As from 2 May 2012, leading Antwerp-based law firm Astrea has significantly expanded its Brussels office with the recruitment of new Partner Steven De Schrijver and team including Senior Associates Thomas Daenens, Jeroen Mues and Pieter Paepe.
This move strengthens Astrea's capability to handle complex and cross-border work for domestic and international clients. The team will strengthen the Corporate/M&A and Commercial/IP/ICT departments with its extensive experience working for multinational clients on inbound transactions and investment, including for Microsoft, SunGard and Thomson Reuters.
Astrea's Head of the Corporate Department, Philippe Van den Broecke commented, "the expansion and reinforcement of our Brussels office is a logical step towards our goal of becoming a leading independent law firm in Belgium. Steven adds 20 years of experience in international business transactions and a wealth of international contacts." With this acquisition the Firm will have 10 Partners and 42 attorneys, 16 of which advise on Corporate/M&A and finance. The Firm intends to further expand the Brussels office in the near future, by adding new partners and associates with expertise in specific practice areas and/or industries.
Steven De Schrijver said, "the Firm's commercial and no-nonsense approach to legal advice, its entrepreneurial culture and growth ambitions were strongly motivating factors in deciding to join Astrea."
De Schrijver continued, "We are very excited about the new platform to assist clients in virtually every area of business law-Corporate/M&A, finance, employment, commercial, IP, ICT, real estate, transport & logistics, administrative, environmental, employment and tax."
Astrea's expansion in Brussels also marks one of the rare occasions that a team in Brussels has been acquired by a Belgian law firm headquartered outside the capital.
