The multi-disciplinary law firm with a focus on knowledge and the client.
Nelissen Grade - pleased to meet you!
Nelissen Grade is steered and strengthened by a tightly-knit team of lawyers, each with their own experience and specialisations. Are you interested in seeing the driving forces behind our firm? Would you like to zoom in on their diverse competencies and educational backgrounds? Then meet the team.
The lawyer most suited to looking after you will depend on your case’s unique characteristics: feel free to contact us for an introductory meeting. We welcome you to meet us in our offices in Leuven, Brussels and Hasselt.
Pascal Nelissen Grade
Travel law Sports law Criminal law and fraud Corporate criminal law
With more than thirty years of experience, Pascal Nelissen Grade is the undisputed flagbearer of Nelissen Grade Lawyers. Pascal Nelissen Grade has been president of the Leuven Bar Association since 2024.
Pascal Nelissen Grade has been working for many years with dedication and commitment in the departments of criminal law, travel law, liability law and motor sport law.
Quick, efficient, accessible and proactive. Pascal Nelissen Grade combines legal ingenuity with a practical approach.
In criminal law, he has successfully represented defendants as well as victims before criminal courts, courts of appeal and assize courts. Not only does he represent private individuals, but also business owners and companies in complex cases within corporate criminal law. As a lawyer specialized in travel law, he assists various actors in the travel industry by representing them in various cases and (extra)judicial proceedings. Pascal Nelissen Grade is also the president of the Travel Litigation Commission and speaks often at seminars on travel law.
Finally, Pascal Nelissen Grade is specialized in the field of motor sport law. Passionate about this sport, he assists drivers and teams and participates in the drafting of sports regulations. In addition, he has intervened on several occasions before various (inter)national courts and the FIA.
Jan Stijns
Construction law Administrative law Legacies Mediation
Jan Stijns graduated in 1987 as master of law at KU Leuven. In 2009 he also graduated as bachelor in philosophy at KU Leuven.
Jan entered the association in 1987. He is specialized in family property law and has specific attention for patrimonial law (real estate) and succession planning / taxability. He is also specialized in the fields of construction law and administrative law.
Kris Maes
Employment law and social law Civil law
Kris Maes graduated as master of law at KU Leuven.
He is a member of the Bar Association of Leuven and Dendermonde.
Kris provides assistance and advice to individuals and companies on the subject of (individual and collective) labour law and social security. He is especially interested in providing thorough and permanent assistance on the subject of HR management. He is regularly invited as a guest speaker in seminars.
In the event of litigation, he prefers to come to a detailed and balanced solution after clear negotiations. But when legal proceedings are required, he is prepared to go to any length.
Alexis Lefebvre
Alexis Lefebvre started his studies at FUNDP in Namur and graduated as master of law at UCL in Louvain-la-Neuve. After his education, Alexis entered the association.
He is specialized in litigation and providing assistance and advice in the fields of tax law, on the one hand, and economic, commercial and contract law, on the other hand.
He is a member of the Bar Association of Brussels and Leuven.
Frederiek Baudoncq
Civil law Arbitration Travel law Liability law and damages Mediation
Frederiek Baudoncq is a member of the Bar Association of Leuven since 1998. From 1999 to 2005, he was part time assistant at the faculty of law of KU Leuven, department property and liability law.
He is (co) author of several books and contributions to books and articles and is a member of the editorial staff of three law journals. He completed the training to become a lawyer at the Supreme Court of Belgium, the Court of Cassation.
Alexis Hallemans
Intellectual property law, media law, GDPR and ICT Corporate law Mediation
Alexis Hallemans studied law in Namur (FUNDP), Belgium, at the Univeristy of Leuven and in Saarbrücken (Germany). He is a lawyer since 2003. He also obtained a LL.M degree European law in Germany and an additional Masters in intellectual property and IT law at the University of Brussels. He specializes in these subjects in which he has pleaded before the Court of Justice of the EU and the Constitutional Court in Belgium. He is recommended for these subjects in Belgium (Legal 500, Tier 2).
For several years now he is a Board member of the German, Belgian and Luxemburg Chamber of Commerce AHK DEBELUX. Alexis fluently speaks Dutch, French, German and English. This allowed him to develop a strong experience and track record in legally assisting international companies in Belgium, particularly German companies.
Alexis worked in large international law firms in Belgium and Germany (CMS Hasche Sigle) before joining Nelissen Grade as a partner in the department IP, IT and commercial law.
Joke Decabooter
Personal and family law Arbitration Mediation
Joke Decabooter obtained her master law degree at the Catholic University of Leuven in 2011. During her master years, Joke mainly focused on civil law, specialising in family law, family property law and liability law.
After her studies, Joke immediately joined the Bar Association of Leuven, as well as our firm. Based on her interest in private law, she mainly focuses on support, procedures and advice regarding all aspects of family law, as well as settlements and divisions. Nationality issues also fall within her expertise.
In 2015, Joke obtained her notarial profession master at the Free University of Brussels. Since 2019 she is recognized as mediator in family matters.
From the 2019-2020 academic year, Joke will be affiliated with the Catholic University of Leuven as a law assistant at the Institute for Family Law.
Karen Niesten
Tax law Corporate law Wealth and succession planning
Karen Niesten obtained her Master's degree in Law at the Catholic University of Leuven (KUL) in 2012 and then completed an additional Master's degree in Taxation at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB).
In 2013, she joined the Nelissen Grade office and the Leuven Bar.
Karen also completed a management programme at Solvay Business School of Economics and Management in Brussels and attended courses in Dutch taxation and inheritance law at the University of Maastricht.
Karen focuses on leading and developing the expert groups for tax law and estate planning.
On the one hand Karen focuses on financial and tax advice, including estate planning. On the other hand, she performs dispute resolution and litigation in various tax fields for the administrative authorities and tax courts in Belgium. In cooperation with Frederiek Baudoncq, she also conducts proceedings before the Court of Cassation.
From her tax background, she also supports the corporate law department.
Astrid Luckermans
Liability law and damages Travel law Criminal law and fraud Road traffic law