Since 1 January, the Litigation and Arbitration team of Hakim Boularbah (Partner) and Olivier van der Haegen (Counsel) has joined the Litigation & Risk Management department of Loyens & Loeff Belgium, along with four associates.
Hakim Boularbah is known in Belgium and beyond for his expertise in the eld of (complex and international) civil procedure. The cross-border resonance of his reputation has been illustrated in many well-known international cases. Hakim also assisted the Belgian Government with the drafting of the Bill on class actions and has since the adoption of the given legislation been involved in basically all class actions conducted in Belgium (representing the SPFI/FPIM in the Fortis case, SNCB/NMBS, Proximus, Groupon and Facebook). Hakim acts also as counsel or arbitrator in international commercial matters, activity for which he is regarded as Leader by Who’s Who Legal Arbitration.
“In a world of ever increasing complexity and regulatory activity, one can expect a continuous growth of complex litigation and arbitration matters. Those matters require more and more sector specific legal expertise. Combining specialised dispute resolution skills with the Loyens & Loeff integrated and multidisciplinary (industry sector) team approach necessarily contributes to a service offering the market is calling for”. Hakim Boularbah
Olivier van der Haegen has been working with Hakim since 2015 and is a member of the Brussels bar since 2010. He specialises in International commercial litigation and arbitration, fields in which his expertise has already been recognised by several directories. He has published on arbitration law, private international law and civil procedure.
“We are very excited about the opportunity to join forces and team up with our Dutch, Luxembourg, Swiss and Singapore colleagues to o er and mutually boost our international arbitration services”. Olivier van der Haegen
The Litigation & Risk Management team covers the full range of high end corporate and commercial dispute resolution and risk management services that Loyens & Loeff offers to its national and international client base. The Belgian team will now be composed of 27 persons. The arbitration practice of Hakim Boularbah and Olivier van der Haegen will contribute to go beyond the Belgian borders and by covering Europe, with current hotspots being France, Luxembourg and Switzerland.
Hakim Boularbah is professor of civil procedure law at the University of Liège. He is listed in Band 1 of Dispute Resolution by Chambers (Global and Europe) where he is described as “the absolute number one for transnational litigation, with a name that resonates beyond borders.” Hakim’s practice is centered around international arbitration (institutional and ad hoc),cross – border asset recovery and complex corporate and commercial litigation. Hakim headed the Litigation and Arbitration Practice at Liedekerke before joining Loyens & Loeff.
Olivier van der Haegen studied law at the University of Louvain (UCL). He obtained Masters of Laws (LL.M) from the College of Europe and the University of Chicago. He practiced at Linklaters and at Liedekerke before joining Loyens & Loeff. Olivier specialises in international commercial litigation and arbitration. He has developed a particular expertise in court proceedings related to the setting aside, the recognition and/or the enforcement of arbitral awards or foreign court decisions. Olivier has been listed as “next generation lawyer” in Dispute resolution by Legal 500 (where he is described as a “very strong advocate”) and a “Future Leader” in international arbitration by Who’s Who Legal.
“The areas of expertise of our new colleagues ts seamlessly with the strategic areas of focus of the dispute resolution pillar of our Litigation & Risk Management department”. Yves Van Couter, Partner, Chair of the Belgian Litigation & Risk Management Department of Loyens & Loeff.
“Hakim Boularbah’s expertise and top tier recognition in International Arbitration sets him and his team apart from our competitors in Belgium. Hakim and his team, as leading (young) lawyers in the eld and recognised at the international scene, will join forces with our Brussels, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Luxembourg and Zurich practitioners. This is expected to further boost, at the international scene, our Loyens & Loeff dispute resolution practice”. Hendrik van Druten, Chair of the Loyens & Loeff Litigation & Risk Management Department, firm-wide
“The quality, the vision and the business culture that Hakim, Olivier and their team represent, form a perfect match with all that Loyens & Loeff aspires to and stands for. Together with them, we are very much looking forward to remaining at the forefront of future developments in legal services”. Marc Vermylen, Managing Partner of Loyens & Loeff Belgium
