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Michiel shares his experience at Caluwaerts Uytterhoeven
Deel via LinkedInOffice news
24/10/2023
2 min read
Michiel Meskens joined Caluwaerts Uytterhoeven Lawyers in December 2021 and is from then on also a lawyer at the Antwerp Bar. Led by Mr. Kristiaan Caluwaerts and Mr. Federico Wuyts, he mainly handles files in corporate law and insolvency law.
Michiel has strengthened our team for almost two years now. He likes to look back on how the past two years have gone at our office.
The story of Michiel Meskens
'First of all, I have to share that during my final years in law school, I did have some doubts about simply taking the plunge into the legal profession. When corona gripped the world during my masters years at KU Leuven, I had to pause to discover for myself whether law, and by extension the legal profession, was for me.
Yet, when I came to apply for a job at Caluwaerts Uytterhoeven, I found that all this previous history was largely irrelevant to my (and the firm's) upcoming ambitions and what mattered most was what I wanted and could achieve within this firm. My choice was thus quickly made, partly because I immediately felt at ease.
Right from the start, several partners, in particular Mr. Caluwaerts and Mr. Wuyts, promptly took me under their wings and allowed me to learn and familiarise myself with large and very interesting cases in corporate law and insolvency law in a short period of time.
I was familiar with these two areas of law through my specialisation in Economic Law and through the summer internships I had already completed. As a result, I felt like a fish in the water right from the start and already in my first year I had the opportunity to assist in a variety of proceedings ranging from shareholder disputes, post-acquisition claims and directors' liability in the broad sense. In the meantime, I have followed many of these proceedings from start to finish, where every aspect of the legal profession and of litigation is covered.
I have also had the opportunity to assist in several judicial reorganisation procedures of well-known companies in Antwerp, which on the one hand gives these cases a close-to-home feeling and on the other hand, upon successful completion of the procedures, makes the legal assistance provided all the more satisfying.
In the meantime, I have also started a Master in Company Law at the KU Leuven (Brussels Campus), which is taken into account within the firm. This allows me to immediately apply my learned knowledge in practice.
I was also further impressed by the far-reaching professionalisation of the firm's knowledge and continued ambition in recent years. Thus, I started when there were about 30 lawyers working in this office. Meanwhile, we have moved to a new building, there are four new partners, and we will probably reach the 50-lawyer mark by the end of this year. Also, the full service to clients and the no-nonsense approach to always clear communication that is emphasised are things I have been able to pick up over the years.’
In summary
Michiel concludes, ‘I can say with full conviction that I am happy at Caluwaerts Uytterhoeven and that my work experience so far has been very pleasant. Nor have I stopped for a moment to think whether law practice was for me, in fact, through this firm I have discovered that I don't want anything else.’
Would you also like to gain knowledge and experience in corporate or insolvency law like Michiel? Or are you interested in another professional field? Then be sure to check out our vacancies. And who knows, see you soon!