Speaker details

Biography

PRACTICE AREAS - Labour Law - Social security law - Discrimination Law - Immigration Law EXPERIENCE Bruno Blanpain has specialised in labour, social security and immigration law since 1984. He advises clients on all aspects of Belgian and European labour law, both individual and collective, and assists them at all stages of the employment cycle. Clients also turn to him for advice on social security issues, both for employees and for non-employees. Equality and diversity are not empty words for Bruno, as they have emerged with the European Equality Directives and the establishment of various national equality bodies. Diversity management and its practical implementation are valuable tools to help HR managers attract, develop and shape a creative and effective workforce. Positive action, diversity audits, training and policy development are part of Bruno's expertise and are the best defence against discrimination claims. Bruno has extensive experience in representing clients in litigation before the Belgian courts in all areas of his expertise, both as claimant and defendant. He has been very active as a deputy judge in the Labour Courts and between 1991 and 2002 delivered more than 500 judgments as chairman of panels for industrial and white collar cases. In addition to litigation and advising clients on day-to-day Belgian labour law issues, Bruno has been involved in the reorganisation and restructuring of Belgian subsidiaries of large multinational companies. Such restructurings not only involve information obligations and consultation with works councils and trade unions, but also the negotiation and fine-tuning of social plans, litigation relating to picketing, illegal occupation of buildings, hostage-taking of management, destruction of company property, boycotts, etc. Bruno is the author of several books and articles and regularly lectures on labour and social law. He studied law at the Catholic University of Leuven (K.U.L.) and holds a Master's degree in International Business Administration from the University of Kentucky. LANGUAGES - Dutch - French - Dutch English - German MEMBERSHIPS - International Bar Association - Member of the Employment and Discrimination Committee - American Bar Association - Member of the International Employment Law Committee - European Employment Law Association - Member - Vlaams Pleitgenootschap - Past President - NOAB - Former Council Member CONTACT Bruno.Blanpain@mvvp.be