Public Law
Our team has proven experience in all aspects of public law in the broadest sense, providing the academic, pragmatic, effective advice our clients require.
As a trusted advisor to many governmental bodies and leading companies, our practice has a privileged position with regard to legal developments in the field. We are regarded as a reference through our involvement in ground-breaking matters with a major impact at different decision-making levels. We have a strong awareness of broader business and political context and are well versed in handling highly mediatised cases.
Services
Our multidisciplinary team practices in the broad field of public law. We focus mainly on the structure and organisation of government, public finances (including the government budget and taxation), subsidies, public contracts, public projects, access to public information, division of powers and the position of the judiciary, civil service, the operation of public companies and authorities, local governance (including intermunicipal partnerships), human rights, science and education law, language law, concessions, and public real estate. Our practice is also recognised for its top expertise in national and EU procurement law. Moreover, we are frequently consulted to draft, interpret, transpose, and implement legislation. We also have extensive expertise in the allocation of scarce rights, state aid, and licenses.
Through our multidisciplinary approach we have extensive experience in conducting administrative and judicial proceedings on public and administrative law issues. We represent and assist on a daily basis numerous clients in proceedings before the national courts and tribunals, the Belgian Constitutional Court, the Council of State, and the European Courts (e.g. requests for preliminary rulings of the Court of Justice).
We are also highly experienced advisors in the rapidly growing field of government liability, including unlawful legislation, where public authorities are increasingly faced with claims for damages from private individuals and companies. We handle such matters before civil courts, administrative courts, and the Council of State.
Our experts are active in all sectors where government regulation has an impact: science and education, real estate and construction, healthcare and life sciences, telecommunications, utilities, sports, mobility and infrastructure, energy, and the government itself. Our clients include central/federal states, regions, provinces, municipalities, government agencies, public bodies, public corporations, and private companies whose business activity brings them into contact with the public sector.
We maintain close contact with universities, parliaments and ministries. We hold academic mandates (professor or assistant) at the most renowned universities in the Benelux. We are involved in cases that create new relevant case law and we contribute to academic articles, which allows us to keep up with recent legal developments in the field. Finally, our experts frequently author publications on topics relating to public law and are regular guest speakers at seminars and conferences.