William Poelmans

As an associate in our Belgian Financial Regulation Group, William advises national and international clients on the full spectrum of Belgian and EU financial regulation.

William advises and assists domestic and international financial institutions on a broad range of transactional, advisory and contentious matters. His expertise includes banking and insurance regulation, insurance distribution, and key regulatory frameworks, including UCITS (Undertakings for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities), AIFMD (Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive), CRD (Capital Requirements Directive), EMIR (European Market Infrastructure Regulation), and MiFID (Markets in Financial Instruments Directive).

With a focus on delivering clear, business-oriented advice, William collaborates closely with financial institutions helping them overcome regulatory barriers and achieve their commercial priorities. His detailed understanding of the regulatory landscape allows him to deliver results that meet both immediate demands and long-term strategic goals.

He has been recognised as a key lawyer in "Insurance" and "EU Regulatory: Financial Services" in the Legal 500.

Work highlights

William has advised on a broad spectrum of contentious and non-contentious regulatory matters including*:

• Dajia Insurance Group in the context of the sale of Bank Nagelmackers, the oldest Belgian bank founded in 1747, to Caisse d’Epargne Hauts de France.
• One of the largest activist investment firms on the acquisition of a qualifying holding in a major publicly listed insurance group.
• Warburg Pincus in its sale of Aion Bank to Unicredit.
• A mobility services provider of a leading global automotive company in successfully managing a regulatory inspection and remediation process.
• A private equity fund in navigating the regulatory framework and obtaining the required regulatory approvals for the take-private of one of the largest international payment and money-transfer companies, for which the Belgian subsidiary holds the key EU licenses.
• A European insurance broker on the revision of its policies with a view to ensuring IDD compliance following an inspection by regulatory authorities.
• A large Belgian insurance company on the structuring and implementation of an extensive intra-group reorganisation.
• A major financial institution in obtaining a license, including setting up the necessary governance framework and policies, preparing the licensing file and engaging with regulators.

(*) including at previous law firm

William joined Linklaters Belgium as an associate in 2024. Before joining Linklaters he was working at another international law firm.

William was admitted to the Dutch-speaking section of the Brussels Bar in 2021.

William holds a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in law from the University of Antwerp and spent six months at the University of Namur as part of the Erasmus Belgica Program during his bachelor’s degree. He further specialized in international financial law through an LL.M. at the Dickson Poon School of Law at King's College London.

He speaks English, Dutch and French.