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Inge Vanderreken

Partner

Email

Inge.Vanderreken@aoshearman.com

Phone

+32 2 780 22 30

Offices

Brussels

V-CARD
As an employment law and incentives expert, Inge assists her clients on the full spectrum of employment law and compensation, with a particular focus on (multinational) contractual set-ups, executive compensation and incentive plans, investigations, discrimination and harassment issues, compliance and whistleblowing as well as separation cases.

She has a strong track record on helping clients with cross border HR projects, work force restructuring and information and consultation of employee representatives, transfer of undertakings and on the employment aspects of corporate and outsourcing transactions and has considerable expertise on data protection and privacy issues. She also represents clients in court when required.

Clients favour her negotiation skills and her understanding of the business dimension, praising her ‘business acumen’ in the legal directories.

She has published and lectured on various aspects of employment law and incentives, including restructuring, outsourcing, investigations, incentive schemes, discrimination and privacy issues, and multi-jurisdictional employment matters. She is a member of the Board of the Brussels "Labour Law Association" (a group comprising in-house counsel, practising lawyers, magistrates and judges, all specialising in employment law) and a member of the European Employment Lawyers Association (EELA).

Experience

Representative matters

  • Recticel, on the employment aspects of the sale of its foams business to the US company, Carpenter.
  • Port of Zeebrugge on all the employment, social security and pension aspects of its merger with the Port of Antwerp, resulting in the Port of Antwerp Bruges.
  • A global pharmaceutical company on (i) several investigations; (ii) sensitive dismissals and (iii) employment legal procedures.
  • A global company on its entire whistleblowing (management) process, including the implementation of a new whistleblowing platform and policy in line with the EU Whistleblowing Directive and its national implementation in various jurisdictions, as well as the ongoing case management and investigations of reported misconduct across multiple jurisdictions.
  • A Belgian company, on the employment, social criminal and general criminal law aspects of an internal investigation into toxic leadership at one of its subsidiaries, following media allegations. We assisted on the investigation process, risk assessment, board decision-making and disciplinary actions.
  • A global company on the employment, social security and (social) criminal law aspects following media reporting of human trafficking by a contractor at its construction site.
  • A global industrial leader on various complex and highly sensitive C-level and senior executive exits, involving cross-border employment, corporate mandates, incentive plans, dismissal and discrimination issues.
  • A global healthcare company, in the context of an internal investigation on potential conflicts of interest and bribery at the procurement department in a tender process.
  • A private equity fund, on the employment aspects of the acquisition of a company in the technology and software business, including post-completion implementation.
  • A global corporation in preparing a bespoke conceptual and scenario-based training session on diversity and inclusion, and how to create an environment for appropriate behaviors among colleagues, and speaking up in relation to harassment and discrimination.

Pro bono

  • Inge regularly advises on various employment issues for charitable organizations such as SOS Kinderdorpen, Missing Children Europe and Circus Zonder Handen.

Published Work

  • Vanderreken I., (2000) De managementvennootschap, reeks Fiscale Wenken, CED Samsom
  • Vanderreken I., (2001) Financiële participatie voor werknemers: resultaatsdeling, opties en aandeelhouderschap, Kluwer 
  • Vanderreken I., (2002) Loon in vogelvlucht, samen werken, CED Samsom
  • Vanderreken I., (2003) Enkele (nieuwe) juridische grenzen aan het wervings- en selectieproces, Oriëntatie
  • Vanderreken I., (2008) European employment law clinic - Belgium, The Federation of European Employers
  • Vanderreken I., (2009) Het sociaal plan vervat in een CAO: belangrijkste voor- en nadelen voor de werkgever, HR World, HR Today
  • Vanderreken I., (2014) The international comparative legal guide to employment & labour law 2014, Global Legal Group
  • Vanderreken I., (2018) European Commission proposes directive to protect whistleblowers – scandals necessitate reform, Global Benefits Vision
  • Vanderreken I. e.a., (2024) Company Culture and DEI: A Need-To-Know for Directors of Belgian (Listed) Companies, Guberna

Speaking Engagements

  • Speaker, Agility at work, Federation of Belgian Employers (VBO-FEB), May 2016
  • Speaker, Legal Tech spotlight, EELA conference, May 2019
  • Speaker, HR Pro National Congress 2019, Digitalisation of the labour market
  • Speaker, Are you Conducting Effective Workplace Investigations?, Association of Corporate Counsel, November 2020
  • Speaker, HR Pro National Congress 2021, Learn grow win, legal aspects of training and learning
  • Speaker, Checklist for Implementing a Successful Whistleblowing Programme, Euronext, 2022
  • Speaker, EU Investigations Forum, 2024
  • Speaker, Company culture & DEI : Implication for directors of Belgian companies, Guberna, 2024
  • Regular speaker at webinars organised by NCOI Learning, topics include privacy at work, contracts for managers and directors- in-depth overview of new legislation, investigations
  • Regular speaker at client webinars at A&OShearman, topics include optimising workforce strategies, diversity and inclusion, whistleblowing, termination of employment in financial institutions
  • Regular speaker at inhouse training courses for clients

Leadership Positions And Professional Affiliations

  • Member, European Employment Lawyers Association (EELA)
  • Member, Labour Law Association (VSR)
  • Member, American Chamber of Commerce

Recognition

“flexible and pragmatic approach” and “very accurate and quick responses.”
Chambers, 2018
“very good business acumen.”
Chambers, 2017

Awards

  • Best HR & Employment law firm, HR Excellence Awards, 2023
  • Investigations Team of the Year, International Employment Lawyer Awards, 2023
  • Law Firm of the year Belgium, Chambers Europe awards, 2023

Qualifications

Admissions

Stagiair, Belgium, 1993

Admitted as advocate, Belgium, 1996

Registered Foreign Lawyer, England and Wales, 2021

Academic

Master in Pensions, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KUL), 2012

LLM, Labour Law, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1993

Law Degree, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KUL), 1992

Languages

Dutch, English, French
Disclaimer
A&O Shearman was formed on May 1, 2024 by the combination of Shearman & Sterling LLP and Allen & Overy LLP and their respective affiliates (the legacy firms). Any matters referred to above may include matters undertaken by one or more of the legacy firms rather than A&O Shearman.