Claeys & Engels maintains its longstanding reputation as a top-tier specialist firm capable of handling the full breadth of employment matters, with its very large team of lawyers handling tax, data protection, and immigration matters in addition to advising on core employment issues. Pension-related questions and corporate restructurings are key areas of expertise for the firm, which counts leading Belgian and multinational corporates from a range of sectors such as retail and financial services as well as a wide array of public bodies on its client roster. Olivier Wouters is a key contact for restructuring work, in addition to handling the employment aspects of complex M&A, and co-leads the practice with Chris Engels, who is noted for his extensive experience handling collective dismissals. Inger Verhelst specialises in union relations and employee discrimination matters, while Sophie Maes stands out for her advice on cross-border employment and immigration matters.

In addition to advising on corporate transactions and reorganisations, A&O Shearman represents its domestic and multinational corporate clients in internal investigations and litigation, especially in the context of terminations, employee conduct concerns as well as payment and benefit disputes. Close collaboration with the firm’s global network and with the corporate, IP, and tax practices allows the team to offer clients comprehensive due diligence advice in the context of new policy roll-outs, M&A, and leadership changes, while also being well equipped to advise on employment contracts and collective bargaining matters. The practice is led by Christian Bayart, who is particularly well versed in compensation and restructuring matters. Further key contacts include benefits expert Inge Vanderreken and Virginie Vercheval.

The team at ALTIUS advises on cross-border mergers and transactions, assists with restructuring and TUPE matters, and handles individual and collective dismissals and employee disputes for a client base of large corporates that is particularly concentrated in the sports sector. The team also regularly advises on the implementation of new company-wide policies and remuneration schemes, working closely with partner firms to provide integrated employment and tax advice to its clients. Practice head Philippe De Wulf handles a wide portfolio of contentious and non-contentious employment issues, with a particular focus on transactional matters. Sven Demeulemeester and Grégory Ernes have represented Belgian football clubs and sports governing bodies in high-profile dismissals and contract disputes. Emma Van Caenegem is the key name at counsel level. Pauline Van Parys joined from Strelia in April 2024.

Major multinationals in the life sciences, TMT, retail, and financial services sectors instruct Baker McKenzie CVBA/SCRL to advise on the full spectrum of HR and employment litigation matters. The team is especially reputed for its ability to provide advice on the employment aspects of corporate reorganisations and restructuring projects and also stands out for advising on senior hires and dismissals, internal and external investigations, and misconduct cases. Practice head Nancy Luyten primarily advises on employment contracts and terminations, while Sebastian Burg is an expert in restructurings and Annick Van Hoorebeke focuses on executive compensation matters. François Gabriel left the firm in December 2022.

The team at CMS is ‘exceptionally knowledgeable‘ across employment and pensions issues and is capable of providing support to the likes of Google in the context of global transactions and restructuring projects, while also handling a large volume of HR matters related to benefits, harassment claims, and dismissals. The team is also well versed in litigation and has a particular focus on clients in the gig economy, with Sophie Berg representing major multinationals in high-profile employee classification and remuneration disputes. Practice head Gaël Chuffart is noted for his expertise in collective bargaining, while Elke Duden focuses on corporate reorganisations and contract negotiations.

The employment team at Liedekerke stands out for its expertise in all dismissal-related questions, advising on individual and collective dismissals in the context of TUPE and restructuring projects, employee misconduct and criminal investigations, and closures. Practice head Paul Geerebaert is a key contact for this line of work and is noted in particular for his ability to represent clients before labour courts and tribunals. Further contacts in the team, which is also capable of advising Belgian and foreign corporate clients as well as governmental and public institutions on collective bargaining matters, discrimination claims, and the employment aspects of M&A, include Vincent Busschaert and Bruno Aguirre.

Loyens & Loeff combines tax and HR expertise to provide a comprehensive employment offering to clients located primarily in the retail, financial services, tech, and industrials sectors. Areas of focus for the team include advising on the employment aspects of corporate mergers, acquisitions, and reorganisations, as well as senior-level dismissals, immigration matters and new company-wide remuneration policies. Since the arrival of Joris Beernaert from Claeys & Engels in November 2022, the team also serves as the central point of contact for an increasing number of clients seeking advice on pensions and benefit-related matters. Beernaert now co-leads the practice with vastly experienced restructuring specialist Kris De Schutter and Filip Saelens, who is adept at handling the employment aspects of cross-border transactions.

Lydian‘s team comprises a large roster of employment and pensions specialists capable of advising Belgian and multinational clients as well as notable individuals on contentious and non-contentious employment matters. Litigation and investigations are a core are of focus for the team, with practice co-heads Alexander Vandenbergen and Jan Hofkens having recently represented clients in complex and high-profile disciplinary proceedings related to toxic leadership, contentious dismissals, and gender-based discrimination claims. The team also provides routine advice on HR contracts and policies and handles the employment aspects of corporate restructurings and closures, with Jurgen De Vreese serving as a key contact in this space. Kato Aerts, who provides employment advice in the context of cross-border undertakings, and health and discrimination expert Eveline Ankaert are also highly recommended.

Leading multinationals and Belgian corporate and public clients rely on Stibbe‘s comprehensive employment and pensions expertise, which encompasses restructuring projects, harassment and discrimination claims, and payment disputes and is particularly concentrated in the area of collective dismissals. The team handles contentious and non-contentious dismissals in the context of corporate reorganisations and internal investigations and also assists with dismissal-related trade union negotiations. Elisabeth Matthys, who is a key contact for this line of work, maintains close relations with clients in the sports sector and co-leads the team with Jérôme Aubertin, who has ‘exceptional knowledge’ of employment and social security litigation. Pensions and insurance expert Jan Proesmans is also recommended. Dieter Demuynck left the team in December 2022.

Van Olmen & Wynant cements its presence in the market through its extensive experience in employment litigation, representing standout Benelux corporates and public organisations in high-profile disputes before Belgian labour and constitutional courts. The team is particularly well versed in defending clients in equality and discrimination claims. Under the leadership of Chris Van Olmen, the group also leverages its employment expertise to advise on collective dismissals in the course of corporate restructurings and mergers. Vincent Vuylsteke focuses on civil service law, while Gautier Busschaert has experience advising on European social law. Nicolas Simon is also recommended for his advice on harassment, privacy, and discrimination issues.

In addition to advising corporate clients in Belgium and abroad on the employment aspects of high-profile M&A, Clifford Chance is capable of handling a wide array of strategic employment matters, advising on the introduction of new company-wide remuneration, working time and whistleblowing arrangements, handling collective bargaining and union negotiations, and assisting with TUPE and restructuring projects. Practice head Gert Cuppens also advises on senior-level hires and dismissals and handles a large volume of contentious matters around issues such as employee fraud.

Deloitte Legal‘s integrated tax, HR and financial law expertise enables the team to maintain a wide-ranging portfolio of employment and pensions work that encompasses drafting new corporate and regulatory frameworks, advising on corporate restructuring and downsizing initiatives, and representing its roster of corporate clients in dismissals and discrimination-related disputes before employment tribunals. Practice co-heads Stijn Demeestere and Alexis Ceuterick are both well versed in dismissals work and regularly handle the employment aspects of M&A and collective dismissals procedures, while Stefanie Van de Perre, who joined from PwC Legal in January 2023, focuses on social security and criminal law.

DLA Piper is noted for its cross-border approach to employment work, advising clients on international HR matters related to dismissals, multijurisdictional reorganisations and M&A, and complaints directed at global corporate entities. The team is also well versed in domestic regulatory matters, advising on corporate employment policy roll-outs and representing clients in contentious dismissal, accident and discrimination claims. Practice head Eddy Lievens is an expert in restructuring and whistleblowing issues, while Laurent De Surgeloose is noted for his collective dismissals and investigations expertise.

Eubelius fields a team of ‘true specialists‘ whose expertise ranges from HR-related matters such as restructurings, dismissals, and collective bargaining to contentious issues, including whistleblowing procedures, external and internal investigations, and questions surrounding pension reforms and employee classification. The team’s broad client base encompasses major Belgian corporates as well as public sector organisations, which instruct the team to advise on constitutional issues in the context of new employment legislation. Liesbet Vandenplas heads up the practice and advises across a wide spectrum of contentious and non-contentious employment matters. Former practice co-head Veronique Pertry left the firm in June 2023, while Filip Van Beirendock departed in December 2022.

The team at Fieldfisher is led by ‘technically top-notch‘ employment expert Stefan Nerinckx, whose cross-border experience allows the team to advise international corporations on the employment aspects of their European expansions and defend clients in EU-wide contract and dismissal-related disputes. Additionally, the team provides routine due diligence advice in relation to new employment legislation such as the EU whistleblowing directive, and advises on cross-border restructurings as well as the introduction of new corporate policies. Further key contacts include Anne Kamp and Tim Perdieus.

The ‘reliable and experienced team‘ at Linklaters routinely handles the employment aspects of strategic undertakings for the likes of Solvay and JP Morgan, focusing primarily on guiding clients through the implementation of new employment regulations and corporate policies as well as employee transfers and dismissals in the context of restructurings and corporate transactions. Litigation is a further area of focus for the team, with Luc Vanaverbeke handling a wide range of discrimination and employee fraud cases. Practice head Nele Van Kerrebroeck is a key contact for whistleblowing matters and corporate reorganisations, while Caroline Borgers handles tax and social security-related matters.

Belgian and multinational clients in the life sciences, TMT and manufacturing sectors benefit from NautaDutilh‘s full-service offering, which enables the team to provide integrated employment, insolvency and tax advice on complex cross-border M&A, corporate reorganisations, and judicial restructurings. In addition to advising on the employee transfer aspects of transactional undertakings, the team handles contentious proceedings arising from collective and individual dismissals as well as from contract disputes. Transactional employment specialist Philippe François leads the team, which is also home to collective bargaining and discrimination expert Thierry Duquesne.

Osborne Clarke‘s team is knowledgeable across the spectrum of hiring and dismissal-related matters, regularly advising its roster of clients in the tech, retail and life sciences sectors on contentious and non-contentious corporate reorganisations and M&A, employee transfers, collective dismissals, and the onboarding of new executives. The team is also well equipped to handle pensions issues and relies on the expertise of Vinciane Rysselinck to advise on an increasing volume of immigration-related matters. Practice head Thierry Viérin is noted for his restructuring and TUPE expertise, while Bernd De Marrez is an expert in employment matters in the sports sector.

Boutique firm Reliance | Littler handles a wide variety of transactional employment matters, ranging from M&A and reorganisations to collective dismissals and cross-border employee transfers, and also represents its clients in contentious proceedings related to remuneration, pensions and benefits. The consortium of practice heads includes immigration and international mobility expert Koen De Bisschop, restructuring specialist Edward Carlier, Anne-Valérie Michaux, who advises on the employment aspects of Belgian market entries, and Stéphanie De Ridder, who specialises in data protection matters. Whistleblowing and dismissals expert Yne Machiels is also recommended.

Boutique firm Sotra maintains a ‘very professional and specialised‘ team that acts for corporate and public sector clients across the full breadth of social and employment law. In addition to advising on routine employment matters such as individual dismissals and collective bargaining, the team is also capable of handling the contentious and non-contentious aspects of company policy roll-outs, TUPE and restructuring projects, and disciplinary investigations. Practice head Olivier Rijckaert is noted for his dismissal and union negotiation expertise, while Marian Dewaersegger stands out for her ability to represent clients in contentious matters. Jonathan De Wilde frequently leads on public sector work, while Noël Lambert handles work for clients in the healthcare sector.

Offering its clients a comprehensive service across various domains of employment law, boutique firm Younity is particularly reputed for its pensions expertise, advising both corporate and public sector clients on complex pension scheme modifications. Integrated expertise in immigration, employment, and data privacy law further allows the team to advise on TUPE and restructuring undertakings, collective bargaining matters, transactional issues, as well as contentious and non-contentious dismissals. The practice is led by collective bargaining expert Jean-Philippe Cordier and pensions specialist Corinne Merla, and is bolstered by the expertise of managing partner Brecht Cops.

AKD‘s employment team serves a growing base of clients in the Benelux region and abroad and is well versed in transactional matters, handling employee transfers, collective dismissals and closures in connection with corporate M&A and restructuring projects. Team lead Julien Hick is an experienced adviser and litigator who manages collective and individual employment issues and regularly defends clients before labour courts. Heleen Franco is also recommended for corporate employment matters.

In addition to leveraging its global network to advise multinational clients on cross-border restructurings and mobility issues, the team at Bird & Bird also advises Benelux-based companies on union negotiations, employee fraud issues, and the employment aspects of corporate policy roll-outs. Employment litigation expert Pieter De Koster co-leads the team with Anton Aerts, who is noted for his immigration expertise as well as for his ability to advise on corporate reorganisations and collective dismissals.

Crowell & Moring‘s employment portfolio spans individual and collective issues, including senior-level dismissals, restructuring projects, and regulatory questions surrounding HR policies, with integrated corporate and data protection expertise rounding out the offering. Experienced restructuring and collective disputes expert Emmanuel Plasschaert co-leads the team with Evelien Jamaels, who is particularly noted for her experience handling international mobility matters for the practice’s varied client base.

Dismissal-related advice represents a cornerstone of the offering at Eversheds Sutherland, with the team handling both individual terminations at senior level as well as collective dismissals and collective bargaining issues in connection with corporate reorganisations, office wind-downs, and closures. Employment litigation is a further area of focus for the team, which is co-led by experienced dismissal expert and former labour tribunal judge Stefan Corbanie and restructuring specialist Céline Wauters.

Jones Day‘s employment practice is led by experienced labour and social security expert Chantal Biernaux, whose portfolio encompasses restructuring and collective bargaining matters as well as employment litigation related to termination and remuneration issues. The team has extensive cross-border expertise, frequently collaborating with the firm’s international offices to handle multi-jurisdictional contracting and harmonisation issues, and accordingly maintains a client base consisting of both Benelux-based corporations as well as large multinationals.

Experienced restructuring and collective bargaining expert Damien Stas de Richelle heads up the employment practice at Laurius, which routinely advises multinational entities on local regulatory matters, guides clients through restructuring endeavours, and handles sensitive senior-level dismissals. The team is particularly active in advising international franchises and growth companies on the set-up of Belgian activities.

Monard law, joined by Buyle handles a large volume of transactional and advisory matters for its roster of Belgian SMEs and large multinationals, including TUPE and corporate reorganisations, immigration issues, and compliance matters, and is also capable of advising on contentious issues such as dismissals and discrimination claims. The practice maintains offices across the country and is led by Tom Messiaen, Peter Dufaux and Bert Theeuwes, who is a key contact for cross-border employment work.

The employment team at PwC Legal maintains a strong regulatory offering, frequently working with global clients to provide domestic compliance advice in connection with market entries and operation set-ups, and is additionally capable of advising its clients on major restructuring operations, social inspections and disputes with employees. TUPE and collective dismissal expert Pascale Moreau leads the team, which is further bolstered by the expertise of restructuring and pensions expert Sara Vanderstraeten.

Under the leadership employment practitioner Stefanie Tack, who took over the practice leadership in early 2023, Strelia is capable of handling a large volume of employee transfers and terminations in the context of corporate restructurings and also advises a growing number of clients on whistleblowing matters. The team also acts for its base of Belgian and multinational clients in contentious matters, including criminal investigations as well as discrimination and harassment claims. Vastly experienced restructuring expert Herman Craeninckx left for Simmons & Simmons in March 2024, followed by Pauline Van Parys, who advises on discrimination, remuneration and collective bargaining matters, departing in April 2024.

Belgian SMEs, listed companies and a growing roster of global clients instruct Tetra Law to advise on the employment aspects of corporate M&A and restructuring as well as to act in discrimination, harassment, fraud, and safety-related litigation. The team also draws on practice head Sylvie Lacombe‘s vast experience in transactional and contentious work to handle all matters surrounding the modification and termination of work contracts.

Life sciences expert and employment litigation specialist Catherine Longeval leads the team at Van Bael & Bellis, which focuses particularly on handling individual and collective dismissals in the context of restructuring projects and on representing its clients in sensitive harassment-related termination cases as well as in union negotiations around redundancies. Sara Beutels is a further key contact in the team and advises clients on a growing volume of pensions-related matters.