Planning, focus and commitment
More than 40 years of experience at your side
The firm, headed by Mr Frédéric Thiebaut, masters criminal law and procedure to perfection. He defends the interests of both victims and suspects in criminal law files, ably assisted by his passionate young colleagues.
The law firm has been established in Antwerp (Kontich) since 1977, and in 2009 a branch was opened in the centre of Mechelen. In 2020, the lawyers there moved into new offices along the ring in Mechelen, thus assuring easy accessibility.
Our working method
Preliminary discussion
We communicate openly and honestly, making no empty promises. No-nonsense, straight from the cuff. During an exploratory exchange, the lawyers sound out the client’s concrete expectations and subject them to an unvarnished reality check. An initial cost assessment is also made during this phase.
Analysis
The following step is the legal and factual analysis: which parties and interests are involved in the case, can or must external experts be appointed, who has to be contacted, what are the procedural possibilities…? All of these elements are translated into a strategy that accords with the client´s expectations.
Implementation
When the case is argued before the court, the client reaps the benefits of the detailed analysis and strong strategy. As a criminal lawyer, Frédéric Thiebaut employs a direct style, while at the same time taking the sensitivities of the court into account. The client’s interest comes first and foremost, with everything oriented towards obtaining the best result!
Know-how
The firm focuses exclusively on criminal law. This know-how is reflected in quality. Mr Frédéric Thiebaut knows the criminal code and procedures and knows how to deal with them. He has pleaded dozens of times before various courts of assize in Belgium and has also made a name for himself abroad.
Expertise
The firm can rely on its especially broad criminal law expertise: violent offences, assaults, homicides, drug violations, claims for damages, money-laundering offences, assistance during interrogations, pre-trial detention, extradition cases, special investigative methods, etc.
Thiebaut & Claes Advocaten maintains excellent contacts with other lawyers domestically and abroad and also assists clients throughout Europe, North and South America and Northern Africa.
Forensic knowledge
Thiebaut & Claes Advocaten also know their forensic science: trace evidence, telephony, ICT, DNA, autopsy, psychiatry, etc. This specific expertise helps them to evaluate the police investigation thoroughly and critically in the interest of the client. The firm is constantly expanding its knowledge so as to remain on top of the most modern investigative methods.
If additional expertise is required in certain specialised areas, the firm consults its own experts such as doctors, engineers, forensic scientists, lab technicians, etc.
Proactive working method
When defining our strategy, we already anticipate possible later stages in the file, for example if the case should ultimately be appealed to the Court of Cassation. Mr Frédéric Thiebaut, Mr Anaïs Goos and Mr Leen Van Loo hold the certificate of the special training in cassation proceedings in criminal cases, which allows them to assist clients before the Court of Cassation sitting in criminal cases. Atty Thiebaut also successfully completed the bar association’s four-year professional training programme for the Court of Cassation
