VANDENBULKE

Managing Partner: Mr Denis Van den Bulke

Partner: Nicolas Mille, Marcel Bartnik, Selim Souissi

Number of partners worldwide: 4; Number of other lawyers worldwide: 8

Languages: Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Luxembourgish, Spanish

Firm Overview:

VANDENBULKE is an independent and specialist firm focusing exclusively on legal practices paramount for the international financial centre of Luxembourg: corporate, banking, finance and investment funds. The firm was established in the purest Anglo-Saxon traditions to respond to a dramatically growing international demand for more responsive and sophisticated legal services in Luxembourg.

The firm has an unambiguous strategy for delivering high-quality solutions in Luxembourg’s emerging core practices: corporate and structured finance, including securitisation and financial derivatives, venture capital, private equity and investment funds. Today, its expertise is recognised beyond Luxembourg boundaries; ‘The Lawyer’ magazine has shortlisted the firm as Best European Specialist Law Firm for the last eight consecutive years.

VANDENBULKE is a truly independent law firm and the forerunner of a new generation of law firms built on a creative organisation, leading-edge technology, cost-efficient services and pragmatic expertise. The firm deliberately pursues a prudent strategy for growth where ‘quality’ prevails over ‘quantity’. The firm’s lawyers bring a fresh and innovative touch in any transaction and adopt a business-centric approach towards its clients.

VANDENBULKE’s team of lawyers is built to dedicate its expertise in significant transactions requesting the right blend of civil law and common law knowhow as well as the in-depth understanding of international transactions. VANDENBULKE aims at providing clients accustomed to quality service of London magic circle or NY white shoe firms a similar level of expertise and service in the Luxembourg market. The firm includes lawyers admitted in several jurisdictions and has representative offices in Brussels and London.

Main Areas of Practice:

Banking & Finance

Corporate

Investment Funds

Banking & Finance:

The firm’s banking and finance practice assists clients in domestic and cross-border structured finance transactions and advises them at all levels across the capital structure. Its polyvalent pan-European and transatlantic expertise makes VANDENBULKE the counsel of choice not only for financial institutions but also for large corporate groups, investment funds, private equity investors or insurance companies. They call on VANDENBULKE for any matters ranging from secured and unsecured lending in acquisition, real estate, structured, project, fund or Islamic financing to high yield notes or bonds either issued or guaranteed by Luxembourg entities. The firm’s expertise includes: securitisation, issuance of large range of equity or debt securities; listing and/or public offering of securities on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange; broker-dealer issues in respect of public and private placements; banking licences and approval process for Luxembourg professional of the financial sector; advising in respect of EU and Luxembourg regulatory compliance.

Corporate:

VANDENBULKE has built up a strong and dedicated team praised by some of the most reputable European and US leading financial institutions. The firm also advises investors in re-structuring of their corporate activities, the acquisition and disposition of businesses, through mergers, acquisitions of assets or stock, or leveraged buyouts. The firm advises clients from the setting up of corporate vehicles to meet specific trading and financial needs to the fine tuning of project financing or global joint-ventures. The firm has developed a reputed insolvency practice and in the implementation of strategy in enforcement of security packages and is counsel of choice for the world’s leading debt servicers.

Investment Funds:

VANDENBULKE provides comprehensive legal assistance to regulated and unregulated funds throughout the entire lifecycle, from inception to implementation. The practice covers the bewildering scope of legal, compliance and corporate governance issues that are faced by open- and closed-ended funds, their managers and their boards. The team acts as fund counsel, advising on formation, compliance, transactional matters and the development of new products. It also handles work for fund advisors, fund custodians and administrative agents. Capitalising on its intertwined tax, corporate and finance competences, VANDENBULKE structures the latest generation of Luxembourg investment funds such as the Specialised Investment Fund (SIF), the Investment Company in Risk Capital (SICAR) or alternative investment management vehicles such as the Reserved Alternative Investment Fund (RAIF). VANDENBULKE has built-up a strong and recognised expertise in real estate, private equity and any funds implementing alternative investment strategies.