Van Bael & Bellis receives top rankings in The Legal 500 2018
- 17/04/2018
- News
Van Bael & Bellis’ reputation as a leading independent firm of note is once again affirmed by The Legal 500 2018 for nine practice areas and 19 lawyers.
Customs, Trade, WTO and Anti-dumping (Tier 1): “According to clients, ‘there are few firms of comparable calibre’ to Van Bael & Bellis, which fields a team of lawyers who are ‘highly specialised in their field’ and ‘eager to understand clients’ needs’”.
Recommended: Jean-François Bellis (‘arguably, the most senior expert in the market’), Philippe De Baere (‘very intellectual yet very straightforward’), Richard Luff, Yuriy Rudyuk, Fabrizio Di Gianni and Pablo Muñiz.
Healthcare and Life Sciences (Tier 1): “A broad life sciences practice … particularly prominent in issues concerning ethical rules, clinical trials, advertising and pricing and reimbursement. Its client base of leading multinational life sciences companies also turn to the team for a range of EU and Belgian regulatory advice”.
Recommended: Catherine Longeval (“recently advised the European arm of a US biotech company on the restructuring of its distribution chain”), David Hull and Michael Clancy (who “represented two parties in a landmark case before the EU Court of Justice concerning reverse payment patent settlements”) and Peter L'Ecluse (“another key contact”).
Competition: EU and Global (Tier 2): “Van Bael & Bellis’ ‘deep knowledge of the law’ and ‘accurate business understanding’ ensures ‘strong business-oriented advice’."
Recommended: Jean-François Bellis (‘already a legend in competition law’), Kris Van Hove (‘responsive, thoughtful and efficient’), Markus Wellinger (‘anticipates all possible developments’), Johan Van Acker (‘provides spot-on advice and guidance’), David Hull and Andrzej Kmiecik.
Competition: Belgian (Tier 2): Peter L'Ecluse “has a strong profile for cases before the Belgian competition authorities, particularly in the telecoms, life sciences, energy and consumer goods sectors.”
Recommended: Peter L'Ecluse, Martin Favart and Johan Van Acker.
Dispute Resolution (Tier 2): “‘Responsive, knowledgeable and accurate’, Van Bael & Bellis is ‘an excellent collaborator’. The life sciences, competition, IP and arbitration are particular sweet spots under the leadership of Catherine Longeval.”
Recommended: Catherine Longeval (“provides ‘on-point advice irrespective of the complexity of the case’”) and Martin Favart.
Commercial, Corporate and M&A (Tier 3): “The team provides ‘very high quality assistance’ to its clients, which include domestic and international companies”.
Recommended: Michel Bonne (“Practice head and ‘very good professional’, Michel Bonne is ‘adept at explaining the nuances of the Belgian M&A market to an international buyer’”).
Intellectual Property (Tier 3): The firm’s practice encompasses “patent litigation, domain name procedures, database rights, customs and anti-counterfeiting. It has a strong position in the life sciences sector, and also counts leading technology companies among its clients.”
Recommended: Peter L'Ecluse (oversees the department), Thibaut D'hulst (a key associate).
WTO: Switzerland (Tier 3): “Van Bael & Bellis impresses with its ‘prompt, precise and in-depth analyses’, ‘outstanding experience’ and ‘systematic approach’.”
Recommended: (The ‘experienced’) Philippe De Baere, Clotilde du Parc (‘excellent counsel’ in Geneva) and Isabelle Van Damme.
Furthermore, while 19 individual lawyers are recommended, some of these received special mention in the following categories:
Leading individuals: Jean-François Bellis, Philippe De Baere and Fabrizio Di Gianni (Customs, Trade, WTO and Anti-dumping) and Jean-François Bellis (EU Competition)
Hall of Fame: Jean-François Bellis and Fabrizio Di Gianni (Customs, Trade, WTO and Anti-dumping)
Next generation lawyers: Johan Van Acker (EU Competition), Pablo Muñiz (Customs, Trade, WTO and Anti-dumping) and Michael Clancy (Healthcare and Life Sciences).
The full rankings can be accessed here.