Image of Wouter Van de Voorde

Wouter Van de Voorde

Partner

Email

wouter.vandevoorde@aoshearman.com

Phone

+32 3 287 75 43

Offices

Antwerp

V-CARD
Wouter is Head of Belgium Corporate.

He specialises in corporate law and M&A work, private equity, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and private placements. As a prolific corporate deal lawyer, Wouter has a broad corporate practice and advises a wide range of clients and sectors, appearing on many of the largest and most high-profile transactions in the market. 

As such, Wouter is consistently recognized by all major legal directories for his achievements. 

Experience

Representative matters

  • JERA on the landmark acquisition of a 100% interest in Parkwind NV, the largest offshore wind platform in Belgium and an offshore wind innovator in Europe. The combined synergy will accelerate Parkwind's offshore wind business into new markets as part of the global decarbonisation initiatives and growth in the low-carbon fuel production business.
  • CVC Capital Partners, a European private equity fund, on its acquisition of a minority stake in SD Worx, a leading European HR, payroll and workforce management solutions provider, in order to accelerate their European growth plans.
  • Equistone Partners Europe and management on the sale of Amadys, leading system integrator of end-to-end connectivity solutions for the telecom, infrastructure and energy markets to ETC Group, backed by Cinven, the global private equity firm.
  • The Port of Zeebrugge, in connection with its landmark merger with the Port of Antwerp.
  • Bencis, on the sale of Abriso- Jiffy to Quva, a Belgian investment fund.
  • CVC Capital Partners on the sale of Corialis, a leading European supplier of aluminum profile systems for windows, doors, sliding elements, roof systems and conservatories with activities in Belgium, France, the UK and Poland, to Astorg.
  • Fluxys Belgium, a Euronext listed infrastructure group and operator of the Belgian gas network, in establishing "Fluxys c-grid" (a joint effort with Pipelink, Socofe and SFPIM), a CO2 network operator.
  • Studio 100, a Belgium-headquartered company active in the entertainment sector, and its existing shareholders, on the sale of approximately 25% of Studio 100’s share capital with the Swerts family ('Soudal') and 3D Investors.
  • CVC Capital Partners on the acquisition and (related financing) of Gaming1, the entertainment division of the Ardent group and the leader in the Belgian gaming and betting market, with presence in nine countries around the world.
  • Value Enhancement Partners and Ardent Equity Management on their sale of the Premium Sound Solutions group (PSS Group) to the Hong King listed company, AAC Technologies Holdings Inc.
  • Otary, the Belgian offshore wind developer (and itself a joint venture between 8 different parties active in renewables or off-shore), on its initial set-up and on the merger into “SeaMade” of the two wind offshore parks Mermaid (in which Engie, the Belgian electricity utility, also participated) and Seastar (in which Eneco, the Dutch utility, had an interest).
  • Kartesia, a leading European specialist provider of capital solutions for small and mid-sized companies, on the sale of its stake in the Sales Performance International group, via the sale of SPI LLC by the parent entity of the Group, to Truelink Capital, a Los Angeles based private equity firm focusing on investments in industrial and tech enabled services sectors.

Published Work

  • Mergers and Acquisitions in Belgium' - Wim Dejonghe and Wouter Van de Voorde - 2001, Kluwer Law International - The Hague, London, Boston

Recognition

“Wouter has a prominent practice acting for Belgian clients on significant strategic mergers. He is also widely experienced in advising international banking and private equity clients on acquisitions. He has excellent technical skills and is a very pragmatic lawyer ”
Chambers & Partners, 2023

Qualifications

Admissions

Belgium, 2002

Registered Foreign Lawyer, England and Wales, 2021

Academic

Master, Law, Universiteit Gent (RUG), 1994 

Master, European Law, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1995

Languages

Dutch, English
Disclaimer
A&O Shearman was formed on May 1, 2024 by the combination of Shearman & Sterling LLP and Allen & Overy LLP and their respective affiliates (the legacy firms). Any matters referred to above may include matters undertaken by one or more of the legacy firms rather than A&O Shearman.