AKD's employment practice addresses a range of issues for its clients, including restructuring in the context of collective dismissals and business closures, international mobility, and M&A employment issues, including TUPE. Practice head, Julien Hick, specialises in Belgian and EU labour law, and he regularly assists clients with cross-border businesses, transfers of undertakings, compensation and benefits, and related litigation and settlement negotiations.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- ‘I would really highlight Julien Hick as he personally follows up very closely on each specific request. Very considerate, strong, clear, pragmatic advice.’
- ‘AKD is a professional office with skilled lawyers who have good knowledge of our company and what is important to us, meaning they are excellent business partners. Their response is always concrete and fast, which makes it a joy to work with.’
- ‘The AKD legal team in both the Netherlands and Belgium stands out for its pragmatic approach, willingness to understand our industry, and ability to translate complex legal matters into actionable advice. Their responsiveness and clarity make them a trusted partner.’
- ‘What makes the practice unique is the customer service—the team is really following up strongly with tailored support, always very reactive and taking into consideration the requested pragmatic support.’
- ‘I have known Julien Hick for several years and have developed a genuine relationship of trust with him. What sets Julien apart is his combination of deep legal expertise, practical insight, and exceptional professionalism. Unlike many others in the field, he is not only technically proficient but also highly responsive and attentive to the specific needs of his clients.’
- ‘What makes the individual I work with stand out is a combination of deep expertise, a consistent commitment to delivering solutions, precision, agility, responsiveness, adaptability, reliability, and availability.’
Key clients
- AG Real Estate
- Medtronic
- Imperial Brands
- CFE Group
- Wasserman
- Boskalis
- Louis Delhaize Group
- Spadel
- CEFTA Secretariat
- Ncardia
- Barilla
- Akkermans & Partners
Work highlights
Assisted Medtronic with a redundancy exercise.
Assisted a leading multinational insurance company with the dismissal of two top (C-level) executives.
Assisted a leading multinational pharma company with a comprehensive reorganisation combining a redundancy and modification of the scope of certain (sensitive) commercial functions.
Practice head
Julien Hick
Other key lawyers
Heleen Franco