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.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Very high level of technical expertise in many domains of HR. Very much a team working for us, coached and guided by a senior mentor in Kris De Schutter.’
‘Kris De Schutter is an excellent lawyer. Fast feedback and intake into the problem.’
‘Flexible, pragmatic and to-the-point collaboration.’
‘Out-of-the-box & result-driven advice. Mr Kris De Schutter in particular brings added value.’
‘Our file is closely monitored. Our questions are answered professionally and clearly. The strategy is good and well explained. This means that the collaboration runs very well and the confidence in the lawyer is high.’
‘High level of experience and knowledge in diverse areas and domains. Very good and pragmatic advice and support from Kris De Schutter.’
‘Kris De Schutter is both very reactive & proactive and really thinks about what is the best solution for the company.’
‘Filip Saelens was the lead counsel of the team we worked with. We felt he was more like an in-house attorney rather than outside counsel. His advice was practical and implementable. Rather than merely citing case law and theoretical situations, he and his team were able to provide solutions we could immediately use and were best practices in the technology industry. They were always accessible and we always felt he and the team had our company’s best interests at heart.’
Key clients
- P&V Insurance
- DHL Employee Benefit Fund
- Ghent University
- Pensioenfonds PRO
- Chevron
- Remy Cointreau
- Ferrero Ardennes
- Yara International
- BMW
- ACEA
- Fertilizers Europe
- H&M
- Inditex
- Manuchar
- Brunel
- BNP Paribas Fortis
- AG Insurance
- Platinum Equity
- Goodyear
- SD Worx
- Lunch Garden
- Novartis
- GXO
- Celanese
- Candriam
- Brussels Airlines
Work highlights
- Advised GXO on the closure and restructuring of one of its plants, leading to a collective dismissal procedure.
- Advised P&V insurance on the development of its new branch 23 occupational pension schemes.
- Advised Demant on the employment and pension aspects of the acquisition of the audiology business of Goed Hulpmiddelen.
Lawyers
Hall of Fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
Leading associates
Leading associates with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Joris Beernaert
Loyens & LoeffPractice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Filip Saelens, Kris De Schutter, Joris Beernaert