2025 Events

 

4 December – LDIA Year-End Wrap-Up Meeting + keynote “Stop Crying!”

Amazing how time flies. Yesterday, 4 December, we closed 2025 with a truly impressive keynote by Hassan Al Hilou from CAPITAL vzw/asbl, who delivered a powerful and thought-provoking message: “𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐂𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲.” 💫

Hassan challenged us to rethink inclusive leadership and emphasized a crucial distinction: 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 – the courage to act and the empathy to truly understand. 💥

He reminded us that young people are not asking for favors; they are asking for the 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞. He pushed us beyond reflection and made it clear: listening is no longer enough. It is time to take action. 👐🏻

One of the most compelling moments was his comparison between historic ambition and today’s societal responsibility. John F. Kennedy’s famous Moon Shot inspired a nation to reach for the impossible. Hassan reframed that vision for our time with a bold and necessary alternative – a “youth shot”: a commitment to invest in, uplift, and empower the next generation with the same determination and optimism. 🚀🌙

After the keynote, we reflected on our collective achievements, and this gathering became the perfect way to close yet another remarkable year. With renewed energy, we step into 2026, ready for new challenges, new collaborations, and new opportunities to lead with both daring and caring.

💖 A heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us and helped shape such a meaningful conversation; to Annabelle Bruyndonckx & Stéphanie Martins Alves from Simmons & Simmons for hosting the event and introducing Hassan & CAPITAL to LDIA; AND, to all our members for their continuous engagement this year. 𝐋𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. ✨

hashtag#DiversityAndInclusion hashtag#LDIA hashtag#SimmonsAndSimmons hashtag#Brussels hashtag#YearEndEvent hashtag#InclusiveLeadership hashtag#FutureOfWork

 

13 November – Lunch & Learn: “𝐂𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.”

LDIA member CMS hosted our last LDIA Lunch & Learn of the year with Eve Vlemincx, who delivered an inspiring session: 

Key takeaways:

✨ Bias & Belonging: inclusion starts with awareness and grows through genuine belonging.

🔥 War for Talent: in today’s market, inclusion is a competitive advantage.

💡 Innovation needs diversity.

“𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲.”

🧠 Psychological safety is bold. No sugar coating. It’s the #1 predictor of team performance.

⚖️ Our profession: “The legal system is built on fear, blame and judgment.”
Time to break that pattern.

“𝐈𝐟 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠, 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐟𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫.”

Thank you Eve for the insights and CMS for hosting us so warmly!

hashtag#LDIA hashtag#Inclusion hashtag#Belonging hashtag#PsychologicalSafety hashtag#Innovation hashtag#CMS hashtag#LegalProfession

 

14 October – All Together LDIA event in the light of World Mental Health Day:
✨ STOP SILENT ✨

In light of World Mental Health Day, LDIA and VBB, organized our next ALL Together event: Stop Silent. Thank you all for your active participation.

Our first speaker, Hermina Van Coillie, shared insights on “The ABCs of Personal Development,” based on Self-Determination Theory. She explained that all employees have three core needs:

• Autonomy
• Bonding
• Competence

Hermina highlighted four ways to motivate learning: external pressure, internal guilt, intrinsic interest, and purpose. She emphasized that creating a safe environment is key, as everyone has the same fundamental need to learn, though approaches may differ.

Our second speaker, Jeff Keustermans, provided practical strategies for coping with feelings of being unequipped. His main message: “Choose your battles, and if you decide to fight: be in peace while at war.”

Key insights: 

1. The reality may be nicer than you believe (Prof. Iris Sommer, Groningen University)

2. Learn how to be an optimist (Edith Eger, PhD in Psychology)

3. Think about what you think: it causes how you feel and what you do (Idem; Prof. Siegel, UCLA)

4. Cultivate unconditional positive self-esteem (Edith Eger, PhD in Psychology)

5. Accept what you cannot change – Choose your battles – Be in peace while at war (ir Mo Gawdat, La Formule du Bonheur)

6. Use the power of your unconscious mind: 1-5 above should become habits (Prof. J. Bargh, Yale University)

7. Happiness fuels success in work and life (Achor Shawn, Harvard University)

Letter of sir Richard Branson on Happiness: https://lnkd.in/eqMKJf4T

Let’s continue to cultivate a culture of growth, resilience, and well-being – both personally and professionally.

#Wellbeing #Resilience #LearningCulture #LDIA #Motivation #MentalHealth

Photographer: MaximuZ

 

✨ 17 June – Bi-Monthly meeting ✨

Our final LDIA meeting before the summer break was a vibrant session of reflection and forward-thinking. We revisited the impactful events we have successfully delivered, celebrating the progress within the LDIA Academy and discussing the next steps for the WLEG initiative. These milestones reflect our shared dedication and the meaningful strides we have made in empowering leadership within our firms.

☑️ We engaged in thoughtful, action-oriented conversations about how we can deepen our impact. Key areas for growth were identified: enhancing our programs, expanding our outreach, and fostering stronger collaboration across our network. These insights have energized us with renewed clarity and purpose.

✅ “As we head into the summer break, let’s carry this momentum forward. We are well-positioned to build on our achievements and continue making a meaningful difference; together,” added Kathleen M. (Kat) Van Nuffel.

🙏🏻 We are grateful to our host, Simont Braun, for their warm hospitality and support in making this gathering possible. We also want to thank our members for their ongoing engagement and commitment, which are vital to our collective success.

✔️ Overall, the meeting set a positive tone for the months ahead, inspiring us to return recharged and ready to elevate our initiatives to the next level.

#LeadershipDevelopment #LDIA #Collaboration #ProfessionalGrowth hashtag#CommunityBuilding #LeadershipMatters #TeamSuccess #ContinuousLearning

 

✨ 𝓛𝓾𝓷𝓬𝓱 & 𝓛𝓮𝓪𝓻𝓷 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝓪 𝓜𝓲𝓼𝓼𝓲𝓸𝓷 ✨

24 April: 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 – 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭.

Last week, we had the pleasure to welcome Isabel Rosendor, co-founder of JustLawyers together with Anouk Lescrenier from Be.Face during our LDIA’s bi-monthly Lunch & Learn.

Both organizations had the chance to connect with our members and share how JustLawyers and Be.Face are each working to make the legal world more accessible and inclusive.

✔️ JustLawyers explained their AI-powered matchmaking app aiming to remove unconscious bias from recruitment processes.

✔️ Be.face presented the power of mentorship as a tool for social mobility — helping students and job seekers from diverse backgrounds build their professional future with confidence.

👏🏻 A big THANK YOU to Anna Duron (She/Her/Hers) and Ashurst for hosting the event and to all LDIA members for their interest, engagement and open discussions.

#JustLawyers #LDIA #Ashurst #BeFace #LDIALunchAndLearn #LegalDiversity #SocialMobility g#JustLawyers #LegalCareers

 

3 April 2025 –  Building a Respectful Workplace (All  Together event)

Last week, LDIA hosted a powerful panel discussion centered on “Building a Respectful Workplace,” addressing issues of transgressive behavior in professional environments.

The evening kicked off with a warm welcome from our Chair, Kat Van Nuffel, followed by a thought-provoking video featuring Jane Elliott, which underscored the importance of the evening’s theme.

Yasmina El Kaddouri then delivered a compelling keynote speech, highlighting the importance of understanding and addressing issues of transgressive behavior.

The panelists Crépine Uwashema, Patrick Charlier, Sovanna Hem and Mila Paspalanova explored the significant impact of microaggressions on mental health and how various forms of discrimination shape personal well-being. The conversation brought to light the detrimental effects of behaviors such as racism and tokenism in the workplace, emphasizing the urgent need for awareness and change. Disturbing statistics on sexism, discrimination, and racism within the legal sector were shared, challenging the perception of justice in a field that is supposed to embody it.

The discussion delved further into the power dynamics within organizations, emphasizing the necessity for leaders to demonstrate their commitment to DEI through actionable measures. The significance of unconscious bias training was underscored, along with calls for mandatory training on recognizing and reporting transgressive behavior. Additionally, the concept of establishing safe spaces for open dialogue about discrimination was highlighted as a crucial step toward fostering conversations without fear of retribution.

During the Q&A session, the audience actively engaged through a Mentimeter questionnaire. The sincerity with which the questions were answered was hopeful, setting a positive tone to continue the conversation.

Els Koninckx concluded the evening with an insightful presentation on the Trust Person initiative launched by the OVB. She highlighted the ongoing efforts in promoting DEI through the establishment of an advisory council.

Thank you to everyone who attended and contributed to this essential conversation. Together, we can work towards creating safer and more inclusive workplaces for all!

#BuildingARespectfulWorkplace #DEI #PanelDiscussion #Inclusion #WorkplaceCulture

See photos below – Photographer MaximuZ

𝐊𝐞𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬
👉 Yasmina El Kaddouri is a legal expert specialized in human rights, anti-discrimination law, EU law, and criminal law. Her expertise lies at the intersection of law and inclusion, where she develops legal and policy strategies to address structural inequalities.
👉 Els Koninckx is managing partner at Koninckx & Broekmans Advocaten. She is also a board member of the Order of the Flemish Bars, overseeing key areas such as training, internships, quality, and well-being.

𝐏𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐥 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬
👉 Crepine Uwashema is a lawyer at the Dutch-speaking bar in Brussels. She came to Belgium with her family as a refugee at an early age and grew up in Flanders. After completing her law studies at VUB, Crépine Uwashema chose to work as a lawyer in 2013. She is currently a partner at the Brussels-based firm Juscogens, where she focuses mainly on criminal law and public international law, with a particular focus on discrimination in all its forms.
👉 Mila Paspalanova is a psychologist, specialized in organizational, personality and clinical psychology. Holding postgraduate diploma in neurophysiology and psychopharmacology. Doctor in social and political sciences from the Catholic University of Leuven, and Master in Statistics. She has served for over 17 years with the UN, first with UNHCR in Mexico and then with OHCHR where she was in charge of in the design of human rights policies and monitoring human rights with special focus on vulnerable populations in multiple Latin American Countries. She is currently the OHCHR Anti-racial Discrimination Advisor for Europe.
👉 Patrick Charlier is a lawyer by training. He has worked for the Ligue des droits humains (Human Rights Ligue), first as legal advisor (1992-1996), then as director (1996-2001). In 2001 he joined Unia, where he has held various positions: first within the Racism Department and the Migration Observatory, then as coordinator of the Discrimination Department and finally as director. Patrick has been chair of Equinet (European network of equality bodies) since October 2023. He is also an alternate member of the Central Supervisory Board for the Prison System.
👉 Sovanna Hem is a true people person with over 15 years experience in all aspects of Human Resources and DEI. No matter what topic he’s interested in like inclusion, talent development or change management, Sovanna will always challenge the norm and rewrite the narrative. His mantra: dare to change.

 

30 January 2025 – 6th anniversary celebration of the launch of LDIA

🌈 Celebrating 6 Years of LDIA and Promoting LGBTQIA+ Equality 🌈

We are thrilled to share the success of our 𝟲𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝗟𝗗𝗜𝗔 on January 30th. This special evening was dedicated to celebrating DEI and fundamental LGBQTIA+ human rights in the European Union and an inclusive legal sector.

Our event was inspired by a recent EU report on LGBTQIA+ Equality, which highlighted that acceptance is at a critical point within the 27-country bloc. While progress has been made in many areas, significant challenges remain, particularly concerning the bullying of LGBTQIA+ students. The report revealed that in Belgium and the Netherlands, traditionally leaders in LGBTQIA+ rights, over 60% of LGBTQIA+ students have faced ridicule, teasing, insults, or threats – an alarming increase compared to a 2019 poll.

As the legal industry hires many students each year, our seminar and networking event aimed to: (i) Celebrate diversity and inclusion; (ii) Raise awareness of ongoing challenges; (iii) Show our relentless support for LGBTQIA+ students; and (iv) Identify concrete, urgent actions for change.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Bird & Bird and 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 for spearheading the organization of this impactful event. We are deeply thankful to our inspiring panel members for sharing their invaluable insights, and to our moderators, Hein Hobbelen and Chris Noordam, for their exceptional contributions.
Our appreciation also goes out to all 𝗟𝗗𝗜𝗔 members for their unwavering dedication to fostering a safe and supportive environment for everyone. And of course, a big thank you to our enthusiastic audience.

The evening featured inspiring contributions from:
🎭 Live Your Story, whose actors vividly brought to life the importance of creating an inclusive and empathetic society through theater and storytelling.
🎶 Talented musicians from the Brussels Conservatoire, adding a creative music and theatre vibe to the event.

Our Chair, Kathleen M. (Kat) Van Nuffel, concluded the evening with a powerful reminder that DEI is here to stay. We will continue to advocate for equality and strive towards a future where everyone can live authentically and without fear.

See photos below  (Photographer Maximuz)