CMS DeBacker, the Belgian member of CMS – the organization of major European law firms, today announces the opening of an office in Luxembourg on 1 January 2011.
CMS DeBacker will develop its Luxembourg office in partnership with Julien Leclère and Vivian Walry, founders of the law firm Leclère & Walry. Julien and Vivian bring a strongly entrepreneurial firm, made up of an enthusiastic and dynamic team which already enjoys an excellent reputation in corporate law and mergers and acquisitions, as well as banking and finance. The founding partners have given their firm a strong international character and their team generally advises multinational companies, mainly on corporate, financial and commercial issues, as well as private clients.
The CMS DeBacker Leclère Walry team has attracted a tax specialist who will join the team in the next few weeks.
Stanislas van Wassenhove, Managing Partner of CMS DeBacker, comments on the new structure, as follows: “Luxembourg is a major financial market and plays a key role in many cross-border operations. We just had to build a presence there to give our clients the quality service they expect from us. With the law firm Leclère & Walry, we found the ideal partners to develop our Luxembourg branch. By combining their knowledge of the Luxembourg market with our international expertise and our presence in CMS, we expect to quickly become a major domestic player in financial, tax and banking law.”
Julien Leclère and Vivian Walry are convinced that this is an opportunity for both parties: “Integrating CMS allows us to move a project, that we have been relentlessly developing for almost three years, to the next level. We provide clients with a blend of high-quality services they would expect of a leading powerhouse firm combined with a personal approach typical of a small structure. CMS has the same approach: our clients will like that.”
Press contact:
Xavier Veldeman, CMS Business Developer +32 (0)2 743 69 05
CMS DeBacker
xavier.veldeman@cms-db.com
Tom Dempsey, Head of Communications +44 (0)7980 544 078
tom.dempsey@cmslegal.com
Julien Leclère
Julien focuses on business law matters including mergers and acquisitions, corporate financings, general corporate governance and the drafting and/or the negotiation of contracts. He also has a strong expertise in employment matters. In recent years, Julien has represented both buyers and sellers in numerous complex business transactions and matters, including mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, equity investments, recapitalizations and restructurings, as well as local or international entrepreneurs in the implementation of appropriate and efficient operative and financing structures. Julien holds a Law degree from the University of Liège and the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium (2002), a masters degree in European Legal Affairs from the Catholic University of Louvain and the University of Coimbra, Portugal, (2003) and a special degree in Luxembourg Law from the University of Luxembourg (2004).
Vivian Walry
Vivian’s practice focuses on corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, banking and finance matters, the setting-up of investment vehicles and transactional business law in general. Vivian advises major international companies, private equity firms and other investors in structuring and financing mergers and acquisitions and other private equity deals, corporate reorganizations and refinancing, as well as private clients with respect to the management of their private wealth and the structuring of their investments. Vivian has a Law degree from the Lille 2 University, France, (2000). He also holds special degrees in Multimedia and IP Law from the University Robert Schuman of Strasbourg, France, (2001) and Luxembourg Law from the University of Luxembourg (2003).
CMS provides a deep local understanding of legal, tax and business issues and delivers client-focused services through a joint strategy executed locally across 28 jurisdictions with 56 offices in Western and Central Europe and beyond.
The CMS nine member firms are: CMS Adonnino Ascoli & Cavasola Scamoni (Italy); CMS Albiñana & Suárez de Lezo (Spain); CMS Bureau Francis Lefebvre (France); CMS Cameron McKenna LLP (UK); CMS DeBacker (Belgium); CMS Derks Star Busmann (Netherlands); CMS von Erlach Henrici Ltd. (Switzerland); CMS Hasche Sigle (Germany); and CMS Reich-Rohrwig Hainz (Austria).
The members of CMS are in association with The Levant Lawyers with offices in Beirut, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Kuwait.
www.cmslegal.com
