Liedekerke

Liedekerke is committed to eliminating discrimination and promoting diversity and inclusion. We believe having a diverse workforce and striving for equality will improve our impact on society and the community in which we operate, and improve our firm's culture and performance.

We endeavour to create an environment at our firm in which people are treated equally and with respect, regardless of their gender, race, religion or belief, affectional and sexual orientation, disability or age.

We do so by imposing specific diversity policies and procedures in all departments and business units, particularly in the recruitment and evaluation process of both lawyers and support staff, as well as in our relations with suppliers and other third parties.

We attract talents from the widest possible pool and make an effort to recruit lawyers and staff members from different backgrounds and nationalities. Our lawyers and staff are from various ethnic backgrounds (currently some 20% of our staff is of non-Belgian origin) and collectively we speak no less than 11 languages.

Some of our lawyers work on a voluntary basis at the Royal Institute IRSA, which is the largest Center in Belgium for teaching and education for people with impaired vision, speech and hearing.

We have also been at the forefront of addressing the issue of gender balance in private practice for many years now. Like most firms, we have also struggled to keep talented female lawyers on board and on the partnership track. Through internal policies and an active role in various initiatives, we have been pushing this agenda and are now achieving tangible results. The percentage of female partners has been on the rise.

For many years now, our firm has participated in and supported a variety of initiatives, including:

LDIA (Legal Diversity & Inclusion Alliance): Liedekerke is a founding member of the LDIA, a cross law firm alliance launched in Brussels in January 2019. Members of the LDIA commit to build a diverse and inclusive workplace in which everyone benefits from equal treatment and opportunities, irrespective of race, ethnic or social origin, gender or sexual orientation, age, disability, language, religion, political preference or any other grounds of personal discrimination.

Women in Law: Designed to provide encouragement and support for talented women in law firms, the program brings together women from different disciplines and various fields in small groups to foster and encourage their professional development.

Women on Board: a non-profit association created by five women, one of whom is a former Liedekerke partner, dedicated to promoting women’s access to directorship roles within Belgian enterprises (public and private). Our firm has also contributed by organizing legal seminars on topics such as director's liabilities, responsibilities and remuneration.

Lex Mundi GOAL: Liedekerke is the exclusive Belgian member of Lex Mundi, the leading global network of independent law firms with in-depth experience in 100+ countries. Lex Mundi Global Opportunities for Advancement and Leadership for Women in the Legal Profession address this challenge by identifying and providing specific resources to assist firms in the advancement and retention of women within the legal profession.