Legal 500 2024 - Dispute Resolution

The practice at Strelia is commended for its ‘very broad experience and excellent legal knowledge‘ with expertise across complex commercial litigation, along with knowledge of competition and regulatory, public procurement, and construction work. Post-M&A litigation and shareholder disputes are key focuses of the team, which also has a prominent arbitration practice. Jean-Pierre Fierens leads the team of ‘experienced and competent lawyers’, with specific expertise in disputes involving directors’ liability. Also of note is the ‘extraordinary and extremely intelligent’ Joanna Kolber.

'As a company working in a very specific field, we appreciate that Strelia invested the time in getting to know our products in order to advise us accordingly. Strelia has always been a highly professional law firm on which we can count whenever we have a specific question. We appreciate their responsiveness and pragmatic hands-on approach.’

‘Joanna Kolber is an extraordinary and extremely intelligent partner of Strelia, thinking out of the box, constantly seeking the right arguments and position in court cases. She sees connections where others don’t see them, her communication is highly transparent and clear and she strives for perfection. She has a high IQ and EQ and is extremely engaged in going the extra mile for her clients.’

‘Sofie Onderbeke is a highly motivated associate of Strelia, genuinely interested, pleasant to work with, and motivated to deep dive into the documentation and additional information to strengthen our cases. She is the perfect tandem with Joanna Kolber.’

‘Joanna Kolber was extremely responsive, proactive and helpful. Joanna provided very commercial and reasonable advice to a client in a sensitive commercial dispute.’

‘Experienced and competent lawyers.’

Legal 500 2023 - Fraud and White-Collar Crime

Strelia‘s fraud and white-collar crime team, led by experienced banking litigator Sébastien Ryelandt, represents victims and clients facing prosecution in matters including money laundering, market abuse and embezzlement. The team works closely with the firm’s insolvency and restructuring practice, and acts for individual directors as well as corporates and financial institutions.

‘Sébastien Ryelandt is an exceptional practitioner. His outstanding legal skills and experience make him truly unique.’

‘The team demonstrates expertise and initiative in fraud files.’

‘The expertise and experience developed are indispensable in complex cases that cannot be entrusted to general practitioners.’

‘We appreciate Sébastien Ryelandt’s cautious attitude, which encourages reason or amicable settlement when he considers the solution more realistic or reasonable.’

Legal 500 2023 - Dispute Resolution

Strelia‘s ‘reactivity, sharp analysis, and strategic advice‘ makes it a strong choice for an array of blue-chip corporates, who turn to the team for its wide-ranging capabilities in litigation and arbitration, including major class action proceedings. Practice head Jean-Pierre Fierens is regarded as an ‘outstanding‘ contract lawyer and corporate litigator, particularly in matters concerning directors’ liability. Olivier Clevenbergh‘s contentious expertise is concentrated in post-M&A and shareholder disputes, while Bart De Moor‘s recent engagements include multi-jurisdictional proceedings taken before the European Court of Justice. Other key names to note include Sébastien Ryelandt, a specialist in large-scale damages actions; experienced arbitrator Joanna Kolber; and the ‘stand out‘ insurance dispute specialist Gaetano Jannone, whose workload also comprises a number of construction and infrastructure proceedings. France Vlassembrouck joined the team from Monard Law in September 2021. All named lawyers are based in Brussels.

‘The Strelia team is one of the best I have ever met in this practice, and surely the best in Belgium. They have a deep knowledge of the practice and an unbelievable capacity to communicate, with clarity and simplicity, the complex aspects of the case.’

‘Gaetano Jannone is the individual who stands out in this practice: determined, purposeful, very quick and extremely clear in his advice. Highly appreciated by the clients.’

‘Reactivity, sharp analysis, and strategic advice.’

‘On top of his technical and legal expertise, Olivier Clevenbergh works with his heart, behaves with humanity and can be very pragmatic.’

‘Strong expertise and a commitment to involve more specialised outside experts when warranted, always resulting in high quality documents and legal advice.’

‘I work with JP Fierens who has extensive and long experience, which gives me great confidence. He is always available for questions and ensures that case analysis and court documents are of the highest quality.’

‘Jean-Pierre Fierens; very good client contact and responsiveness, his views on litigation strategy are unique, he looks beyond the law. Outstanding lawyer with great credibility.’

‘Joanna Kolber is a pleasure to work with, she goes the extra mile to defend the company’s interests. She has strong analytical and strategical skills and communicates very clearly in complex cases. Highly appreciated cooperation from both the legal department and business units.’

Chambers Europe 2023 - Dispute Resolution

"The grasp of cases the team at Strelia has is remarkable."

Legal 500 2022 - Fraud and White-Collar Crime

Strelia represents corporates, financial institutions, and individuals as victims and defendants in fraud and white-collar crime cases, with a particular focus on distressed and insolvent companies. Related areas of expertise include corporate fraud and embezzlement, market abuse, and insider trading. The practice is led by Sébastien Ryelandt, who has a strong record in banking litigation and liability proceedings, alongside a wide range of white-collar criminal cases.

‘Sébastien Ryelandt is an excellent practitioner.‘

‘The team is extremely competent and efficient.‘

Legal 500 2022 - Dispute Resolution

Strelia fields a strong bench of partner talent, with the team acting for clients active in a diverse range of sectors in numerous disputes, both domestically and internationally. The group is noted for its prominent arbitration practice, where Jean-Pierre Fierens – who is regularly appointed as chair in CEPANI and ICC proceedings – and newly appointed partner Joanna Kraus-Kolber are both key contacts. Olivier Clevenbergh is noted for his capabilities in construction litigation and Sébastien Ryelandt is a key contact for clients seeking representation in liability claims and concession agreements.

‘Joanna Kolber is excellent.’

‘Excellent communication and knowledge of the case. Very complementary collaborators.’

‘Excellent lawyers. Trilingual people. excellent communication skills.’

‘Olivier Clevenbergh and Sébastien Ryelandt are excellent lawyers.’

‘Excellent personal contact, reacting quickly for urgent demands. They give you a great confidence.’

‘Strong in collaboration and knowledge. Hands on. Problem solvers.’

‘High quality, no effort is too big. Co-operation with Joanna Kolber is excellent.’

‘Dynamic team that thinks together with the in-house counsel and the business. The team has both expertise and innovation.’

Chambers Europe 2022 - Dispute Resolution

Strelia is a prominent corporate boutique advising clients from the telecoms industry on M&A and commercial litigation. The team also acts for clients from the retail, manufacturing and transport industries on franchise disputes, public procurement matters, damages actions and liability issues. Lawyers at the firm also have experience acting as chair of CEPANI and ICC arbitration proceedings and as mediators.

A client describes receiving a "perfect service" from the firm, and stresses the team's "great legal knowledge."

Jean-Pierre Fierens assists both public and private clients with contractual litigation and bankruptcy disputes. He also acts as arbitrator on ICC and CEPANI arbitrations, including those relating to construction and investment issues. He is admired by clients because "he is very experienced, he sets the right strategic priorities and has a clear vision."

Olivier Clevenbergh acts for clients on post-M&A disputes, as well as assisting clients with internal investigations, shareholder disputes and damages claims. He represents clients from the transport and telecoms industries.

Sébastien Ryelandt has a prominent practice defending clients in large-scale damages actions and liability cases. He also assists clients with issues around garnishment orders.

Legal 500 2021 - Dispute Resolution

Jean-Pierre Fierens heads up the department at Strelia, which has 'a strong litigation practice, particularly in the field of disputes in insolvency and restructuring law'. The 'very reliable' team is also noted for its expertise in corporate litigation, as is evidenced by the fact that it is representing directors of Optima Bank in ongoing damages claims which arose after the bank was declared bankrupt. Bart De Moor is 'very knowledgeable and easy to work with'. Sébastien Ryelandt has expertise in banking litigation, while Olivier Clevenbergh is well-versed in handling commercial and corporate disputes. Other key names are partners Gaetano Jannone and Joanna Kolber, who is 'very reliable, dedicated and easy to work with'.

Hall of Fame : Jean-Pierre Fierens

Rising Star : Joanna Kolber

‘They are reliable, business-oriented, flexible, and capable of acting on a broad range of matters. Their commitment and quality of work is undoubtedly their strongest point‘.

‘Joanna Kolber – flexibility, business orientation, accessibility, high communication skills, individual and responsive service‘.

‘A team that listens to your needs’.

‘Olivier Clevenbergh : availability; smartness in negotiation; human approach to complex litigations‘.

‘The trust we could place in Gaetano Janonne is very important. Not once did I question his judgment‘.

‘I have worked very closely with Gaetano Jannone. He follows up files meticulously, is punctual, perfectionist and has very good file knowledge‘.

‘Joanna Kolber – very professional legal assistance, very effective, very helpful to the client, great communication skills‘.

‘Client-focused, efficient, solution and business-oriented. We appreciate the team’s flexibility and availability. It has a good mix of technical skills and pragmatism. Offers good value for money‘.

Chambers Europe 2021 - Dispute Resolution

Boutique corporate practice advising on a range of M&A and commercial disputes including contractual, franchising and shareholder disputes. Represents clients in both litigation and arbitral proceedings. Active in the public sector, as well as for private clients in the manufacturing and insurance industries. Increasingly active in insolvency litigation and post-bankruptcy disputes.

One client comments that the team is "excellent, very responsive and knowledgeable."

Another client notes: "Strelia's advice is clear and the court documents the lawyers prepare are excellent."

One client comments that Jean-Pierre Fierens is "very enjoyable to work with and very experienced."

Another source notes that Jean-Pierre Fierens is a "top lawyer for litigation and arbitration."

One interviewee attests that Olivier Clevenbergh is "very agreeable in negotiations, he is quite an all-rounder," adding that this "makes him a pragmatic and client-sensitive lawyer."