As a key division within the firm’s real estate team, AKD's practice is particularly strong in transactional and advisory work involving retail leases, ranging from greenfield leases, to renewing leases to closing sales points. The unit is additionally well positioned to handle lease disputes and other areas of law such as M&A, data protection and tax law. Steven Ongena heads up the team; the trilingual practitioner is frequently sought out by retailers and industrial groups for assistance with real estate transactions. Pol Cools has a strong track record in defending the interests of domestic and international retailers before courts.

The 'apt advisors for a multitude of retail matters’ at ALTIUS are trusted by retailers, manufacturers, and suppliers from the food, footwear and the luxury goods industries for assistance on issues ranging from disputes to brand protection work to strategic alliances. The ‘very knowledgeable‘ Carmen Verdonck co-heads the practice and is well placed to advise domestic and international clients on the establishment and restructuring of distribution networks. Lieven Peeters approaches retail from a real estate perspective and is well versed in issues such as sale-and-leaseback transactions. Alexander Hansebout‘s dispute resolution expertise is relied upon by an array of brands, retailers and suppliers. Mathieu Maniet has specialist knowledge pertaining to distribution law.

Baker McKenzie CVBA/SCRL has amassed considerable experience in retail issues including assisting clients with preparations for upcoming ESG regulation, dealing with supply chain disruptions caused by the Ukraine war, and advising on the impact of VBER in the distribution system space. Practice co-head Geert Bovy has a proven track record in commercial and consumer protection law litigation, while fellow co-head Kurt Haegeman has a panoramic understanding of multi-jurisdictional antitrust matters. Sebastian Tytgat‘s practice extends to drafting and negotiating commercial distribution agreements. Bram Hoorelbeke and Joost Vynckier are further names to note.

Liedekerke wins plaudits for its ability to assist a far-reaching range of brands connected to retail and consumers goods with an array of issues connected to the supply of goods and services to customers. A quartet of partners head up the practice: Olivier Vanden Berghe is a key contact for commercial contracts and litigation; Etienne Kairis‘ mixed contentious and non-contentious practice extends to issues connected to distribution law; Yves Delacroix is an expert in real estate; and Paul Geerebaert is able to bring his employment expertise to bear on retail matters. Vincent Busschaert and Sarah Van Den Brande are further names to note.

Blue-chip online and high street retail clients turn to Osborne Clarke for assistance with a wide range of commercial matters incorporating distribution issues, dispute resolution and regulatory advice. Drafting contracts and negotiating with suppliers are additional areas of strength for the team. Marie Canivet heads up the practice; she has a proven track record of advising companies on their domestic and international franchising networks. Louis Hoffreumon specialises in regulatory matters and frequently advises on market recalls and packaging and labelling compliance issues.

Strelia has a strong focus on distribution issues with transactional and contentious mandates related to the relationships of retailers with their franchisees a cornerstone of the practice. The team is also active across a number of take-overs in the retail space. Gaetano Jannone heads up the team; the litigation and arbitration specialist is frequently sought out by clients from the fashion, food and beverage industries. Olivier Clevenbergh is an authority on franchisings and is also active on M&A work in the space, while Jean-Pierre Fierens has in-depth knowledge of distribution law.

The three core pillars of Bird & Bird‘s retail offering span food and beverage issues, fashion and luxury goods work, and hotel and leisure mandates. The team advises on a wide range of issues with consumer law, IP mandates and competition issues standing out as notable areas of activity. Jean-Christophe Troussel oversees matters and excels in contentious and transactional intellectual property and technology-related mandates. Benoit Van Asbroeck is known for representing retail clients before the European Court of Justice.

DIY stores, luxury goods retailers and supermarkets are among the clients which CMS has amassed notable expertise. The unit’s far-reaching offering ranges from handling commercial leases, to acting in contentious IP work, to advising on labour law matters and the regulation of price reduction announcements. Renaud Dupont co-leads the team and is well versed in mandates concerning distribution agreements. Fellow co-head Tom Heremans is a copyright and trade mark expert and is singled out for his knowledge of marketing laws and regulations. Loïc de Hults, praised for his ‘clear and business-oriented advice’, has a focus on distribution law.

From employment and IP issues to real estate and restructuring work, DLA Piper is equipped to assist major retailers, landlords and investors with advisory and contentious work across the retail spectrum. Leadership of the team, which is praised for its ‘good insights into the needs and strategy of a company’, is split between soft IP expert Alexis Fierens and Charlotte Sas, who is well versed in retail restructurings. Ilse Van de Mierop is regularly called upon to assist retail clients in financial distress, while Eddy Lievens is able to leverage his employment expertise to advise major brands and retailers on a range of domestic and cross-border employment issues.

Described as a ‘sparring partner’ for retail companies, KPMG Law in Belgium‘s retail offering  incorporates expertise in real estate, commercial and employment law; IP and M&A work are further areas of activity for the unit. Kortrijk-based Jim Bauwens heads up the team and frequently leverages his real estate experience to handle issues such as leasings and real estate litigation in the retail space. Gerald Van Walle has experience of assisting with real estate retail projects across all three Belgian regions, while drafting and negotiating share purchase agreements is one of Thomas De Clerck‘s strengths.