Anti-modern slavery and human trafficking statement
This statement is made on behalf of Van Bael & Bellis SRL/BV and its subsidiary, Van Bael & Bellis (London) LLP, (together, VBB) pursuant to section 54(1) of the UK Modern Slavery Act 2015 and constitutes our slavery and human trafficking statement for the financial year ending 31 January 2025. References to ‘VBB’, ‘we’, ‘us’, ‘our’ or ‘the firm’ are references to VBB as defined above.
About VBB
VBB is a leading independent law firm based in Brussels and London, with a representative office in Geneva. VBB has around 125 staff, including partners, lawyers and support staff, the large majority of whom are based in Brussels.
VBB has its headquarters in Brussels, operating as a Belgian private limited company (with registered company number 0428.460.282). All lawyers working in the Brussels office are either Belgian-qualified lawyers who are members of the Brussels Bar, List A, under the professional title “advocaat” or “avocat”, or are lawyers qualified in other jurisdictions who are members of or are registered with the Brussels Bar, List E or B, and are members of foreign Bars. As such, they are subject to the professional rules and code of conduct of the Brussels Bar and/or the relevant foreign Bars.
Van Bael & Bellis (London) LLP is a limited liability partnership in England & Wales (with registered number OC431476) and is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority of England & Wales (“SRA”) under SRA number 801440. Further information about VBB can be found on our website on our Legal Notices page here.
Our approach
As a law firm, we work to the highest professional standards and comply with all laws, regulations and rules relevant to our business.
We are committed to practices that respect human rights in all our business dealings and relationships and to ensuring that there is no modern slavery or human trafficking in our supply chains or any part of our business.
Our risk and compliance team works in conjunction with our support functions to help ensure that our Supplier Code of Conduct is adhered to and to manage any concerns. We also ensure that we comply with all applicable employment law relating to employee terms and conditions, including pay.
Our business
We are a law firm that provides legal services to a range of corporations, financial institutions, individuals and others across a number of jurisdictions. Our business is an office-based professional services firm. We employ professionally qualified and highly skilled people who are regulated in the UK by the SRA and in Brussels by the Brussels Bar and/or by foreign Bars.
As a professionally regulated law firm, we consider the risk of modern slavery or human trafficking occurring within our business to be low.
Our supply chain
Our supply chain comprises the types of suppliers to be expected for a professional services firm of our size and scale. They are primarily providers of professional services, premises and related facilities management services, utilities, catering services, IT equipment and related services. We work with reputable suppliers and require them to comply with our Supplier Code of Conduct.
Details of checks and due diligence conducted on members of the supply chain
In order to reduce the risk of modern slavery and human trafficking occurring within our supply chain, VBB undertakes appropriate due diligence on potential suppliers to ensure compliance with applicable modern slavery legislation. Where requested, suppliers are required to disclose their anti-slavery policies and practices as part of our supplier on-boarding process.
We have not, to date, identified any instances or serious risks of modern slavery in connection with our direct suppliers, nor in our wider supply chain. However, we continue to monitor this on an ongoing basis.
Risk assessment
We have taken steps to evaluate the nature and extent of the firm’s exposure to the risk of modern slavery occurring in its supply chain. We work with reputable suppliers and given the nature of our business, and the level of control we have over our operations, we do not consider that we operate in a high-risk location or sector. However, we would immediately seek to terminate a relationship with a supplier where evidence of a failure to comply with the MSA or our policies was discovered.
We seek to mitigate any enhanced risks of modern slavery in our supply chain based on location and/or sector by:
- Conducting a procurement process for contracts with suppliers.
- Placing an emphasis on value rather than price alone when making procurement decisions.
- Ensuring staff involved in the procurement of goods and services and the management of suppliers receive appropriate training about risks relating to modern slavery and human trafficking.
Training
We periodically train staff regarding modern slavery and human trafficking. This training is targeted primarily at those staff who are at the greatest risk of encountering modern slavery or human trafficking in their day-to-day functions. The level of training provided is proportionate to the role of the member of staff concerned, as well as the likelihood of their becoming exposed to instances of modern slavery or human trafficking when carrying out their day-to-day duties.
Key objectives for the financial year 2025/2026
- We will continue to provide training on modern slavery to all relevant staff.
- We will continue to review our procurement processes with the aim of ensuring that there is a consistent approach to improve supplier onboarding and due diligence.
- We will continue to require that suppliers comply with our Supplier Code of Conduct.
This statement was authorised and approved on 13 January 2025 by the Managing Partner on behalf of the partners of VBB. This statement will be reviewed annually and made available on our website.
Signed:
Andreas Reindl
Managing Partner, Van Bael & Bellis SRL/BV and Van Bael & Bellis (London) LLP
