Swart & De Schepper Attorneys chooses to specialise
Proven expertise in employment law, insurance law and corporate law
Lawyers earn their money avoiding problems or resolving disputes. Swart & De Schepper Attorneys is no different in this respect. "Though I distinctly prefer the former", says Marco Swart. "And it's so easy to do. Reach agreement, think it through carefully with a lawyer and get the terms down on paper. That way everyone knows exactly what's allowed and what's not and disputes have no chance to develop."
We visited Marco Swart in the European Business Centre on Luchthavenweg. Swart　& De Schepper Attorneys is made up of nine people at the moment, including six lawyers. The firm's aims are clear: the focus is on employment law, insurance law and corporate law; besides this there are many debt recovery cases and other contract law issues. "Our clients include both companies and individuals. The number of clients - including foreign clients - has been growing rapidly since we started in March 2007. Our regular clients include increasing numbers of local businesses, as well as multi-nationals, temporary employment agencies, company directors, human resource managers and independent professionals"
Results for the client
Why do clients choose Swart & De Schepper Attorneys? "The majority of clients are growing small or medium-sized companies and individuals with their own business. Alongside these there are large organisations that are in need of our specialisation. However, they're all people who want to get matters sorted out properly and quickly. In our practice we resolve many matters with a few letters, a couple of phone calls and, in some cases, a meeting. That's how it should be. Unfortunately in some cases court proceedings are unavoidable. Then I turn into a pit bull in the interests of my client. I'm not saying that we win every case. But we nearly always end up with a result that our client is satisfied with. To get there we also take some less conventional routes. There's a good reason that professional journals regularly report judgments in cases we've been involved in. We pull out all the stops to get the right result."
Approachable
Swart & De Schepper Attorneys is an accessible firm. "A lawyer is a service industry professional. Someone who earns his money by helping people. So you have to ensure that people find it easy to come to you. Trust is important. Being approachable and available are equally so. On top of that we always explain our fees clearly and tell clients what costs to expect. We have a great deal of experience, so we can make very accurate estimates. We notice that clients value this. We also explain in advance the likely outcomes and the risks. Small and medium-sized companies like our approach. New clients appreciate the fact that we conduct the first meeting for free. And we don't restrict it to half an hour. We have a serious introductory interview and deal with the matter in detail. Even in this first contact I like to show the added value we offer. Because that's the basis for the ongoing relationship."
