Attorney Labour and Employment Law

Claeys & Engels was created in 2001 by several partners in employment and pensions law of the two largest business law firms in Belgium. They had the ambition to create a "niche" law firm in various fields of law related to Human Resources Management (employment law, pensions, immigration, compensation & benefits, certain aspects of tax law and corporate law, health and safety, etc.) while retaining all the performance requirements and quality of a "large firm". A winning combination! Claeys & Engels is today recognised by national and international bodies as the best law firm in its field in Belgium.

Claeys & Engels has a close-knit team: lawyers specialised in different fields (with a growing practice in privacy and data protection law) work together in order to find comprehensive, pragmatic solutions to a client’s needs. Working at Claeys & Engels gives you the opportunity to benefit from professionalism and knowledge while operating in an environment on a human scale.

The strong position that Claeys & Engels enjoys in Belgium is complemented by its participation in the international alliance of law firms dedicated to “HR” law, Ius Laboris. Via Ius Laboris, the firm is associated with other firms around the world to provide the best service to clients and work together to resolve issues with international aspects. This Alliance also provides young lawyers with opportunities for valuable traineeships abroad.

For its Antwerp office, Claeys & Engels is currently looking for an attorney with 4 to 8 years of experience in Labour and Employment Law.

Claeys & Engels offers a full range of legal services in all areas concerning HR Management.

Clients are mostly national and international companies. They come to the firm for legal advice, for litigation support, for assistance with negotiations with contract partners, with trade unions, with social security authorities, with tax and health & safety authorities, for compliance issues etc.

On a daily basis you will resolve problems and issue legal advice on a diverse range of HR-related issues such as:

• Individual employment relations
• Data protection issues (GDPR)
• Compensation and benefits
• Occupational pensions
• Assistance with the setting up and operation of a pension fund
• Tax advice regarding compensation and benefits, and occupational pensions
• Collective employment relations
• Immigration
• Health and safety
• Inspections by the Social Inspection service, the Tax authorities, etc.
• Social criminal law
• Corporate law aspects related to Human Resources Management (e.g. management agreements, remuneration policy, etc.)
• Discrimination in labour relations and pension issues
• Harassment at work
• Social media in the workplace
• Salary splits
• Individual and collective dismissals
• Company restructuring and closure
• Social dialogue
• Etc.

• You obtained a Belgian Master. Degrees are considered to be a plus, but not a sine qua non. More important are your skills and brainpower.
• You have 4 to 8 years of experience in Labour and Employment Law. Experience in privacy law and data protection related matters is a plus.
• You are a native Dutch speaker and you are comfortable in speaking and writing in French and in English.
• You are motivated.
• You are dynamic and you can handle stress.
• You like working in a team.
• You approach challenges in a practical and problem-solving way.
• You have good communication skills.

You will be involved in the most interesting cases, and you will handle them yourself from beginning to end and deal with them on a daily basis. Over time you will have the opportunity to build a privileged relationship with several clients.

Claeys & Engels provides you with the opportunity to become a top-notch lawyer. You will receive all the training you need to succeed in your career and most importantly, you will learn from working closely together with some of the most respected employment law experts. You will also be encouraged to collaborate on publications, to speak in public during our internal training sessions first and then at external seminars.

Claeys & Engels attaches great importance to a good worklife balance. The firm has developed a real flexibility policy giving you the opportunity to organise your own working day, to work from home with access to our computer network, to organise your holidays at your convenience, to develop your career at your own pace, and to choose the career evolution that is in line with your personal choices among different career paths.

You will receive an attractive compensation and a number of competitive benefits, such as a competitive monthly fee, a bonus, medical insurance for you and your family, guaranteed income during illness and maternity leave, a pleasant working environment , many fun and social activities, extra worklife benefits such as laundry services and other convenient benefits such as discounts at suppliers.