Independent lawyer working currently in a micro-structure (one lawyer, myself, and a secretary), I personalize all my tasks towards my clients. No doubling, no associates which come and go in front of the client.
I always try to find amicable solutions and to settle rather than make my client suffer the long, costly and risky path of court proceedings.
For more than 20 years, I developed and ran seminars for the benefit of young lawyers, using an original eclosive pedagogy method. It was fascinating. It dealt with communication as well as negotiation, and we insisted on the positive aspects of negotiating and settling, instead of fighting and closing any possible future relationships.
I define myself as a problem solver rather than a problem maker.
I always preferred David to Goliath.
I have always hated the multiplication of litigations and have favored, even when I was a member of the council of the bar association of Brussels, to speak up about the apparent contradiction between the lawyer’s multiple roles (i) as “conciliator” in his files and (ii) as “entrepreneur” of his own business. (some lawyers think that by multiplying court proceedings, they will increase their earnings… which is in fact incorrect and contrary to their clients’ interest).
I realize that, during these last years, I have filed fewer and fewer court proceedings. I must confess that I am quite happy about this, although I always like to plead, and I have had a lot of pleasure (and stress) while “pleading big cases”, especially when I won them for an author which was facing an institution. I always preferred David to Goliath.
Small (and personalized) is beautiful.
I have a strong notion of justice. I despise people who try to take advantage of others, whether it be through their power, fortune, social position, or because of their oversized ego.
Small is beautiful, but small requires a close follow up of the client ’s files and the court cases; which is why I rarely venture outside of my favorite fields of law. I prefer referring a potential client to other lawyers with specific expertise. In my 35 year career, I have created quite an extensive network. I also foresee, little by little, my succession.
My philosophy is to put myself in the shoes of… my client, my student, the opposing party, the Judge,…with empathy and benevolence, combined with the search for a settling solution, is satisfying and a source of happiness, for me as well as my clients.
Fields of law
COPYRIGHTSCopyright law has always interested me because of my own attraction to culture, arts, literature, architecture, design, etc.
TAX ON COPYRIGHTSince article 17§1, 5° of the Belgian Personal Tax Code was introduced by a law of July 16th 2008, a specific article changed in a very positive way, the legal tax qualification of the income of a great number of authors, in the very broad sense of this term.
CHARITY, FOUNDATIONS
& REAL ESTATEAlthough I am a specialist in copyright law, I always take interest in learning new things and to dig into fields of law that I practice less often, like real estate or charities and Foundations law. I took on very interesting cases in these fields.