Chris Van Olmen is a founding partner of the law firm Van Olmen & Wynant and head of the employment law practice. He is also a co-founder and a board member of L&E Global.
Chris covers all aspects of employment and industrial relations, including employment-related issues connected to reorganisation and restructuring processes, collective dismissals and closures and individual and collective employment disputes, including litigation for the Belgian Labour Courts. His clients include domestic and international companies and top executives.
He has been a speaker or moderator at numerous national, regional and intercontinental seminars and conferences. His recent publications include: “International Labour and Employment Compliance Handbook” (Wolters Kluwer 2019); “Le lien de subordination à l’épreuve de l’ubérisation de l’économie ?”, Wolters Kluwer / Chr. D.S. – Soc. Kron., 2019, 07; “De ‘Uberisatie’ van het Belgisch arbeidsrecht”, IJE 2019; the Belgian Chapter in “Employment Law Review” (Law Business Research 2019).
Chris is listed as a leading individual in The Legal 500 (2019), in Chambers Europe (2019), in The International Who’s Who of Management Labour & Employment Lawyers 2019 and in Best Lawyers (2020). The Legal 500 includes Chris in its “Hall of Fame” (2019), which highlights individuals who have received constant praise by their clients for continued excellence. Who’s Who Legal mentions Chris as a “Thought Leader” in their WWL Thought Leaders Labour & Employment 2019.
Since 1999, he has been lecturing on social law in the traineeship programme organised by the Brussels Bar. Chris also served as a member of the Brussels Bar Council and is a Board Member of the “Association for Social Law”.
Chris is past Chair of the Employment and Industrial Relations Law Committee and is now a Council Member of the Global Employment Institute of the IBA (International Bar Association).
Chris is also a member of EELA (European Employment Lawyers Association) and of the American Bar Association (Labour and Employment Law Section).
What they say
Chris Van Olmen is hailed by clients as “an excellent lawyer who combines high legal expertise with a realistic and pragmatic approach.” Sources also note that he is “very approachable and a good communicator who listens to the problems and thinks alongside the client to find solutions.” He acts on international employment law, assisting with exit negotiations, restructurings and collective dismissals.
– Chambers and Partners
