Vincent Macq

About Vincent Macq

Vincent heads the firm's corporate group in Belgium.

He is a leading M&A lawyer who specialises in public and private M&A transactions, and equity and debt capital markets operations.

Vincent advises Belgian and international corporate clients across a number of sectors, as well as financial investors on public takeovers, private acquisitions, privatisations and joint ventures, in Belgium and abroad.

Over the years, Vincent has developed a strong relationship with his clients, who come to him for boardroom advice and assistance in the early stage of strategic projects. His negotiation skills and expertise in leading and co-ordinating complex deals are second to none.

Vincent works hand in hand with the finance, competition and tax teams in Brussels. Thanks to his extensive experience in multijurisdictional matters, he is in regular contact with the broad network of lawyers at Freshfields and around the world.

Vincent is fluent in French, Dutch and English.

Recent work

• Advising Catalent on (i) its acquisition of Delphi Genetics SA, a Belgium-based plasmid DNA cell and gene therapy CDMO and (ii) its acquisition of 100% of the shares in Hepathic Cell Therapy Support SA from Promethera Biosciences SA.
• Advising Belgian listed company Groupe Bruxelles Lambert SA (GBL) and Parjointco NV on a simplification of their group holding structure materialised by a public exchange offer on Swiss listed company Pargesa Holding SA, through which shareholders of Pargesa Holding have been offered shares in GBL.
• Advising Vinçotte, a Belgian market leader in TIC (testing, inspection & certification) services, and its sole shareholder the Vinçotte Foundation, on the sale of the Vinçotte group to Kiwa.
• Advising Holcim Group on its acquisition of a 100% participation in Albatros Invest BV and its subsidiary Polytechnisch Bedrijf BV (PTB Compaktuna).
• Advising Anheuser-Busch InBev on the sale of its Australian subsidiary, Carlton & United Breweries, to Asahi Group Holdings for an enterprise value of $11.3bn, allowing the world’s larger brewer to accelerate its expansion into other fast-growing markets in the APAC region and globally. 
• Advising Anheuser-Busch InBev on its acquisition of SABMiller for €92bn through a complex three-step transaction consisting of a scheme of arrangement in the UK, a Belgian takeover bid and a reverse merger under Belgian law whereby a new Belgian top company leads the combined group, with listings on Euronext Brussels, and the New York, Johannesburg and Mexico stock exchanges. Read more about the deal in our case study.
• Advising BHF Kleinwort Benson Group and its board of directors on its response to the voluntary public takeover bid for the company launched by Fosun, and the subsequent counterbid made by Oddo for €757m.
• Advising Viohalco, a major Greek industrial group, on several corporate reorganisations involving complex and innovative techniques. It included several cross-border mergers and the IPOs of two new holding entities on Euronext Brussels and the Athens stock exchange.
• Advising Canada Pension Plan Investment Board on the acquisition of a 39 per cent stake in Belgian car parking operator Interparking from AG Real Estate for €376m.