The Banking and Finance Practice Area Group advises on all aspects of banking and finance transactions, including:
- Structured finance
- Acquisition finance
- Corporate lending
- Property finance
- Project Finance and PPP
- Asset finance and leasing
- Syndicated lending
The team also provides advice in relation to the full spectrum of banking and financial products including:
- Capital markets
- Financial regulatory
- Insurance and financial services
- Restructuring and insolvency
- Support to foreign banks operating in Belgium
- Banking and finance litigation
- Private banking
Clients
Our Banking & Finance team combines local expertise with the international resources afforded by membership of CMS.
Banking and finance law and practice differ considerably between European jurisdictions. The group is regularly called upon to find inventive solutions to problems caused by conflicts between different market practices or legal rules.
We have experience in a large number of lending transactions. We have acted as counsel to foreign and domestic banks and companies in (re) structuring, negotiating and drafting various types of credit arrangements and related contracts.
In addition, we are well familiar with the various legal and regulatory aspects to which the banking and finance industry is faced with. We have been counsel for many years to several leading banks and financial institutions for various aspects of their business in Belgium, including acquisitions and litigation.
Type of clients include:
- Commercial and investment banks
- Corporate
- Asset management houses
- Mutual investment fund companies
- Governments and state bodies
- Bank syndicates
- Multi-national borrowers
- Retailers
- Property companies
- Private equity/ venture capital investors
- Finance and operating lessors
Legal500
2008: "Catherine Houssa at CMS DeBacker has developed a service tailored to clients’ needs in different areas such as asset finance, property finance, project finance and regulatory matters."
2009: "CMS DeBacker and Catherine Houssa demonstrate ‘ good industry knowledge’ on transactions such as advising an international bank on two asset finance deals with a Belgian steel manufacturer, with values totalling €27.8m. The practice was bolstered at the start of 2009 with the hiring of former Lydian partners Vincent Dirckx and Carl Dotremont."