Jones Day has announced the arrivals of Partners Ferdinand Brughmans (Projects & Infrastructure) and Matthieu Duplat (Capital Markets), who are joining the firm’s Banking & Finance, Capital Markets, and Project & Infrastructure Practices in Brussels. Both lawyers previously worked at White & Case.
Senior associate Serkan Alhan and associates Thomas Flament and Laurent Vercauteren are joining Jones Day along with Mr. Brughmans and Mr. Duplat. The new team will focus on leveraged and acquisition finance, capital markets, project finance, and general banking transactions. The arrivals position Jones Day as one of the most broadly experienced finance teams in Belgium and further expands the Firm’s Belgian and European law capabilities.
“We are very pleased to add Ferdinand, Matthieu, and their team to our growing Banking & Finance and Capital Markets Practices,” said Bernard Amory, Partner-in-Charge of Jones Day Brussels. “They are extremely well-connected to the Belgian and European markets, and they will strongly complement and enhance our client service offerings in the financial sector. We also look forward to their working on a cross-practice basis with our Brussels partners in our Corporate, Tax, and Litigation Practices. The synergies are terrific and will benefit our clients.”
Mr. Brughmans focuses on leveraged, asset and acquisition finance, project finance and general banking matters. He has particular experience in energy and infrastructure projects and has represented lenders and financers in many of Belgium’s recent high-profile project finance transactions. A member of the Brussels Bar, Mr. Brughmans has been recognized by Who’s Who Legal, Project Finance 2016 and by Chambers Global 2016.
Mr. Duplat works on capital market transactions (debt, equity and equity-linked securities), corporate finance, stock exchange matters and company law. He has many years of experience handling international and domestic capital markets transactions and assisting corporations and major financial institutions with all aspects of company and securities law. A lecturer in financial law at the Faculty of Law of the Catholic University of Louvain (UCL) since 2008, Mr. Duplat is recognized by Chambers Europe 2016 and Chambers Global 2016.
"As Jones Day continues to expand its involvement in large-scale projects across Europe, adding experienced lawyers like Ferdinand, Matthieu, and their team solidifies our position as a premier law firm for clients seeking counsel on the development, acquisition, and financing of infrastructure assets,” said Arman Galledari, leader of the Projects & Infrastructure Practice at Jones Day. “Their arrival demonstrates our commitment to recruiting first-rate legal talent to advise clients on complex projects throughout Europe and around the world.”
The three new associates also bring valuable experience to Jones Day. Mr. Alhan’s practice includes banking and finance, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and litigation in the banking and energy sectors. Mr. Flament advises domestic and cross-border clients on all areas of business law, with an emphasis on capital markets, debt and equity securities, corporate finance, and stock exchange-related matters. Finally, Mr. Vercauteren works with clients on acquisition finance, syndicated loans, secured financings, and various aspects of capital markets and banking and finance regulation.
Mssrs. Brughmans and Duplat and their team have worked with Belgian and international banks, financial institutions, private and listed companies, sponsors, industrials and the Belgian authorities (including the Belgian State and the Flemish Community). Recent notable cases include, among others, advising a Belgian bank regarding a program to strengthen its core capital, assisting a consortium of banks as joint lead managers in the public offering of fixed interest debt securities by an unlisted company, advising a syndicate of lenders in relation to the financing of the construction of an offshore wind park, and assisting the seller in the sale of a Belgian company active in the building materials sector through an auction process.
Giles Elliott, London-based co-leader of Jones Day’s Capital Markets Practice remarked, "With the changing dynamics in the European financial sector, it is more important than ever for companies to know that they can rely on legal counsel for sound and strategic guidance. Ferdinand and Matthieu’s team can do just this, with a proven track record of providing sophisticated advice to leading financial institutions across Europe.”
“Joining Jones Day was a clear choice for the entire team, given the Firm’s client service oriented culture and the broad range of legal services offered to its clients in Belgium and worldwide,” said Mr. Brughmans. "With its remarkable base of leading corporate clients, its strong reputation, and its clear, long-term ambitions and goals, Jones Day provides us with a unique opportunity to further grow the practice and most importantly, better serve clients,” added Mr. Duplat.
