‘The C&E team is highly professional and complementary: experts working very well together to combine expertise in advice that is looked at from different perspectives.’

‘The major difference with other legal firms I have worked with is the exceptional combination of technically correct and smart advice that is at the same time pragmatic and operational: no ivory tower approach, on the contrary.’

‘C&E’s main strength is the pairing of strong technical expertise with pragmatic advice. In particular: – Best in class for employment law – Talented people – Client minded and eager to learn about the client – Accessible, available & responsive – Very much solution oriented – Openness to new technology – Transparency in billing. In short, a truly modern law firm as it should be.’

‘I predominantly work with Chris Engels. Chris stands out for the depth of his experience and expertise whilst never losing sight of a sensible and workable solution for the client. You feel confident with his advice. A great pleasure to work with.’

‘They are very hands-on and practical.’

‘Claeys & Engels combines solid and very professional knowledge in labour law issues with a keen eye on how to approach this in day to day operational HR practice.’

‘Our collaboration with Olivier Wauters is excellent, his flexible approach and outstanding legal knowledge is combined with a practical and down to earth mind, that keeps track on the day to day HR practice.’

‘The employment team is very proactive and dedicated to its clients. The team is very responsive and it is a pleasure to work with all the team.’

‘I regularly Philippe De Wulf. He is very responsive and he has a great knowledge of Belgian employment law. His advice is always good whatever the situation the clients are dealing with.’

‘Philippe De Wulf is the best partner for your labour issues. He is always focused on obtaining the best solution for the complex matters.’

‘The team is extremely responsive, comes up with innovative solutions, is dedicated to the client to the extreme and quality-wise is second to none in the Brussels market. The depth of their experience surpasses other employment firms or teams. They go beyond even the extra mile and seem to find innovative solutions to every problem for which others often only provide standard answers.’

‘Philippe De Wulf stands out as head of practice and is considered as (one of) the best employment lawyers in Brussels. Responsive, to the point, extremely fast mind, brilliance in analytical skills, focused and driven, very pleasant to work with and a very pleasant person.’

‘The team at Altius are very responsive, practical, cost-effective and user friendly.’

‘Emma Van Caenegem has a deep knowledge of labour legislation, even more importantly about some definite cases of its application in real cases. Emma has great capabilities to revise the case and suggest different possible scenarios, at the same time providing clear and comprehensive advice.’

‘Sven Demeulemeester is a top-notch lawyer with a pragmatic mindset.’

‘Agile employment team, being able to provide really hands-on and business oriented HR and employment law advice. That, combined with the Eubelius business model (top quality for fair pricing), makes this a top team to work with.’

‘Liesbet Vandenplas, for her clear understanding of business needs and balancing with employment law priorities, which is quite rare for employment lawyers. Very high availability and responsiveness.’

‘Very good communication and high quality work.’

‘Filip Van Beirendonck & Véronique Pertry are both professionals and have a lot of specialised knowledge concerning pension funds.’

‘Quick and very secure, quality standards are above expectations.’

‘Personal, warm, professional and dedicated.’

‘Able to deal with diverse and complex matters. The worked proved quite difficult and they showed great patience and thoughtfulness.’

‘Liesbet Vandenplas is calm, reliable, diligent.’

‘Responsive and appreciate the urgency of the matter at hand.’

‘We absolutely valued the team’s flexibility to meet (virtually) and their candid advice. No sugar coating but clear overview of options and risks in order to enable us to make educated decisions and device plans of action with and without legal support moving forwards. Trust and integrity are important to us as a company and whilst we understand that with making business decisions, comes making difficult decisions, Liedekerke enabled us to keep our people in mind at all times.’

‘The team have all shown a great deal of integrity and understanding of our business and ways of working when providing guidance. In particular Paul Geerebaert has shown great humanity and ability to relate and provide not only legal advice but support, guidance and (appropriate levels of) light-heartedness.’

‘Paul Geerebaert is very easy to work with, responsive, knowledgeable, and my clients value the services he has provided to them.’

‘Paul Geerebaert is very professional, intelligent and has the highest level of expertise on labour law that I have encountered.’

‘Good team with a good mix of seniority levels.’

‘Paul Geerebaert has a wealth of experience in Belgian social law advice, drafting and litigation. He is the lawyer you need when you are facing an important and/or urgent issue in terms of Belgian social law.’

‘Chloé Stassart’s availability, expertise and time of response are outstanding.’

‘The team combines business empathy and strategic thinking with profound legal knowledge. This combination in many cases leads to innovative approaches that suit the client’s needs.’

‘I have been a client of Kris De Schutter for many years, and in different roles. He drove the team to the excellent level it reached. His approach, combining business empathy and strategic thinking with profound legal knowledge, has become the DNA of the team. Besides, he is punctual, reliable, commercial. He is an absolute team player unlike the image of ‘sharks’ lawyers have.’

‘Always alert, client focused, honest, pragmatic.’

‘Good skilled lawyers with a pragmatic approach.’

‘Loyens & Loeff is a very trustworthy partner, who shows a very high level of expertise. The team we work with is extremely customer oriented, and very professional.’

‘Kris De Schutter and his team are always open to co-reflect on specific expertise matters. They come up with the right solutions and are able to obtain good results for our company. Moreover it’s a real pleasure to work with them: always there when you need them, proactive and professional.’

‘Filip Saelens is a pleasure to work with. Knowledgeable and responsive.’

‘The team provide great commercial advice that goes to the nub of the issue and are incredibly user-friendly.’

‘Very personal and highly responsive follow up of my case. Advice built on a deep understanding of the particularities of my situation.’

‘The team is very knowledgeable, reactive and client-focused. It is always a pleasure working with them.’

‘It is a multidisciplinary office affiliated with various international networks, ideal to help clients with cases related to different branches of law and cross-border aspects. The office offers the client a SPOC (with back-up) who puts the client in touch with the specialised department. The periods within which the client wishes to be advised, even if very urgent, are always respected.’

‘Alexander Vandenbergen deserves a special mention: hands-on, pragmatic, and very smart.’

‘We especially appreciate the knowledge they have. The years of experience in their/our industry and the constant training on the common topics ensure that we can confidently rely on their expertise and focus on our core tasks. We can always fall back and rely on their good advice and knowledge.’

‘What impressed me most is the ability of each of the Lydian representatives – regardless of their level – to understand the business context of our complex  organisation. More importantly, the representatives of Lydian are able to act accordingly to this business context and give hands-on, clear advice, regardless of the complexity of the case.’

‘Kato Aerts is knowledgeable and attentive.’

‘The Stibbe Employment practice is formed by a highly knowledgeable mix of partners, senior and junior associates, all of whom have a deep understanding and expertise in employment disputes and advice. The team provides pragmatic, understandable and consistent high quality advice.’

‘Jan Proesmans is a highly dedicated lawyer with deep expertise. Jan always gets to the bottom to obtain the best possible outcomes for its client.’

‘Our organisation has been relying on the law firm Stibbe for a very long time. Lawyer Elisabeth Matthys is always our contact. The services provided are exceptional and of a very high standard. Not only is their knowledge and skill top-notch, but they have also immersed themselves in the specific nature of our organisation, which yields top results both in terms of advice and procedures. The entire team is available at all times, which is quite exceptional. We never have to wait for a response. Their service is very far-reaching and goes beyond their specific domain.’

‘Elisabeth Matthys, partner at Stibbe, is an exceptionally talented person. She is extremely intelligent, has the right emotional intelligence, immediately empathises, immediately finds the core problem, is very well documented, writes fluently, has perfect analytical skills and pleads at such a high level that it is difficult to match her.’

‘Strong analyses, clear actions and a practical approach.’

‘Elisabeth Matthys is excellent: she avoids the long vague answers but has a clear opinion and provides guidance throughout the process. I love to work with Elisabeth as she actually answers your question in a straightforward fashion.’

‘For years now, Chris Van Olmen is top of the bill in employment law, leading a law firm with over 30 lawyers. Always doing a great job.’

‘Special credits to Thomas De Jongh who is a young lawyer with the enormous potential to become a leading lawyer in employment law in the years to come.’

‘Good availability, quick responses, good knowledge of labour law with pragmatic approach.’

‘Thomas De Jongh embodies the qualities of the firm and mixes it with his own pleasant personal hands-on approach.’

‘Van Olmen & Wynant is able to deal with a variety of Belgian employment law issues, whether very complex or simple, in a very smooth manner. Their advice is always straight to the point and clearly understandable by the client. I can rely on them and I know that I will get an answer within the allocated deadline.’

‘Chris Van Olmen and Nicolas Simon give very clear and reliable advice, pragmatic and client-oriented approach, and responsive at any time.’

‘Thomas De Jongh is an excellent Belgian lawyer – he is what makes this team.’

‘It is all about Thomas De Jongh really. He understands US clients and the US market like no other Belgian lawyer that I am aware of. He is commercial, responsive and a pleasure to work with – always my first choice for Belgian employment law advice.’

‘Very responsive and capable team. Easy to work with. Pragmatic and solution focused.’

‘Gert Cuppens has consistently provided us with prompt, pragmatic advice, tailored to client needs.’

‘The team is knowledgeable and pragmatic. They understand our business needs and are building legal solutions around that. This is what we are expecting from outside counsel. They are open to discussions and extremely responsive.’

‘Sophie Berg and Gaël Chuffart both stand out for their legal expertise, reactivity and pragmatism.’

‘Good, young team.’

‘The CMS team goes the extra mile to know and understand the client. One of their strengths is being able to anticipate our needs.’

‘Elke Duden has a great pulse on the market and an ability to provide practical advice and solutions to issues we are facing. I am impressed by her ability to hone in on the legal issues that a particular set of facts poses and to explain that to us and our clients.’

‘The team are deeply knowledgeable about employment and pensions practice in Belgium which is invaluable for an international business like us. They have recently supported and advised us through a complicated divestment and legal demerger and both their advice and their practical support was excellent.’

‘Elke Duden has been exceptional in her confident advice, great stakeholder management, depth of understanding and flexibility. Sofie Kusters also provided very practical support such as completing registration forms and drafting letters and communication materials for us.’

‘The team knows our company and its organisation and always provides us with practical hands on advice.’

‘Thomas De Donder and Stijn Demeestere have a unique hands on style and combine that with an incredible knowledge of employment law.’

‘Technically very strong and reliable, very pragmatic and creative. They think along with us as their client and translate the legal framework into practical advice that we can execute.’

‘Stijn Demeestere is a brilliant lawyer.’

‘Thomas De Donder is very strong; quickly grasps the situation and is able to provide advice on the spot.’

‘Personal approach of the team toward clients. Team members are available and internally updated which enables the client to go forward from a certain point without losing time on explaining recent developments.’

‘Eddy Lievens is a real partner when it comes to solving complex situations, not only by taking into account legislation, but also by providing balanced pro and cons of solutions that might affect the decision.’

‘Very quick on the response and always a very detailed response to any questions asked.’

‘Laurent De Surgeloose provides very concrete and thorough advice. He is very responsive and hands-on taking up new tasks. He is very knowledgeable in what he does.’

‘The Belgian team is very knowledgeable and always provide very accurate and prompt responses to my requests.’

‘The team is unique in the sense that they are very pragmatic, whilst being very professional and accurate. Moreover they are very reactive and flexible in communications channels.’

‘Eddy Lievens stands out as a very driven and engaged professional, knowing the ins and outs of social law and labour accidents in particular. He is very knowledgeable and experienced, and always reachable and willing to explain the issues and suggested strategies.’

‘Eddy Lievens is personable and delivers advice in a friendly and warm manner that is easy to digest and understand. Also goes in depth in researching the topic you are working on to ensure you receive the best possible advice.’

‘In my capacity as MD and Chairman, I had the opportunity to work with Fieldfisher Belgium on several occasions, and this to my utmost satisfaction. Their personal approach is unique, and as such they are capable of building a very strong, professional relationship. The knowledge of the partners and their respective team is rare, and that is why I have chosen to work with only one law firm, Fieldfisher.’

‘One partner stands out: Stefan Nerinckx. He is clearly a leader and an expert in his field. On top of this, his team is formed by himself and as such they really make the difference. Stefan Nerinckx is one of – if not the – best lawyers I know.’

‘Stefan Nerinckx is a legal expert with great business pragmatism. He is always available and fully dedicated to his clients. Very flexible, solution oriented, he is an invaluable resource to manage the complexity of Belgian employment laws and regulations.’

‘The team is extremely knowledgeable and professional. They provide excellent advice and are very committed to the client. What I appreciate most is that they are a relatively small team but nevertheless available 24/7. They have been entrusted with landmark cases in the private sector and in the same time they also represent government bodies.’

‘I have had the pleasure to meet and work with Stefan Nerinckx on several occasions. It was truly a pleasure; pragmatic, knowledgeable, Stefan brings down the legal problem to its essence. Very analytical, he will then propose different solutions to the issue, indicating the one he would advise to apply, taking into account the values, activity and history of the company/institution.’

‘Tim Perdieus is very knowledgeable and very client minded.’

‘The team is very responsive and knows the specificities of each client, which help making fast decisions.’

‘Mr. Stefan Nerinckx is a subject matter expert who is always on top of any new development in the employment law matter but who can explain this in easy terms and convert all his knowledge in decisions that are always fast and well balanced. He takes great care of his clients and remains always pragmatic. He is very efficient and responsive.’

‘Very responsive and pragmatic team, always available to help, and always giving us the feeling they put everything aside to assist us. High expertise and insight in likelihood and outcome of legal scenarios.’

‘Philippe François, authentic, very engaged, well informed, always keeps track of developments in company.’

‘The contact is personal and fast. The advice is sound. The lawyer takes the time to give clear and simple explanations. He is very open to discussion.’

‘We work mainly with Thierry Duquesne. We appreciate his clear and precise communication, his availability, his advice and his great availability.’

‘Reactive, supportive and informed guidance was provided.’

‘Easy to reach, professional conduct and creative in finding an optimal solution to my legal requirements.’

‘Very dedicated team with strong expertise and realistic approach.’

‘Understand business needs – looks for solutions that can be implemented.’

‘Extremely available and clear in their explanations, they always show problem-solving skills. Solution oriented, they are able to provide concrete consulting and not solely theoretical assessments which is very valuable.’

‘Very experienced, proactive and realistic in their advice and solutions.’

‘Chantal Biernaux is incomparable with her experience but at the same time the drive and the client-orientation that is needed nowadays.’

‘Chantal Biernaux is a class act.’

‘Professional advice and easy to contact for additional queries or clarifications. Solid international network.’

‘Very accessible and professional. Good at pointing out potential risks and the qualification of that risk.’

‘The KPMG law social team advises us on a wide range of day-to-day legal HR matters such as: privacy matters related to personnel; homeworking policy and the reimbursement of costs related to homeworking.’

‘KPMG law always manages to deliver relevant, pragmatic and effective advice/solutions and always with short notice.’

‘Alexis Ceuterick, partner, meets our key expectations, i.e. delivering straightforward and to the point advice. He always makes sure to indicate effectively and clearly what actions need to be taken, with an indication of pros and cons, including the consequences associated with each option.’

‘High availability, quick responses, pragmatic approach.’

‘Tom Messiaen translates the realistic outcomes of a case into a pragmatic advice.’

‘The team delivers specialised services in different types of problems.’

‘We consider Monard Law as a centre of expertise and would characterise their services as highly client-centred. They have guided us effortlessly through each of our requests for advice/intervention. We believe that they understand very well how to involve clients in the process and guide them through the legal jungle; they respect the client’s demands and do their utmost to fulfil expectations.’

In our opinion, Mr Theeuwes excels on many levels. His legal team also lives up to its credentials and to its educational/professional background. Moreover, their approach is exemplary in terms of client-friendliness. They are very hands-on, well-organised, and (contrary to many other firms) exceptionally forthcoming; we genuinely appreciate that the client’s convenience is on their priority list.’

‘Mr Theeuwes and his team tick the box on all fronts. In our experience, they are more knowledgeable and experienced in respect to international matters and contexts than other firms. Also, they are very punctual and efficient in providing clear and unambiguous advice and in running appropriate interventions.’

‘The overall performance of Mr Theeuwes is outstanding. His advice is meticulous (not too elaborate) and his interventions are well-considered and well-prepared.’

‘I have worked with many external law firms worldwide and find Osborne Clarke Belgium collaborative with their communication and advice.’

‘The business has had a close working relationship with Thierry Viérin at the firm over the past few years. Thierry’s communication with business is exceptional and he is the first point of call for all Legal matters for the company’s Belgian business.’

‘During our dealings, Osborne Clarke re-shuffled its entire team in order to provide the more accurate expertise, with sometimes less than a few days’ notice and mobilised its staff to react to tight deadlines and unforeseen events. The consultancy provided was exhaustive, concise and was utilised at the highest level in our organisation.’

‘I appreciated the reactivity and reliability, which were time essential and adaptability to a range of unexpected scenarios. Open-minded and creative partners, capable of providing answers and base for decision even though we were steering in multiple directions due to the force of the external constraints, above all political. Very diplomatic and empathetic in some difficult meetings where tensions were palpable on both sides, always rational and moderate, but also assertive and confident.’

‘Mr Viérin and Ms Rysselinck in particular were at our side along the painful steps of the process and highly professional committed consultants.’

‘The speed at which they reply or advise is outstanding.’

‘At all times they collaborate within the association and then advise, particularly true of Sara Beutels. Her outstanding competence and profound knowledge in the labour law allow her to lead the dossier in accordance with our requests and position her swift understanding and interpretation of our request and its feasibility into labour law.’

‘The firm is very responsive to inquiries and keeping us well-informed of legal changes during Covid.’

‘The clarity and prompt communication makes them stand out.’