The Strelia Employment & Benefits Practice is a stand-alone practice. We focus on all the legal aspects of human resources, that is, people and reward, in any business operation. Although we work independently, we also remain fully integrated into the firm to provide a complete service offering to all our clients.

Our clients value our Employment & Benefits team as their trusted business partner because they know how much we value the importance of human resources, as human capital drives their businesses. We advise them on highly sensitive, complex, and board-level issues. We provide them with clear, tailor-made advice and strategies to help them to take the most appropriate HR and operational decisions and achieve business goals. Clients rely on us to deliver bespoke, pragmatic, and creative legal advice and solutions for their HR needs, from litigation to advisory work.

Our clients
Our clients range from Belgian companies to multinationals from an array of industries: finance, construction, consumer goods, ICT, pharmaceutical, chemical, entertainment, hospitality, consultancy services, and retail. Local and international not-for-profit organizations also entrust with their HR matters.

Our main areas of focus

- Day-to-day employment law matters: general HR policy, company rules & regulations, recruitment, drafting all types of HR-related documents and specific clauses, compensation and fringe benefits, health and safety at work, etc.
- Employment termination: individual employment contracts, individual dismissals, and specializing in dismissals of protected employees and senior executives.
- Corporate transformation and change management: corporate restructuring (including collective dismissals), plant or factory closure, transfer of undertakings, outsourcing. Our work in these types of matters include handling all legal and administrative formalities, such as drafting collective bargaining agreements and social plans, negotiating with trade and labour unions, and contacting and coordinating with public authorities (labour inspectors, social security office, etc.).
- Litigation: wage claims (e.g., claims for severance pay after wrongful termination or unfair dismissal), discrimination claims, and #metoo claims, dismissals of protected employees, etc.
- Compliance and audits: internal HR audits, labour audits and inspections, and criminal investigations.
- Negotiations with government agencies: social security office and tax authorities concerning settlements and rulings before or during litigation. Subject-matters include cost allowances, warrants, stock option plans, and copyright.
- Drafting (and negotiating) collective bargaining agreements: subject-matters include soft restructurings, such as changing working conditions, introducing flexible working time schemes, etc.
- Negotiations with trade union and employee representatives.
- Whistleblowing: setting up internal whistleblowing channels and procedures, and advising on internal investigations after whistleblower reports.
- Executives and equity compensation & benefits: incentives, choice-based compensation plans, etc.
- Industrial relations: union activity, labour actions and strikes, social elections, works councils, trade union delegation.
- Labour and employment law aspects in M&A transactions: we collaborate closely with Strelia’s Corporate and M&A team.