Image of Sophie Rutten

Sophie Rutten

Senior Counsel

Email

Sophie.Rutten@aoshearman.com

Phone

+32 2 780 24 75

Offices

Brussels

V-CARD
Sophie specialises in corporate law and securities regulations.

She has over 25 years of experience in equity capital markets transactions, including IPOs, rights issues, private placements, block trades and equity lines. She has extensive experience in public takeovers, delistings, cross-border mergers and restructuring transactions of listed companies. She regularly advises boards on strategic and governance matters, MAR and public company reporting matters. Sophie advises a wide range of clients and sectors, including but not limited to the financial & banking, life sciences and real estate sectors.

Sophie’s high-quality work prompts regular recognition from the top legal directories: “Sophie Rutten's combination of experience, pragmatism and knowledge is stellar.” (Chambers & Partners, 2023)

Experience

Representative matters

  • Exmar on the public takeover by Saverex.
  • A multinational telecommunications company on the public takeover of Telenet.
  • DEME Group on its partial demerger from CFE and initial listing on Euronext Brussels.
  • Elia on its rights issue on Euronext Brussels (underwriters’ counsel).
  • Sioen on the public takeover by Sihold.
  • Shurgard on its IPO (underwriters counsel) and recent ABB (issuer counsel).
  • Azelis on its IPO on Euronext Brussels (underwriters’ counsel).
  • Titan Cement SA on its domiciliation in Belgium through the creation of a new holding company and a new listing of the client on Euronext Brussels (primary listing) and the Athens Stock Exchange and a possible listing on Euronext Paris.
  • Balta, as issuer, and a global private equity firm, as selling shareholder, on Balta's EUR500m IPO.
  • Sipef on its rights issue.
  • Balta, as issuer, and a global private equity firm, as selling shareholder, on Balta's initial public offering and listing of its shares on Euronext Brussels.
  • A group of financial institutions as underwriters on the initial public offering of X-Fab and listing of its shares on Euronext Brussels and Euronext Paris.
  • The Belgian Corporate Governance Commission on a comparative study of the Belgian Corporate Governance Code to assess whether there was a need to make revisions to the code in 2012 and 2017.

Published Work

  • De impact (vennootschapsrechtelijk en fiscaal) van 'corporate actions' op warrants, Tijdschrift voor rechtspersoon & vennootschap, trv nr 2007/5, August 2007, Patrick Smet and Sophie Rutten
  • Kan een naamloze vennootschap automatisch converteerbare obligaties en omgekeerd converteerbare obligaties uitgeven en wat is de bescherming van de houder van die effecten? Tijdschrift Financieel Recht, T.Fin.R. 2006/2, Pascal Weerts and Sophie Rutten
  • Europese Corporate Governance aanbevelingen inzake bestuurdersvergoedingen (over fat cats en rewards for failure), Tijdschrift voor rechtspersoon & vennootschap, trv nr 2004/5, Dirk Meeus and Sophie Rutten
  • Het lot van werknemersopties bij openbaar overnamebod en uitkoopbod Bank, Tijdschrift Financieel Recht, T.Fin.R. 2004/1, Johan Bohets and Sophie Rutten

Qualifications

Admissions

Stagiair, Belgium, 1994

Admitted as advocate, Belgium, 1998

Academic

Law Degree, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KUL), 1993

LLM, New York University, 1994

Languages

Dutch, English, French
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.