Corporate law

Our team advises on corporate law matters on a daily basis. We have particular experience in advising on acquisition structures, negotiating and drafting shareholders’ agreements, joint ventures, direct investment, corporate restructurings, governance, unincorporated and uncommon company types, director/auditor liability and certain aspects of accounting law.

We have negotiated various complex shareholder agreements in connection with management buy-outs and joint ventures, both acting for minority as well as for majority shareholders. We also have particular experience with the role of the “board room counsel” advising boards, chairmen or executive management on the legal aspects of their strategy and on corporate governance issues that may sometimes arise.

We have experience with all types of corporate transactions and restructurings. At the request of certain clients, we assist in the organization of their board or shareholders’ meetings and handle corporate registrations and publications.

Mergers & acquisitions

One of our key practice areas is advising clients on acquisitions, disposals and joint ventures. We provide assistance in all phases of an M&A process, including transaction structuring, due diligence and data room management, drafting and negotiating of transaction documents, closing and implementation of carve-outs and post-merger integration.

Our team is often instructed on complex transactions with significant regulatory hurdles, where our firm combines the strengths of our corporate and M&A team, with the know-how and experience of our top-tier competition law team. We have unique experience in getting deals approved by competition authorities. Whenever necessary we can also call upon the assistance of top-tier advisors in other areas or jurisdictions, which enables us to offer comprehensive legal support also in transactions with an international scope.

According to leading legal directories (Chambers - The Legal 500), contrast’s corporate and M&A team is a ‘diligent and hardworking team, which is excellent on all levels’. ‘The team is “highly responsive” and gives “simple and direct advice”.’ Chambers and Partners notes that it is a ‘dedicated team’ and which ‘receives excellent feedback for [its] commercial, hands-on approach’.

Our corporate and M&A team’s signature pragmatic and hands-on approach is strongly rooted in a solid understanding of the law, as is demonstrated by our team’s strong publication record, including the leading monograph on share purchase agreements in Belgium (‘Share Purchase Agreements – Belgian Law and Practice’), published by Intersentia (Antwerp/Cambridge), the ‘M&A Chronicle’, a historic overview and commentary of case law regarding M&A in the period 2000-2017, and the well-known Belgian M&A Survey which identifies the recurring elements in Belgian M&A transactions and the actual terms and conditions used in those transactions.

Litigation and arbitration

Conflict management is an essential part of our practice.

We have solid experience in all types of corporate and M&A related litigation, including post-acquisition disputes, corporate governance issues and shareholder conflicts, and director and auditor liability claims.  Certain team members have also been appointed as mediator successfully resolving complex shareholder disputes and conflicts within professional associations. Our team also has specific experience in conducting or assisting forensic investigations in audit-related matters.

We represent clients before the Belgian courts, as well as in national and international arbitration proceedings (ICC, Cepani, ad hoc).