From in-depth expertise to hands-on dossier approach: Michaël Boudry on the Novius DNA

After an Erasmus year in Barcelona, Michaël applied to Novius. A successful move, because a week later he sat down with Master Merckx and the collaboration started.

"I knew immediately: this is where I fit in. The location, the subject matter, the personal connection... Starting at Novius felt like coming home. I started as a trainee on all kinds of files and in the meantime followed a manama company law, which allowed me to specialise more and more in topics such as M&A. In 2013 I became a partner and to this day I still feel the same click as when I first walked in here. Between the partners, there is a kind of uniform understanding."

In addition to strong, authentic direction, Novius is characterised by a very good knowledge of corporate and company law and tax law. Tax planning, restructuring and partial demergers, mergers and acquisitions, disputes between shareholders, commercial contracts, ... From the start, Novius made the strategic choice to focus mainly on expertise in tax law and company law.

"From ambitious entrepreneurs, to established corporates: we have a very solid and loyal clientele, often people who have followed and trusted us for years. We decisively assist them throughout their entrepreneurial journey, from the establishment of a company to issues surrounding insolvency and reorganisation."

A broad knowledge capital, which Novius streamlines internally in various expertise teams. "A conscious choice," explains Michaël. 

"Over the years, we have grown in numbers and competences, always with a focus on specialisation according to our niches. In the meantime, we have developed three expertise teams: a corporate law team, a tax law team and an insolvency law team, as well as a specific M&A team. These specialised teams meet alternately every fortnight, during which we zoom in on current affairs, legal journals, basic case law, etc. In our sector, keeping up to date is a must, especially in light of the recent amendments to the Civil Code and the Companies and Associations Code."

"Specialised, deepened expertise is the spearhead of this,"Michaël explains. "As a law firm, we have no ambition to master every branch of law. On the contrary, we want to go into depth, bet on in-depth knowledge. If you are facing a counterpart from another firm, you had better be the better of the two. This is also what our clients expect, that we show expertise. If we don't, we won't be relevant tomorrow."

So knowledge is key, but the realistic, hands-on way Novius supports its professional clientele is also a unique asset of the firm. Michaël explains. "Entrepreneurs need applied advice. Our lawyers always try to formulate hyper-concrete answers. We do not write books of advice, but inform clients in a targeted way, always according to his or her unique needs and context. In this sense, we are very pragmatic. Strategic thinking, good analysis and tackling problems so that they eventually get solved: that is worth more to us than getting caught up in theoretical discussions."

In doing so, Novius seeks a lasting solution out of court as much as possible. "Durable in the sense that an agreement will last in the long term", Michaël clarifies. "Without running the other party into the ground or making the most of it, but rather by striving for a situation in which all parties feel comfortable. This also applies in contract negotiations: the best deal is one that contains bread for each party. If that balance is not there, you will run into problems sooner or later. Our lawyers advise clients with great understanding and confidence towards a long-term tailor-made solution."

The need for specialised, tailor-made legal advice will only increase in the coming years. Especially now that artificial intelligence is increasingly becoming part of our daily lives. Will lawyers soon be replaced by AI, with conclusions and advice automatically rolling out of the computer? Michaël defends the opposite. 

"Lawyers will never disappear: they are the guardians of the rule of law. We should therefore see technological developments such as AI not as a threat, but as a tool. Just as you used to write conclusions with a pen and now with a computer. Or that you used to do searches at the library and now scour the internet. Maybe tomorrow we will write our conclusions via AI, why not? Artificial intelligence is evolving at lightning speed, I wonder when legal software will embrace AI so that it becomes common place for lawyers. But even then, you need specialised lawyers to know when technology is hitting its limits. Just think of examples in the United States where arguments were developed using AI, referring to fictional precedents. So a human eye, combined with thorough know-how and specialisation, remains essential to put forward a correct and sustainable legal solution."