Jones Day announced that Didier De Vliegher has joined the Firm as of counsel in its Real Estate Practice, based in Jones Day’s Brussels Office.
Mr. De Vliegher has more than 30 years of experience as a corporate finance lawyer in Brussels, dealing primarily with M&A transactions in the real estate industry, real estate finance, public-private partnerships, project finance and capital markets matters. He focuses on lease contracts, sales and lease-back agreements, and various real estate transactions for Belgian and international companies — including REITs, insurance companies and banks. He also advises clients in regulatory and corporate governance issues pertaining to public companies in the real estate industry.
“Didier has a breadth of experience helping clients structure complex transactions and advising them on the ensuing financing, regulatory and compliance issues,” said Anna Cartwright, Jones Day’s Real Estate Practice Leader. “This strong track record in corporate real estate transactions makes him an important addition to our team in Europe and his counsel will be valuable to our Firm’s clients worldwide. I look forward to his contributions to our practice group.”
At Jones Day, Mr. De Vliegher joins a global team of more than 120 lawyers in the Firm’s Real Estate Practice, which provides clients with comprehensive legal solutions to business opportunities in the real estate industry globally. He will also collaborate with his Jones Day colleagues to advise clients in areas such as environmental law, tax law, financial services, corporate law and dispute resolution. Jones Day’s Real Estate clients include investment banks, real estate funds, institutional investors, lenders, major corporations, real estate developers, property management companies, retailers and hospitality companies.
“Didier has a wide range of corporate legal experience in the European real estate and construction sectors, and his work on major infrastructure projects has led to awards such as the Project Finance Deal of the Year for European transportation,” said Alexandre Verheyden, Partner-in-Charge of Jones Day’s Brussels Office. “This combination of legal skills and real estate business acumen will be an excellent complement to our team in Brussels. I am pleased to welcome him to our office.”
Jones Day has achieved a top ranking among global law firms in Bloomberg’s real estate M&A league tables, ranked by number of completed deals, every year since 2003. The Firm’s Real Estate Practice was also recognized by Legal 500 for its “deep bench of resources” and “attorneys who anticipate client needs and respond quickly with well-crafted, customized solutions.”
Mr. De Vliegher earned his post-graduate degree in business law from the University of Brussels, his master’s degree from Solvay Business School, and his undergraduate degree from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven. He has been recognized for professional excellence in Legal 500 and is listed in their Hall of Fame for “Real Estate and Construction” lawyers.
“I was attracted to the opportunity to join one of the top global practice groups in the real estate space and to work alongside some of the most respected lawyers in real estate transactions worldwide,” said Mr. De Vliegher. “The lawyers in Jones Day’s Brussels Office serve national and global clients in navigating the EU’s complex legal environment, as well as working on some of the most important corporate legal matters across Belgium and elsewhere in Europe. I am delighted to join the team.”
