Overview
Jennifer is a Managing Associate in Linklaters' Belgian Employment and Incentives practice, admitted to the Brussels Bar in 2016.
She is passionate about helping companies navigate their critical employment and incentive matters, including advisory, contentious, and transactional issues. Jennifer has developed particular expertise in ESG, focusing on workers' and human rights, diversity, pay transparency, social reporting (CSRD, GRI), and HR aspects of the green transition, as well as in compensation and benefits (including remuneration in the financial sector, executive pay and pensions). She is also experienced in leading investigations involving individuals and managing complex employment litigations.
Jennifer has a deep understanding and passion for assisting multinationals in navigating the increasingly complex global employment and incentives landscape. Her international exposure is enhanced by her work exposure in the US (California) and a 7-month secondment in London, enabling her to understand key cultural and legal differences and find the best solutions for multinationals. Multilingual, she can work in Dutch, French, English, and is fluent in Spanish, uniquely positioning her to communicate effectively with companies' global stakeholders.
Holding a Master's degree from VUB, an LL.M. from UC Berkeley in the US, and a Postgraduate in Pensions from KUL, Jennifer brings a well-rounded academic background to her practice. However, she always puts business at the heart of her advice. Her role as Vice-President of the Human Capital and Talent Committee at AmCham Belgium allows her to stay attuned to the concerns of businesses.
Additionally, Jennifer contributes to the academic field as an affiliated member of the Education Board for the Social Law Faculty and as an academic researcher at VUB. She was awarded her LL.M. from the University of California, Berkeley, in 2020 as a Fulbright scholar, BAEF, and Rotary fellow.
She has written a book and regularly publishes legal doctrine and speaks at seminars.
Work Highlights
- Banks, stockbroking firms and insurance companies: advising on remuneration structuring and termination of MRTs.
- Brookfield: setting up management incentive plans for Brookfield.
- Chevron (and several other corporates and financial institutions): advising on implementation of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, with a focus on the social standards.
- Several banks and corporates: advising with implementation of the EU Pay Transparency Directive.
- Several banks and corporates: guiding through reorganisations and collective dismissals.
- Advising BEL20 listed companies on complex incentives and executive remuneration queries, including setting up, documenting and implementing incentive plans in Belgium and globally
- Advising several companies in regulated sectors (e.g. banking and energy sector) on sensitive matters such as termination of C-level executives, change of status from employee to self-employed, HR implications of the New Companies Code, benefits and restructurings
- Representing an automotive company on multiple litigations involving 196 blue collar workers who claimed white-collar status in court and assisting in subsequent settlement negotiations
- Advising Elia System Operator on all employment aspects related to its internal reorganisation project aimed at isolating and ring-fencing the Belgian regulated activities of Elia from its non-regulated activities
Services