Partner
Charles Claeys
- Commercial and economic law
- Market practices and consumer law
- Author of numerous publications in the field of commercial and contract law
Charles Claeys in the news
The PPWR is Coming: What Does the New Packaging Legislation Mean for the Food & Beverage Sector?
Read moreMore fairness in the food sector? A new Royal Decree broadens the lists of unfair trading practices in the food supply chain
Read moreFranchisors, beware: the precontractual information document contents are subject to changes – again
Read moreSupermarket operators, beware: Belgian lawmakers will soon forbid specific clauses to ban unfair contracts in the supermarket sector
Read moreAre you in the franchise business? The obligations to provide precontractual information have changed
Read moreCharles is active in these specializations
Charles is a leading practitioner in the field of business law, with a core expertise in commercial contract law complemented by a strong focus on food law, economic law, trade law and market practices. His practice covers a broad spectrum of commercial and regulatory matters, with a distinct expertise in the hospitality sector, where he provides legal support to major catering, foodservice and restaurant companies. Through his advisory work in this sector, Charles has built particular expertise in franchising and similar exploitation models, catering agreements, concession arrangements, hotel and management agreements, brewery contracts, brand-operator joint ventures and asset deals. He has extensive experience with (master) franchise agreements for both national and international brands, spanning publications, dispute resolution, advisory work and negotiation. He also regularly advises on sector-specific regulation, including precontractual disclosure duties for commercial cooperation agreements, food safety, consumer protection, green claims and greenwashing, market practices in the retail sector and allergen labelling.
Clients turn to Charles for his ability to navigate the complexity of commercial transactions with ease – from negotiating and drafting complex contractual frameworks to conducting all forms of corporate and commercial litigation. His deep understanding of contract law allows him to structure deals that are both commercially sound and legally robust. He is equally adept in the courtroom as at the negotiating table.
Charles advises startups and scaleups as well as established companies, consistently tailoring his approach to the scale and needs of the client.
In addition to his practice, Charles is closely involved in the legal community. He regularly publishes on contract law in the RABG legal journal, where he also serves on the editorial board (sub-editorial board for contract law). His leading contribution to the handbook on seizure law regarding evidentiary seizures – a topic closely aligned with his expertise in market practices – is regarded as an important reference work in the field.
