"An excellent team with extensive experience in launching first-time funds, adept at establishing the foundational structures and operational mechanics necessary for long-term success.’
Cresco Advocaten acts for PE funds and start-ups across a range of by- and sell-side transactions as well as corporate governance and venture capital matters. The team is led by David Dessers, who possesses a wealth of transactional experience, particularly with regard to venture capital financing and acquisitions in the tech sector. Glenn L’hoëst possesses experience assisting on funding rounds and transactions for technology and infrastructure clients. Olivier Van Raemdonck combines transactional experience with intellectual property expertise.
‘They are very experienced in setting up deep-tech VC funds and structuring deep-tech direct VC deals.'
‘Their cooperation was exceptional. They are fast and smart and immediately understand what you need. Agile and to the point. ’
‘An excellent team with extensive experience in launching first-time funds, adept at establishing the foundational structures and operational mechanics necessary for long-term success.’
‘Glenn L'hoest is exceptionally responsive, consistently providing timely and thoughtful replies. He demonstrates a deep understanding of his field, showcasing both strong technical knowledge and practical insight.’
‘Client-focused team and firm. Always going to the next level. Work is of high quality.’
‘Very competent and dedicated team.'
'Both the founding partner, David Dessers and the managing partner Olivier Van Raemdonck, are always on the ball and deliver when needed.'
'Open and honest communication.'
Cresco Advocaten is a key port of call among funds and venture- and private equity-backed companies on high-value transactions. The practice notably boasts a long track-record in assisting entrepreneurs throughout a scale-up business’ lifecycle. Regularly acting across the technology, life sciences, and energy and infrastructure segments, practice heads David Dessers and Glenn L’hoëst are active on corporate M&A, private equity transactions, and venture capital investments.
'Exceptional professionals who combine technical mastery with clear, pragmatic guidance.'
'What sets them apart is the rare mix of technical excellence, business sense, and pragmatic deal-making. They are faster, more precise, and more collaborative than many firms we have worked with.'
'They combine legal precision with pragmatism and a strong business focus, providing solution-oriented advice that helps clients make confident decisions.'
‘What makes this practice stand out is the combination of high technical quality and a very human, pragmatic approach.'
'Overall, it’s a team that combines trust, accessibility, and sophistication — a rare balance in this field.’
'What we valued most was their availability, their ability to anticipate needs, and the sense that they were fully invested in achieving the best outcome for us.’
'David Dessers stands out as a truly exceptional advisor: coming from industry, he understands the entrepreneur’s needs better than anyone. He always steers towards practical, business-driven solutions.'
'Glenn L’hoëst stands out for his strategic insight, calm leadership, and responsiveness, ensuring that complex negotiations are handled efficiently and with confidence.'
Cresco Advocaten fields a focused ICT and telecoms team specialising in IP, IT and corporate partnering transactions, guiding tech companies through the full growth cycle. The practice is particularly strong in innovation-driven sectors, assisting with strategy, commercialisation and funding. David Dessers co-heads the team with corporate and VC expertise, alongside Olivier Van Raemdonck, noted for advising technology ventures on strategic domestic and international transactions.
'The IT team really understands how tech deals work. They don’t just read the contracts; they understand how projects actually run, and that makes their advice practical. We’ve worked with them on very complex cloud and escrow contracts, and they spotted risks we would never have noticed. They also keep us ahead of new regulations and quickly turn that into agreements and action plans we can rely on. They’re fast, clear, and don’t waste time. They also understand the commercial side of things, which makes them easy to trust.'
'Olivier is pragmatic and knows IT contracting down to the details. He understands the legal and commercial parts of our business and uses that mix to move deals forward. He defends our position firmly but always with the goal of closing workable agreements. What I notice most is how he keeps negotiations calm and efficient, even when the other side tries to drag them out or complicate things. He has a sharp eye for what’s worth fighting for and what’s just noise. Ward is a very experienced and knowledgeable contract drafter and negotiator. He sees immediately how providers set up their contracts and where the risks and pitfalls are. He can benchmark positions on the spot and show us exactly where to push. On top of that, Ward seems to keep a close watch on IT and IP evolutions and translates new rules into practical steps for us. That mix of market knowledge and regulatory insight was important in our negotiations.'
'The team is highly empathetic, engaging, personal and professional, and we never have to chase or remind somebody for an action.’
‘David Dessers and the Cresco team demonstrate a collective strong competence and expertise, but interestingly enough, all individuals we work with have the same mindset. showing genuine interest in our business, giving us a feeling they are part of our team, defending our interests, being creative and inquisitive, challenging the status quo.'
‘Cresco has an excellent IP team, led by Ward Verwaren, that is highly specialised in drafting, negotiating, and structuring complex intellectual property agreements. Their experience spans licensing, technology transfer, R&D collaborations, software development and distribution agreements, as well as trademark and copyright licensing.’
‘Ward Verwaeren stands out for his responsiveness and client-focused approach. He is not only quick to grasp complex issues but also a genuine pleasure to collaborate with.’
‘Cresco stands out through a combination of accessibility, legal expertise, and genuine personal engagement. They are not only quick to respond but also genuinely invested in your matters. It feels like working with someone who truly understands your case, not like "just another file number."'
‘Olivier van Raemdonck is particularly impressive in how he combines deep IP expertise with genuine mastery of IT and telecom sector dynamics. He's not just a theoretical IP lawyer – he understands the tech and telecom industries intimately, which makes his counsel immediately practical and commercially relevant.'
‘The collective expertise of the team is mind-blowing thanks to the strong profiles and characters that constitute the overall experience and depth of knowledge on specific and respective topics.'
Cresco Advocaten assists on a broad range of disputes across the corporate and commercial law space. Leveraging strong relationships across the Belgian start-up, scale-up, and entrepreneurial landscape, the firm demonstrates particular strength in the technology sector. Steven Daems heads the practice and represents corporates, investors, directors, and entrepreneurs across post-M&A, commercial, shareholder, directors’ liability, and IP disputes. Elyse Vandevelde supports on corporate, commercial, and IP litigation.
‘Amazing team, disciplined, professional, quick to respond.’
'For them this was not just another case but it felt like they were part of my company and really fought for it.'
'The cresco lawyers stayed cool and focused on the case. I can only strongly recommend anyone to work with them.’
'Easy to approach.'
'Steven Daems is involved and effective.'
'Elyse Vandevelde and Steven Daems made sure I knew exactly what was going to happen and how they were going to do it.'
‘Amber Sampana: excellent deep technical knowledge; solutions driven.'
'Cresco strictly focuses on business law which gives them an edge in terms of expertise and exposure to "similar" cases.'
