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WHO’S WHO LEGAL 2020 RECOGNIZES FIVE HVDB LAWYERS FOR THEIR EXPERTISE IN ARBITRATION, LITIGATION, AND FRANCHISE IN BELGIUM
In its Arbitration 2020 Legal Marketplace Analysis, Who’s Who Legal (WWL) recognized partners Bernard Hanotiau and Albert Jan van den Berg as among the world’s top 18 Global Elite Thought Leaders.
Bernard Hanotiau, who has spent over 40 years acting as arbitrator, chairman and counsel in commercial disputes, secures recognition as “a top Belgian arbitrator” who is “extremely experienced and has a no-nonsense approach”.
Albert Jan van den Berg, who has acted as sole and party-appointed arbitrator “in scores of disputes pertaining to the aviation, banking, construction, and defence sectors”, is identified as “a very big name in international arbitration” who is “very clever and experienced”.
Niuscha Bassiri is “already a leader in the younger generation of arbitrators”, with WWL sources recommending her as “super-organised and insightful”.
In its Franchise 2020 Legal Marketplace Analysis, WWL recognized partner Pascal Hollander as a Global Elite Thought Leader, and partner Pierre Vermeire as a Leading Individual, singled out for their experience and expertise advising franchisors and franchisees on system structuring, disputes, regulatory issues and transactional matters.
Pascal Hollander is regarded by his peers as “a highly respected dispute resolution specialist” who is lauded as “an excellent franchise lawyer, who is very involved in the arbitration of disputes”.
Pierre Vermeire is highlighted by WWL sources as “a young and very busy lawyer” who is valued as a “great, pragmatic and precise practitioner”.
Pascal Hollander is further singled out among peers in the Litigation 2020 rankings for his expert handling of litigation proceedings across various areas such as trade and corporate law.
Hanotiau & van den Berg promote in Brussels
Brussels-based arbitration and litigation boutique Hanotiau & van den Berg announced four promotions. The fact that all promotions came from its internal ranks shows the firm’s commitment to investing in young talent.
Maarten Draye and Iuliana Iancu will join the firm’s partnership, which brings the total number of partners to eight.
Maarten Draye focuses on arbitration and complex litigation, assisting clients before arbitral tribunals and state courts, including in proceedings relating to the enforcement and setting aside of arbitral awards. He also sits as arbitrator, adding recent appointments under the ICC and CEPANI Rules to his portfolio. In 2018, he was the first Emergency Arbitrator appointed under the CEPANI Rules to render an emergency order. Further recent case work includes sitting as sole arbitrator in an ICC arbitration seated in Paris between a UAE seller and a French buyer under Dutch law. He currently represents a US multinational against a group of European and African companies and individuals concerning a post-M&A dispute in a Brussels-seated ICC Arbitration.
Mr. Draye joined Hanotiau & van den Berg in 2007, after reading for an LL.M. at Queen Mary University of London. He lectures on arbitration at the Dutch Speaking Brussels Bar and regularly speaks and writes on topics relating to arbitration. In 2016, he co-edited a treatise on arbitration in Belgium with Niuscha Bassiri. Mr. Draye represents Belgium at the ICC Commission on Arbitration & ADR, serves as chairman of the Alumni & Friends of the School of International Arbitration at Queen Mary (AFSIA) and is part of the CEPANI40 Steering Committee. He is a member of the LCIA and CEPANI, representing the latter at the UNCITRAL Working Group II on dispute settlement in Vienna and New York.
Managing partner Pascal Hollander says: “It is very special when someone you accompanied in his legal career from the very beginning passes such an important milestone. Since he joined the firm as a first-year associate, I have always been able to rely on Maarten’s hard work, dedication and competence on the matters we handled together. Aside from his already impressive activity as arbitrator, Maarten is a remarkable advocate and we are delighted to be able to count on him to continue to strengthen the firm’s capabilities in counsel work, both in commercial arbitration and complex court litigation.”
Iuliana Iancu has over ten years of experience in arbitration, having acted as counsel in commercial arbitrations, and as arbitral secretary or assistant to tribunals in several dozen high-stakes, high-value and complex international investment and commercial arbitrations, both ad hoc and under a variety of arbitration rules. These spanned various industry sectors (banking, insurance, telecommunications, energy and natural resources, construction, pharmaceutical and M&A). Recent cases include an ICSID arbitration initiated against a European State as a result of a series of measures implemented during the Eurozone financial crisis and an ICC arbitration concerning a telecommunications operator in a Central European State.
A Romanian national, Ms. Iancu joined Hanotiau & van den Berg in 2012, after obtaining an LL.M. degree from Columbia University, New York (Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar). Ms. Iancu is a founding member of the Romanian Chapter of the Spanish Arbitration Club and is involved in several other international arbitration groups (Young ICCA, ICC YAF, YITA). Ms. Iancu regularly speaks on topics related to arbitration and is a guest lecturer at the University of Bucharest’s LL.M. program in international arbitration. She is admitted to practice in Bucharest and is registered with the Brussels Bar.
Bernard Hanotiau says “Iuliana is an outstanding lawyer with a fantastic career ahead of her. During the seven years she has worked at Hanotiau & van den Berg, she has impressed with her rigorous and analytical mind, her in-depth knowledge of international arbitration, both investment and commercial, and her excellent business sense. I am delighted for her to join our partnership and I am convinced that she will do very well.”
The firm further promoted Senior Associate Magali Servais to Counsel. Ms. Servais joined Hanotiau & van den Berg as an associate in October 2011 after obtaining her Master in Law from the Catholic University of Louvain-la-Neuve (UCL). She simultaneously continued her training with a Master in Intellectual Property Rights at the Hogeschool-Universiteit Brussels (HUB). The major part of her activity is dedicated to the handling of cases before the Belgian Supreme Court in both French and Dutch, reason for which she currently participates in the professional training of the Supreme Court bar (cycle 2015-2019). Her Supreme Court experience also leads her to intervene in proceedings for the annulment and execution of domestic and international arbitral awards before the Belgian courts.
Ms. Servais was part of the team that successfully represented the Russian Federation in enforcement and attachment proceedings in Belgium relating to the Yukos matter. Paul Lefebvre recalls that “when acting on behalf of the Russian Federation in a complex and delicate matter like the Yukos case, it was invaluable to have Magali by my side and assisting me”
Finally, Gladys Bagasin was promoted to Senior Associate. Ms. Bagasin, a Philippine national, joined the firm three years ago from Georgetown University where she was working in the international trade law department. Prior to this, she worked as a litigation lawyer in the Philippines. Ms. Bagasin has experience serving as tribunal secretary or assistant to the tribunal in ad hoc and institutional arbitrations covering a wide range of disputes relating to, among others, construction, gas pricing, energy and power, project management, and banking.
Bernard Hanotiau says: “Gladys is a very talented and hardworking lawyer. In particular, she has demonstrated an exceptional ability to deal with the most complex factual and legal disputes in the construction and energy areas.”
CHAMBERS GLOBAL RANKS HVDB IN BAND 1 FOR DISPUTE RESOLUTION IN BELGIUM
In its 2019 Guide, Chambers and Partners ranked HVDB among the top 3 law firms in Band 1 for dispute resolution in Belgium.
Chambers describes HVDB as a “[r]evered boutique with specialised expertise and universally renowned in international arbitration” and an “[e]xceptionally strong group of arbitrators acting on large-scale cross-border disputes involving commercial companies and governments, representing clients as arbitration counsel, as well as sitting as arbitrators on complex cases”.Chambers’ sources further refer to HVDB as ”one of the most reputed arbitration boutiques,” with a reach extending beyond Belgium, praising its “truly international practice.” Other sources state that HVDB is “in another league for international arbitration.”
Bernard Hanotiau and Albert Jan van den Berg feature in Band 1 of the most in demand arbitrators worldwide. Together with Pascal Hollander, they further feature as 3 out of 4 Belgian-based arbitration practitioners ranked in Band 1 in the category dispute resolution: arbitration for Belgium. Paul Lefebvre is recognized for dispute resolution in Belgium.
Who’s Who Legal recognizes six HVDB lawyers for their arbitration expertise
In its 2019 analysis on arbitration, Who’s Who Legal (WWL) recognized partners Bernard Hanotiau, Albert Jan van den Berg, Niuscha Bassiri, Pascal Hollander and Paul Lefebvre as leading arbitration lawyers who come highly recommended for their expertise in resolving complex international disputes. Counsel Maarten Draye is listed as a “future leader” in arbitration. With six individual nominations, Hanotiau & van den Berg emerges as one of the most highly praised law firms by clients, peers and market sources in WWL’s 2019 research.
Bernard Hanotiau is recognized as “an exceptionally well-organized and efficient arbitrator with a phenomenal practice”. Peers describe him as “a very big name in international arbitration” and hold him in high esteem as “a clear leader in the field”.
Albert Jan van den Berg receives praise as a “world-class” arbitrator and “excellent strategic lawyer” who is in high demand for some of the most significant arbitrations worldwide.
Pascal Hollander is identified as “a very good counsel and arbitrator” who is “very well regarded” for his expertise in arbitration disputes across a range of sectors. He is recommended as a “major player” in matters relating to franchising and distribution.
Paul Lefebvre is labelled “an excellent advocate” who is known for his strong experience handling both institutional and ad hoc arbitration proceedings.
Niuscha Bassiri is recognized for her exceptional practice and is praised by peers as an “excellent arbitrator with a great client manner”.
Finally, Maarten Draye stands out as “one of the go-to people in Belgium for international commercial arbitration”. He wins praise as “a professional and true arbitration leader to watch”.
Hanotiau & van den Berg expands and promotes in Brussels
It is with great pleasure that HVDB announces that Iuliana Iancu has been promoted to Counsel and Emily Hay has been promoted to Senior Associate. Ms. Iancu, a Romanian national, has been with the firm since 2012. Ms. Hay, a dual Australian-Belgian national, joined HVDB in 2014.
Ms. Iancu and Ms. Hay have worked on many high-stakes, complex international investment and commercial arbitrations, both ad hoc and under a variety of arbitration rules, spanning various industry sectors. These promotions reflect the firm’s belief that they are both exceptional lawyers with bright futures ahead.
Senior partners Albert Jan van den Berg and Bernard Hanotiau concur that both Ms. Iancu and Ms. Hay have shown tremendous commitment to their high standard of work performance, responsibilities and ethics.
Niuscha Bassiri, partner, describes Ms. Iancu and Ms. Hay as “exceptional stellar arbitration specialists who we can be lucky to call our colleagues”. Arbitration specialists from around the world have already taken note of Ms. Iancu’s and Ms. Hay’s immense capacities, which further adds to HVDB placing itself amongst the top arbitration and litigation law firms worldwide, whose lawyers are much sought after.
Ms. Iancu regularly speaks on arbitration-related topics, including most recently, at the AIA Conference “The Future of Investment Arbitration in Europe” (1 June 2018, Brussels) and the 3rd EFILA Conference (5 February 2018), London. She is actively involved in international arbitration groups, including by co-organizing a Young ICCA workshop in Brussels and as a founding member of the Club Español del Arbitraje, Romania. Prior to joining Hanotiau & van den Berg, Ms. Iancu worked at a boutique dispute resolution firm in Bucharest, where she focused on representing clients in contractual, property and competition disputes before international commercial arbitral tribunals and domestic courts.
Ms. Hay’s speaking engagements include the ICC Institute Training for Tribunal Secretaries in Singapore, in 2017. She publishes regularly on arbitration issues, most recently being selected to contribute to a volume entitled 40 under 40: International Arbitration (edited by Carlos González-Bueno, 2018), drawing together articles from 40 promising young practitioners worldwide. Previously, Ms. Hay worked in an international firm in Brussels, advising on issues of public international law, data protection and privacy.
These promotions follow a slate of new hires at Hanotiau & van den Berg, as the firm expands the teams in its Brussels office. To meet the demands of an increasing caseload, five new associates have joined the firm in the past twelve months: Tarunima Vijra (India), Iris Raynaud (France), Juan Camilo Jiménez Valencia (Colombia), Ludmilla de Potter d’Indoye (Belgium), and Albert Jan Junior van den Berg (Belgium/Netherlands).
Who’s Who Legal Recognizes HVDB as Leading Law Firm in Arbitration
In its 2018 edition, Who’s Who Legal (WWL) recognized HVDB as one of the top European arbitration law firms. Based on the number of practitioners receiving the most nominations in its research, HVDB is ranked fifth, listing it among some of the world’s largest international law firms.
WWL’s research recognized five of HVDB’s partners – Bernard Hanotiau, Albert Jan van den Berg, Niuscha Bassiri, Pascal Hollander and Paul Lefebvre – for their excellent work in the arbitration field. Counsel Maarten Draye is further recognized as a “future leader” in arbitration.
In addition, Bernard Hanotiau and Albert Jan van den Berg received individual accolades. Both feature in a list of twelve “thought leaders” for Europe, which list the individuals who received the highest numbers of nominations from peers, corporate counsel and other sources in WWL’s research.
Who’s Who Legal recognizes HVDB as Leading Firm in Franchise
In its latest Franchise edition, Who’s Who Legal (WWL) ranked HVDB as the only Belgian firm among the Leading Firms in Europe in the area of international franchising, noting that “Boutique disputes firm HANOTIAU & VAN DEN BERG is home to two highly regarded lawyers in the franchise space”.
Pascal Hollander was described by a peer as “the best franchise lawyer in Belgium”.
Pierre Vermeire is “highlighted for his intricate knowledge of the law of commercial agency”, with one client describing him as “very pragmatic and flexible to the needs of our business”.
Who’s Who Legal recognizes six HVDB lawyers for their expertise in Arbitration and Litigation
In October 2017, Who’s Who Legal (WWL) released its comprehensive guide of experts in the Arbitration (2018) and Litigation (2017) markets. Several of HVDB’s Partners and lawyers have been recognised by WWL in the latest editions of this guide.
Bernard Hanotiau was listed in WWL Arbitration and described as “world-famous” and “one of the very best in the space”. Sources noted that “he’s incredibly active in the field and there is a reason for that – the quality of his work is exceptionally impressive”. Professor Hanotiau was in addition praised as a Thought Leader.
Albert Jan van den Berg was listed in WWL Arbitration and described as “a top arbitration specialist” and “highly respected for his brilliant work across a range of sectors including IT, pharmaceuticals and mining”. Professor van den Berg was similarly recognized as a Thought Leader.
Pascal Hollander was listed in both WWL Arbitration and Litigation and described as “well known for his work as both counsel and arbitrator and highly recommended for his work in the field”. Sources note that Mr. Hollander has “a well-established arbitration practice and draws praise for his expert handling of high-stakes disputes”. Mr. Hollander was nominated as a Thought Leader in Arbitration.
Paul Lefebvre was listed in both WWL Arbitration and Litigation and described as “among the very best arbitrators in the region” and “highly sought after by clients for his long-standing expertise in both institutional and ad hoc proceedings”.
Niuscha Bassiri was listed in WWL Arbitration and described as “a star in the international commercial and investment arbitration space” and “the best in Belgium”. Ms. Bassiri is “strongly recommended for her impressive work on commercial and investment arbitrations as both counsel and arbitrator”. Ms. Bassiri was also recognized as a Thought Leader in Arbitration.
Maarten Draye was nominated in WWL’s Arbitration as a Future Leader (non-partners).
Pascal Hollander continues as Vice-Chair of the IBA Arbitration Committee
During its annual gathering in Sydney in October 2017, the International Bar Association (IBA) Arbitration Committee announced its slate of officers for 2018. Pascal Hollander will continue to serve as vice-chair. The IBA Arbitration Committee focuses on laws, practice and procedures relating to the arbitration of transnational disputes through conferences, publications and projects. Previously, in 2015-2016, Pascal Hollander chaired the IBA Sub-Committee on Recognition and Enforcement of Arbitral Awards where he led a comparative study on ‘public policy‘ (2015) and a comparative study on ‘non-arbitrability’ (2016) as defenses to the recognition and enforcement of arbitral awards under the New York Convention.
In the October/November 2017 issue of the IBA’s E-magazine Global Insight , Pascal Hollander is one of the specialists interviewed for the article “International arbitration: a time of change”.
HVDB wins Global Dispute of the Year Award
During a ceremony in the Edison Ballroom in New York City on 25 September 2017, Hanotiau & van den Berg (HVDB), Houthoff Buruma and White & Case were honoured with the award for “Global Dispute of the Year: Investment Arbitration” by The American Lawyer for their work in the case of Yukos v. Russia. In this case, a team of law firms led by Prof. van den Berg successfully challenged a set of arbitral awards ordering the Russian Federation to pay approximately USD 50 billion to the former shareholders of former Russian oil giant Yukos Oil Company under the European Charter Treaty. In its judgment of 20 April 2016, the District Court of The Hague (The Netherlands) ruled that the arbitral tribunal did not have jurisdiction, and accordingly, annulled the arbitral awards in their entirety.
The annual American Lawyer Global Legal Awards recognize and honour the best cross-border legal work worldwide. The category of Global Disputes honours the most significant results in international arbitration, litigation and investigations.