Catherine Erkelens

Erkelens Law, the Brussels-based practice founded by Catherine Erkelens, has been named Aviation Law Firm of the Year in Belgium at the 2024 Corporate INTL Global Awards. The recognition reflects the firm's highly specialised focus on the aviation sector and the depth of counsel it offers to businesses operating across the industry.

Founded and led by Catherine Erkelens, the firm has established itself as a dedicated aviation practice, delivering the full range of legal services required by participants in the sector. Its clients span the breadth of the industry, from airlines and groundhandling providers to airport operators, aircraft maintenance firms, leasing companies and manufacturers. This client base reflects the interconnected nature of aviation, where commercial, regulatory and operational relationships link carriers, service providers and the wider supply chain.

The firm's aviation work combines commercial guidance, regulatory counsel and litigation representation. On the commercial side, this includes the contracts and arrangements that govern how aircraft are financed, leased, operated and maintained. On the regulatory side, it involves advising clients on the detailed and evolving framework of rules that governs aviation safety, licensing and operations, and representing them in their dealings with the relevant authorities. Where disputes arise, the firm acts for clients in contested proceedings, drawing on its sector knowledge to argue matters that often turn on the particular practices and standards of the aviation world.

Erkelens Law's specialisation is one of its defining characteristics. Aviation is a technical and heavily regulated field, and clients place value on advisers who understand not only the law but the commercial and operational realities of how the industry works. The firm's concentrated focus allows it to bring that sector-specific insight to each matter, tailoring its advice to the particular needs of aviation businesses rather than treating their issues as generic commercial questions. This approach has earned the firm recognition among independent legal commentators for the way it handles aviation cases.

Alongside its core aviation practice, the firm also advises on technology and data protection matters, addressing regulatory compliance, contract negotiation, representation before authorities and issues arising in online commerce and consumer protection. These capabilities complement its aviation work, reflecting the growing role of technology, data and digital systems within the aviation industry and the wider economy.

Operating from Brussels, at the heart of European regulatory decision-making, Erkelens Law is well positioned to serve clients whose interests are shaped by both Belgian and European rules. Being named Aviation Law Firm of the Year in Belgium underlines the firm's standing as a specialist adviser to the sector and the confidence its clients place in its focused expertise. Under Catherine Erkelens's leadership, the firm continues to provide dedicated legal support to the airlines, operators and businesses that make up the aviation industry.