Janson works alongside public and private clients in their issues related to the action of the administration. In general, Janson assists in all issues related to constitutional law as well as general administrative law.

Janson deals with all matters related to spatial planning and environment on the level of the federal state as well as of the three regions. Our firm assists its clients in obtaining and challenging permits as well as in any appeal procedure related thereto. Besides permitting issues we provide assistance to clients regarding waste, soil, water and climate.

Our lawyers also assist companies and public authorities that wish to participate in or organize competition procedures or that find themselves in a dispute in this area, whether at the award or during the execution phase of contracts and concessions. It can also advise them on the rules on competition, state aid and public service obligations that apply to their sector of activity. Our lawyers support you in all stages of your projects, from the preparation of your offers and contract documents, to the monitoring of the execution of contracts and concessions (claims, sanctions, etc.) to the management of disputes and the drafting of contracts.

Janson advises its clients on matters of government expropriation and in litigation related thereto as well as on matters related to the use of the public domain. Janson assists in due diligence within the framework of M&A and real estate transactions in close collaboration with Janson’s M&A and Real Estate practice. As for energy projects, we provide assistance to our Energy practice as for the administrative and permitting issues related to such projects.

Practice contacts

Günther L’heureux g.lheureux@janson.be

Günther L’heureux
g.lheureux@janson.be

Marie Vastmans m.vastmans@janson.be

Marie Vastmans
m.vastmans@janson.be

Team

Services

  • Constitutional law and general administrative law

  • Spatial panning (planning and permits)

  • Environmental law (permits, waste, soil, water and climate)

  • Heritage

  • Retail establishments

  • Public procurement, concessions, government contracts and public-private partnerships

  • Public real estate, expropriation and public domain and roads

  • Economic public law and regulated professions

  • Litigation

Because public and administrative law is often at the heart of complex projects, our Public & Administration team works closely with Janson’s EU & Competition, Energy, Mobility & Climate Change, and Real Estate & Construction practices whenever projects involve EU regulation, public procurement, concessions, permits, energy transition, infrastructure or real estate development.

Track records

  • Preventing a cinema operator from being expropriated

  • Assisting several corporations in obtaining and renewing their environmental permits

  • Assisting an entertainment venue in obtaining proper compensation as a result of expropriation

  • Assisting the operator of a hospitality complex regarding the wrongful termination of its concession by the government

  • Assisting building promoters in obtaining compensation for their loss of profits and incurred costs in connection to the Decree on the land and building policy

  • Assisting numerous corporations in successfully obtaining tenders and challenging awards of non-granted tenders

  • Assisting clients in the context of issues on the existence or time-barring of local roads

  • Assisting a building promoter in the suspension of works

  • Advising civil-law notaries on matters of urban planning and soil contamination within the framework of the sale of private and commercial real estate

  • Assisting a Seveso corporation in connection with its access structure

Academic & scientific work

  • Many of the partners in the Public and Administrative Department have academic appointments with Belgian universities such as the Université Libre de Bruxelles, Université de Mons, Universiteit Ghent, or the Vrije Universiteit Brussel.

  • Kris Wauters holds two PhDs from the University of Glasgow and the Maastricht University

  • The team has published many books and articles over the past few years, including the following :

    • Dominique Lagasse, “Code du développement territorial (CoDT) commenté”, Kluwer, 2020, 1243 p.

    • Dominique Lagasse, “Droit de la voirie. Droit de la domanialité publique”, Larcier, 2019, 330 p.

    • Dominique Lagasse, “Le permis de lotir en Région bruxelloise après la réforme du CoBAT”, publié sur le site internet de l’Ordre français des avocats du barreau de Bruxelles, spring 2019

    • Kris Wauters, “Kroniek van Rechtspraak van het Hof van Justitie 2020 inzake overheidsopdrachten, in Jaarboek Overheidsopdrachten 2020-2021 / Chronique des Marchés Publics 2020-2021”, Bruxelles, EBP Consulting, 2021 (with T. Van Gaal, to be published)

    • Kris Wauters, “Les marchés et les contrats publics dans l'Union européenne” (Chroniques), JDE, 2020, p. 367-372.

    • "Inzake antikoppelbaasreglementering”, in I. Arteschene and N. Portugaels (ed.) Wet en Duiding: bouwrecht, Gent, Larcier, 2015

    • “Zorginstellingen en arbeidsrecht”, in D. Fornaciari, T. Goffin en S. Tack (ed.) Wet en Duiding: zorginstellingen in diverse taken van het recht, Gent, Larcier, 2013