Thirty Years of Dedication, Integrity and Innovation

This September, we celebrate with due pride and sincere gratitude an exceptional milestone: the thirtieth anniversary of Jo Vanbelle as a lawyer, and the equally impressive existence of his firm, Vanbelle Law Boutique.

Three decades of legal excellence, tireless commitment, and deep involvement with clients form an inspiring story where craftsmanship and humanity go hand in hand.

A Career Shaped by Expertise and Vision Across Diverse Fields

Since joining the Brussels Bar in 1995, Jo Vanbelle has consistently established himself as a professional of the highest level. With a Master of Laws degree, earned cum laude at KU Leuven (University of Louvain), he laid from the very beginning a solid foundation of legal and academic rigor.

In addition to his role as a lawyer, he has always been committed to sharing knowledge and conducting further research in legal domains that were often still developing. Today, he continues to lecture at the Brussels Diplomatic Academy (University of Brussels) and is regularly invited as a guest speaker.

For about eighteen years, he also served as a magistrate: first as substitute, and in recent years as delegated Justice of the Peace, most recently in Ixelles (Brussels district).  Holding two full-time jobs at once was nothing he ever boasted about. His social engagement was further underlined by his appointment as Honorary Consul of Ukraine in Belgium, a mandate he carried out tirelessly until mid-this year.

New challenges have never been lacking in the career of the managing partner of Vanbelle Law Boutique: several new publications are forthcoming, as well as his new mandate as Chairman of the Conciliation Committee for the Belgian Hospitality Sector, about which more will follow soon.

Vanbelle Law Boutique: A Boutique Firm with International Flair

Under Jo Vanbelle’s leadership, Vanbelle Law Boutique has grown into a boutique firm that combines a personal approach with global expertise. Its core values are: passion, ambition, and tailor-made solutions. The firm does not strive to be the largest, but to provide the very best for each client, in an environment where people feel understood and at home.

The firm serves clients in a number of specialized legal fields: international (tax) law, corporate and economic law, real estate and property, and global mobility. Its international dimension is omnipresent, supported by a network of proprietary or affiliated offices, and through active membership in XLNC (www.xlnc.org), operating in nearly all relevant jurisdictions worldwide.

Recognition and Multilateral Cooperation

Since 2016, Jo Vanbelle has been honoured internationally every year as a leading practitioner in the field of international tax law in Belgium.

He has also demonstrated innovative entrepreneurship with the creation of VB Alliance – a multidisciplinary partnership that provides entrepreneurial clients or families with a one-stop-shop solution in areas such as accountancy, legal & tax, real estate, insurance, family office, credit, trust, and fiduciary services (www.vb-alliance.com). Through this platform, clients enjoy seamlessly coordinated services, time savings, and efficiency.

Congratulations, Patron

A lawyer who begins their traineeship is assigned a mentor, traditionally called a patron. The patron’s task is to train and guide young jurists, shaping them not only into good lawyers but also into young professionals with a broad outlook on the world and on life. The patron is, in a sense, a second father. Those who trained under Jo Vanbelle continue to call him “patron,” even long after their traineeship has ended or when their career takes a different path – because that is how it should be, and because he truly deserves it.

Dear Patron,

Congratulations on your impressive thirtieth anniversary as a lawyer, and on the development, growth, and international recognition of Vanbelle Law Boutique. Your drive – passionate dedication, ambition, and a genuine interest in people – is an inspiration, both for clients and for colleagues.

Your vision, including the creation of VB Alliance, also shows your ability to innovate without ever losing sight of your core values.

With gratitude,

Mirjan
Hugo
Walid