(Junior) Associate Commercial Law

Join our Commercial/Litigation team in Brussels and work closely with leading retail and distribution specialists, advising innovative brands on their day-to-day operations and strategic growth.

Osborne Clarke is an award-winning international legal practice that has grown rapidly over the past few years and now spans 26 offices around the world. Our Brussels office was established over 13 years ago and has since grown into a full-service law firm of around 40 qualified lawyers, serving market leaders, challenger brands and fast-growth businesses across industries and borders.

Our mission is clear: to advise and advance the businesses of tomorrow. To be a firm that clients depend on for strategic counsel and to navigate complexity. To spot opportunities and fend off threats. To move faster than competitors and challengers. We foster a culture where high performance and heart sit side by side, where people feel connected, supported and challenged, and where talent thrives and the firm does too.

We are investing in technology and AI-enabled tools to deliver high-value, strategic work with a future-focused mindset.

Our Commercial/Litigation team in Brussels assists a broad range of national and international clients – from start-ups and scale-ups to multinational groups – mainly active in the retail (consumer products and franchising), technology, media & telecommunications, hospitality, and life sciences & healthcare sectors.

The team advises on:

• Commercial contracts, including distribution, franchise, exclusive distributorship, manufacturing, supply-chain and agency agreements.
• Commercial operational real estate such as lease or construction contracts
• Transfers of business.
• Trade practices / market practices (publicity, commercial promotions, brands), consumer and product regulatory matters.
• Distribution law and distribution networks, including franchising and agency relationships in Belgium and abroad, including related antitrust issues (vertical restrictions).
• Litigation and dispute resolution before the Belgian Courts and arbitral Tribunals, including local and cross border litigation, construction litigation and arbitration.

Our lawyers work in close collaboration across practice groups and jurisdictions, delivering pragmatic, business-oriented solutions.

Recognised as a Tier 1 firm for Retail by Legal 500, we act for a number of well-known Belgian and international clients, who value our combination of sector insight, legal excellence and a human, collaborative culture.

We are looking for a Junior Associate or Associate to strengthen our Commercial/Litigation practice in Brussels.

In this role, you will:

• Work primarily on distribution and retail matters, supporting Belgian and international clients in the set up, expansion and management of their distribution and franchising networks.
• Draft, review and negotiate distribution and other commercial contracts (including e-contracts, manufacturing and supply-chain arrangements, e-commerce and platform terms, commercial leases and documents relating to transfers of business).
• Advise on trade practices, sustainability, product safety and market access, and consumer and product regulatory issues in a retail and commercial context.
• Assist on antitrust questions (vertical restrictions), GDPR and intellectual property issues in retail and distribution projects.
• Participate in commercial and retail litigation before the Belgian Courts and arbitral Tribunals, including drafting procedural documents and assisting in hearings.
• Collaborate with the wider Commercial/Litigation team (including work in logistics, infrastructure, operational real estate and construction, both on contractual and litigation aspects) and with colleagues in other Osborne Clarke offices on cross-border mandates.
• Contribute to client alerts, presentations and trainings on developments in retail, consumer and commercial law.

We welcome applications from new graduates starting their career as well as lawyers with up to maximum 5 years' experience in commercial law.

We are looking for someone who:

• Has 0 to 5 years' experience in commercial law, ideally with exposure to contract law, consumer and product regulatory law and (commercial) litigation.
• Is a true team player with an international mindset.
• Is rigorous, precise, proactive and pragmatic.
• Has strong oral and written communication skills.
• Is a native French speaker, with excellent English and a good command of the other national language.
• Holds a Belgian law degree with strong academic results; an additional UK/US LL.M. is an asset.
• Enjoys working on complex matters, is keen to understand clients' businesses and has a genuine interest in innovation driven sectors.

As part of our team, you will:

• Advise leading Belgian and international retail and consumer brands on their day-to-day operations and strategic projects.
• Be involved in a broad mix of distribution, commercial, regulatory and litigation work, with real responsibility from the outset.
• Benefit from Osborne Clarke's investment in integrated systems, data and AI enabled tools, supporting efficient, high quality service delivery.
• Grow in a culture that combines high performance with heart: ambitious, collaborative, inclusive and focused on helping our people and clients succeed in tomorrow's world.
• Enjoy an open and inclusive working environment, with attention to wellbeing and sustainable careers.
• Receive continuous training, mentoring and international exposure to support your professional development.

Interested? Please send your CV and cover letter by clicking the 'Apply' button. We look forward to hearing from you.

Note: No external recruitment agency, direct application only. Applications will be considered as they are received, we therefore encourage candidates to apply early