PwC Legal recognised among leading Belgian law firms in the latest Legal 500 EMEA rankings
10 Apr 2025
PwC Legal Belgium has once again been acknowledged as a top-tier firm in the 2024 edition of the Legal 500 EMEA rankings.The firm has earned recommendations in five distinct practice areas, namely Environment and Tax with a Tier 3, Commercial, Corporate and M&A, Employment and Real estate with each a Tier 4.
Notably, PwC Legal Belgium’s tax team, led by Olivier Hermand, Patrice Delacroix, and Véronique De Brabanter, has achieved a significant ranking upgrade from Tier 4 to Tier 3. The team is acclaimed for its expertise in tax controversy and dispute resolution, financial services regulations and corporate wealth management. It excels in tackling complex international matters for both large-scale companies and high net worth individuals. Clients praise the practice for its “approach, both from a technical and a strategic point of view” describing the team as “very professional and proactive and also very pleasant to work with”. Clients further convey that PwC Legal is a “very good tax adviser on the Belgian market. Very knowledgeable, able to answer complex tax questions quickly. Able to mobilize resources if needed for the client”. Patrice Delacroix and Gauthier Vael have been highlighted by clients, with Patrice being recognized as “an excellent tax adviser, well recognized in the market” while Gauthier is praised for being “very proactive, knowledgeable and a pleasure to work with”.
PwC Legal Belgium’s Environmental practice is highly regarded for its expertise in public law and environmental matters, assisting both Belgian and foreign private companies, as well as public authorities, with strategic town planning, permitting and environmental litigation. The practice is noted for its “broad knowledge on various topics” and defined as “accessible”. Els Empereur, co-head of the practice, brings over 20 years of experience in public law and real estate, specializing in project development. Co-head Tom Villé, specializing in public law and public real estate, is recognised for being “responsive” and “pragmatic”. Additionally, Olivier Drooghmans, who complements the team with more than a decade of experience in environmental, administrative and public law, is recognized as a Key Lawyer for his contributions to the field.
Our Commercial, Corporate and M&A team stands out for its experience spanning corporate reorganisation, insolvency, restructuring for non profit organisation and M&A transactions. Led by head of practice Karin Winters, our Corporate and M&A lawyers Bart Vanstaen, Ive Serneels and Sixtine Borres are also noted as key practitioners in the team, which is further recognised for its large-scale real estate M&A mandates. The team is acclaimed for “having all skillsets required for M&A activities combined in one team” and it is particularly lauded for “a presence in nearly all possible juridictions”. Karin Winters receives high praise from clients who describe her as “highly competent, down-to-earth, open minded, and a hard worker”. Bart Vanstaen is recognized for being “an excellent lawyer and legal partner to work with”. Ive Serneels is similarly commended for providing a positive experience during M&A transaction, with client noting: “His professionalism and ability to execute to a high standard on accelerated timeline was impressive, and his individual contributions stood-out versus other lawyers and counsel I have worked with in the past. Ive is a great lawyer, and an asset to his team.”
Our real estate team is recognised for its expertise in advising both local and foreign clients on all types of real estate transactions, including financing aspects. Our team, described as “very professional”, is seen as “always responsive to [client] needs and queries”. Clients applaud the availability and proactivity of our law firm, praising the reliability of our lawyers. One client reflects: “our firm could totally rely on the lawyers we worked with. They understood our needs very well and they adapted themselves to our strategy. Hervé Stanus, who has taken over the leadership of the practice from François de Montpellier, particularly stands out for his focus on conducting the necessary due diligence for real estate matters. Additionally, Tom Villé is recognised as another key lawyer within the field.
Last but not least, our employment team holds an honorable ranking in Tier 4. The practice’s offering covers the entire spectrum of employment issues, including both individual and collective labour law, compensation and benefits and social audits. Clients state that “PwC Legal stands out for its global expertise and ability to integrate legal advice with broader business strategies”. They further praise our “holistic” and “personalised” approach. Clients provide excellent testimonials, noting: “they know their stuff and make the theoretical knowledge fit the needs of our organisation”. Team head Pascale Moreau is commended as “one of the nicest persons to work with” while a client offers a fantastic testimonial about Jessica De Bels and her team members : “[They] taught us along the way how things work, by providing us complete (but still easy to understand) explanations, and practical solutions”. Olivier Chapelle is also highlighted as a key lawyer of the practice.
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