Dubaere, Managing Partner of Racine Attorneys elucidates:  “Without any doubt, Barbara  is a reinforcement in the expansion of our employment law team. Thanks to her expertise and experience, we consider her to be an added value for our firm and clients in supporting business projects with matters of employment and social security law. The promotion of Rubben confirms our appreciation for Rubben as an expert within his field of expertise.  Rubben guarantees a high-quality service to our clients and the further expansion of the insolvency department with Racine Attorneys.”

The post TWO NEW COUNSELS AT RACINE ATTORNEYS 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.

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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.

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