For law firms : a Brussels correspondent on the European side
I act as a Brussels correspondent for firms advising companies that enter or operate in the European Union. Your client relationship stays with you; I take the defined mandate on the European side and report to you in English.
Brussels Bar lawyer since 2021, Certified data protection officer (Maastricht), Published fees
Why it matters
Several European instruments require a person or an entity established in the Union: a representative, a point of contact, a party able to answer an authority. A firm outside the Union cannot hold those positions itself.
Belgian and European proceedings also call for a lawyer registered at a Belgian bar. Filing before the EUIPO, corresponding with the Belgian data protection authority or acting before the enterprise court all require local registration.
The arrangement works when the boundary is written down: who holds the client, what falls inside the mandate, who invoices, and who speaks to the client.
Typical situations
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What I take on
I take EU market-entry scoping for your client, GDPR article 27 representation and authorised representative mandates. I also handle EUIPO filings and oppositions, Belgian and European commercial contracts, technology and intellectual property agreements, data protection matters.
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How the work is organised
The client relationship stays with you. I take the agreed mandate, report to you in English, and I do not approach your client outside that mandate.
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Before anything starts
A conflict check, then the scope, the fee and the reporting line set out in writing. I tell you promptly if I cannot act.
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Billing
To your firm or directly to the client, as you prefer. Direct contact with the client only where you ask for it.
What is included
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Conflict check
Run before any engagement, with a prompt answer either way.
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Written scope
Mandate, deliverables, fee and deadlines agreed before work starts.
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Reporting in English
One written report per stage, addressed to you.
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Local filings and correspondence
Handled in French or Dutch where the authority requires it.
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One-off instructions
A fixed-scope single matter is welcome, and is often how a first collaboration starts.
How it works
- 01
Scoping
A 45-minute video call to set out the problem and the options.
- 02
Written quote
Scope, fixed price and indicative deadline, before any work starts.
- 03
Delivery
I draft, negotiate or file, and I keep you informed.
- 04
Handover
Annotated deliverables, points to watch and the next deadlines.
According to your budget
Three depths, one person answering. You choose where you start; you can move from one to another along the way, and what has been paid is deducted.
- The scoping callForty-five minutes to lay out your situation, a written five-point summary within 24 business hours: what is urgent, what can wait, what you can do yourself.You leave with a course of action and do the rest, or you come back.€120
- The fixed fee: Scoping call with the referring firmA 20-minute scoping call, free of charge, or 45 minutes prepaid with a written note on the European-side steps. Tools do the research and the first draft; the lawyer does the analysis, the final drafting, and answers.Timing: Within 5 working days. What is not included is written in the quote.Free of charge · €120 for the 45-minute format
- Hourly advice, with a capNegotiation, strategy, litigation, questions that fit no fixed fee. Written estimate, written cap, a check-in halfway.You decide at each step whether to continue; nothing is committed without your written agreement.estimate and cap
Amounts excluding VAT. Proceedings are billed by phase, on time, with a quote, a cap and a retainer.
Fixed fees
Written quote before any instruction. Work for another law firm is billed at a wholesale rate agreed before the file opens, with no client relationship. Fee schedule 2026.3.
| Service | What is included | Indicative time | Fee excl. VAT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scoping call with the referring firm | A 20-minute scoping call, free of charge, or 45 minutes prepaid with a written note on the European-side steps | Within 5 working days | Free of charge · €120 for the 45-minute format |
| One-off instruction | Fixed scope agreed in writing before work starts | Depending on scope | On quotation |
| Ongoing correspondent mandate | Recurring instructions, agreed reporting line, quarterly review | Depending on scope | On quotation |
Frequently asked questions
Forty-five minutes to scope the matter, €120 excl. VAT
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A 45-minute video call, prepaid.
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A written report in five points within 24 working hours: the problem as you put it, the options, my recommendation, the budget for what follows, the timing.
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If you instruct me within 30 days, the €120 is deducted from the fee.