Legal 500 EMEA 2025: VBB excels with 11 ranked practices, and multiple individual lawyers recognised

• 30/04/2025
• News

Van Bael & Bellis is proud to have achieved outstanding results in the Legal 500 EMEA 2025, with the firm ranked in 11 practice areas and five of our partners listed in the prestigious Hall of Fame. The firm also celebrates six "Leading Partners", with Caroline Daout making her debut in this category. Four partners are recognised as "Next Generation Partners", including Sara Beutels, who joins the list for the first time. In addition, two counsel are featured in the "Leading Associates" category: Hannelore Matthys for Commercial, Corporate and M&A and Thibaut D’hulst, who is recognised for both Privacy and Data Protection and Intellectual Property.

We are particularly pleased to retain Tier 1 rankings for Customs, Trade, WTO and Anti-dumping, with praise for our "large, specialised, well-coordinated team which is capable of delivering quality work even when deadlines are short", and Healthcare and Life Sciences, in which "VBB’s expertise in the pharma sector sets it apart , making it my go-to firm for regulatory and antitrust matters throughout Europe", emphasising our continued leadership in these highly specialised areas.

Trade partners Philippe De Baere and Fabrizio Di Gianni maintain their place in the Hall of Fame for Customs, Trade, WTO and Anti-dumping , with Gabriele Coppo joining Pablo Muñiz and Yuriy Rudyuk in the Recommended list. Richard Luff is recognised as a Leading Partner. Clients’ comments include "there is always someone available with the necessary expertise to handle complex and urgent cases quickly. They understand business realities and try to find compatible and goal-oriented legal solutions." Our WTO practice retains its (Switzerland) Tier 2 ranking, with Philippe De Baere again included in the Hall of Fame.

In our Tier 1 Healthcare and Life Sciences practice, Peter L’Ecluse and Catherine Longeval continue to be ranked in the Hall of Fame, with Michael Clancy listed as a Next Generation Partner. Thibaut D’hulst is Recommended, as is Koen T’Syen, who is listed for the first time. Clients testimonials include praise for the team’s output as "very professional, knowledgeable, legal opinions are clear and to the point. Very pragmatic, and very actionable advice."

Our Competition practice again earns Tier 2 rankings in both the EU and global ("an outstanding firm for EU competition issues") and Belgian categories. In the EU and global category, Jean-François Bellis (Hall of Fame), Porter Elliott and Andrzej Kmiecik (Leading Partners), Andreas Reindl and Johan Van Acker (Next Generation Partners) retain their respective rankings from the 2024 edition. Richard Burton gains a Recommended ranking for the first time, while Kris Van Hove is Recommended for both EU and Belgian competition law. Belgian competition head Peter L’Ecluse is also Recommended in the Belgian competition law category.

In the Commercial, Corporate and M&A category, our "very hands-on team that goes the extra mile" continues its strong performance in Tier 2, with Michel Bonne and Caroline Daout recognised as Leading Partners. Hannelore Matthys is highlighted as a Leading Associate, and Virginie Lescot is Recommended.

For Dispute Resolution, our "lean and mean team" earns a Tier 2 ranking for its work in domestic and international litigation, with practice head Catherine Longeval recognised as a Leading Partner, and Peter L’Ecluse and Koen T’Syen Recommended.

Our Banking, Finance and Capital Markets practice is ranked in Tier 3, and called out for its regular handling of complex, high-value financings, with special mention of its public-private partnership projects expertise. Practice head Johan Mouraux and counsel Cedric Hauben are Recommended.

In EU Regulatory: Privacy and Data Protection (Tier 3), "stand-out individual" Thibaut D’hulst is noted in the Leading Associate category and Dariusz Kloza is Recommended. Client praise for the team includes "very in depth knowledge in this area...able to approach it with practical and tailored advice and guidance. They also have strong biotech/life sciences knowledge and the intersection of these two areas - privacy and pre-commercial biotech - can be very difficult to find."

The Intellectual Property practice, described as "a key destination for clients from the life sciences and music industries", maintains its Tier 3 position, with Thibaut D’hulst recognised as a Leading Associate and Peter L’Ecluse, Catherine Longeval, and Gert-Jan Fraeyman Recommended. Clients hold them in high regard, saying "Great team with excellent leaders. They put the needs of the client first, very targeted, very direct, and give quick responses and feedback."

In Employment (Tier 4), head of practice Sara Beutels is acknowledged as a Next Generation Partner, attracting unstinting praise from clients as "simply the best out there". Catherine Longeval is again Recommended.

These results reflect our deep sectoral knowledge, sustained client trust, and consistent focus on excellence. We are grateful to our clients for their continued support and to Legal 500 for this recognition.