06/01/22

Liedekerke promotes Counsels Julie De Bonnet and Sarah van den Brande to partnership

Liedekerke is delighted to announce the promotion of Julie De Bonnet and Sarah van den Brande to its partnership, effective from 1 January 2022. Julie and Sarah are based in the Brussels office and joined the firm respectively in 2013 and 2019.

Admitted to the Brussels Bar since 2008, Julie’s work encompasses all aspects of real estate law, including sale operations, sale and leaseback, leases and other occupancy rights, with significant expertise in the retail industry and a particular focus on shopping centres and retail parks.

She handles large real estate transactions and advises on related commercial contracts and construction law issues. Julie also stands out as a litigator within the Real Estate team by a.o. litigating claims concerning construction works, tenant’s disputes, and judicial expertise.

Julie is a lecturer in various real estate seminars (Vastgoedkunde-program of KUL, Executive Master Real Estate (EMI), etc.) and is well-connected within the Real Estate sector through her membership of numerous real estate associations (ULI, UPSI/BVS, LFRE, etc.).

Julie has been noticed on the market and her experience has been picked up by several international renowned legal directories such as the Legal 500 where she has been ranked “Next Generation Lawyer” between 2016 and 2019 followed by “Rising Star” in 2020 and 2021. She is an invaluable member of the team who is praised by clients: “Dedicated’ Counsel Julie De Bonnet stands out for her expertise in real estate matters””.

Member of the Brussels Bar since 2007, Sarah specialises in Intellectual Property (with a focus on copyright, trademarks, and designs), ICT (new technologies, software platforms, media, e-commerce) and Data Protection (personal and non-personal data, database, trade secrets, PSI).

She handles both contentious and non-contentious matters in all these areas. Trained as a litigator, her focus lies on advising clients in a (pre-)contentious context and she has been appointed as an arbitrator in domain name cases (Cepina). Clients call upon her to act as a trusted adviser in negotiating contracts where she strives for win-win situations, with a view to preempting disputes further down the line.

Sectors in which Sarah is often involved include new tech, media (audiovisual production companies, collecting societies and music), banking and finance, public authority (maritime and energy sector, a.o. PSI and re-use of data), production and retail and mobility (connected vehicles).

She is a member of several professional IP associations: (i) the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI) where she is a member of the Belgian Board, (ii) the Benelux Trademark and Industrial Design Association (BMM) where she is a member of the editorial committee, and (iii) the Belgian Copyright Association (ABA). 

The most prestigious legal directories have consistently recommended Sarah for her work in IP/IT. The Legal 500 ranked her as a Rising Star in 2018, 2019 and 2020 and clients have praised her for being ‘exceptional at delivering bullet-proof contracts with great attention to detail’ (Legal 500 2018), a “reliable negotiation partner with eye for detail”, and a ‘very charismatic’ and ‘a master negotiator’ (Legal 500 2019). And “a great negotiator who can convince through her expertise” (Legal 500 2020)

Julie and Sarah’s promotions strengthen the expertise and portfolio of Liedekerke’s well-regarded real estate and IP/IT/Data practices in Belgium and internationally. They will continue to provide first class expert advice to clients that the firm serves in those areas of law. Their promotion brings the number of partners of the firm to 31.

Vincent Busschaert, Managing Partner of the firm comments: “It is with great pleasure that we welcome Julie and Sarah to the partnership. Their promotion is testament to the hard work, commitment and dedication they have put into their practices and the firm over the past years. These accomplished professionals embody the strength of Liedekerke's culture and successful practices and reflect our commitment to providing the highest level of service to our customers.”

Yves Delacroix, Head of the Real estate practice and Etienne Kairis, Head of the IP/IT/Data practice of the firm add:

Julie and Sarah’s range of skills and expertise, their outstanding knowledge of real estate and IP /IT/Data law, their understanding of clients' needs in these areas and their understanding of the characteristics of the market and industry, will enhance and strengthen the services that our firm offers to our clients. This is a very significant achievement for both Julie and Sarah and a reflection of the growth and development of the firm and its willingness to further invest in young talents”.

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