In this section, each month we introduce a colleague from the Labour, Employee Participation & Mediation team. This month it is the turn of Renate Vink-Dijkstra, partner and lawyer within the Labour & Employee Participation team. Curious about her story and what drives her? Then read on quickly!
Can you briefly introduce yourself and tell us something about your career as a lawyer?
Welcome to De Clercq! My name is Renate Vink-Dijkstra, lawyer specialising in Employment Law and Employee Participation. When I completed my studies in 2008, I already knew that I had a strong affinity with employment law. At De Clercq, I was able to put that into practice straight away. Soon after, a great passion for employee participation was added, and the Employee Participation team at De Clercq was born!
With great enthusiasm and commitment, I have since been advising directors, legal counsels, HR professionals, works councils and other employee participation bodies on complex issues relating to employment, employment conditions, restructurings, reorganisations, mergers and/or acquisitions, and other strategic issues within organisations. Since 2022, I have also been a partner at De Clercq. This means that I am also involved in leading our wonderful team and in the development of our great firm!
What are your areas of specialisation? Why should clients turn to you as a lawyer?
My focus lies on collective employment law and employee participation within organisations — the intersection between labour and enterprise. Without labour, most organisations cannot function, so organising work properly and efficiently is essential. That is not always easy: organisations continue to develop, and work (and the labour market) is dynamic as well. Adapting and changing are therefore part of everyday practice. I enjoy thinking along in such processes, preferably at an early stage and in consultation with employee participation bodies.
I see the added value of employee participation within organisations and I like to help make that added value a reality. If that does not succeed — or if it is already too late — I am happy to help turn the tide and look for an appropriate solution.
Listening, thinking along and determining the right strategy: that is the basis of being a good lawyer. The legal substance is, in my view, a given. What matters is being able to use the right legal tools in practice to achieve the best possible solutions, even if that requires creativity and thinking outside the box. That is exactly what makes my work enjoyable and why clients turn to me!
What sets De Clercq Advocaten apart from other law firms?
We often hear from our clients that we are not “typical” lawyers, and I see that as a great compliment. This applies to our way of working: we are pragmatic, think in terms of interests and solutions without losing sight of legal reality, and work together with our clients towards the most appropriate solution.
But it also applies to our people: we work together in a team of specialists, where everyone participates and contributes ideas. This is reflected in a pleasant, informal working atmosphere in which team spirit comes first!
As a firm, we also consider sustainability and social involvement in the broadest sense to be important — not for nothing are we B Corp certified. But that is not all: we are innovative and have the ambition to grow even further!
Can you share a challenging or interesting case that you successfully completed or that has always stayed with you?
There are countless cases that I look back on and see the contribution we were able to make to achieving a good outcome — both large and smaller matters. The added value often lies in the path that leads to the best result for your client.
One case that has always particularly stayed with me was advising a works council during a complex advisory process relating to a demerger in the healthcare sector. In that matter, legal interests, organisational changes and the manner in which employee participation was involved all had to be carefully aligned. Thanks to thorough analysis and intensive cooperation, we were able to achieve a result that was supported by all parties involved. It was a major challenge, requiring a full range of legal tools to ultimately arrive at an appropriate outcome.
Another case that comes to mind directly concerned key employment conditions for a very large group of employees. It involved a far-reaching change to working hours, with all the associated consequences. The impact of such a case is significant — something that became very clear during the hearing, which was attended by around one hundred employees as well as the press. That is not something you experience every day, but it does make you realise how important our work is and how substantial the added value of our efforts can be. In this case as well, a suitable solution was ultimately reached jointly.
What is the most important advice you would give to clients who are seeking legal assistance?
It is always important to find a lawyer who suits you — someone with whom you have a good rapport and whose way of working aligns with what you are looking for. I consider honesty and trust to be essential in that regard. A lawyer should give an honest assessment of a case, and clients must be able to rely on open and transparent advice and communication.
I work in a proactive manner and enjoy thinking along in terms of solutions, taking into account the interests involved. This usually requires good conversations, in which I make use of negotiation skills and mediation techniques. Sometimes that is not enough and legal proceedings are unavoidable, but litigation is certainly not my default approach. I am convinced that this way of working helps parties move forward — but it does have to suit you. Be honest with yourself (and your lawyer)!
How do you see the future of the legal sector, particularly within your area of specialisation?
A great deal is coming our way in the years ahead. This is true both in the field of employment law and employee participation (although that will, to some extent, depend on what is achieved in the political arena), as well as in the area of AI. The lawyer of the future will look different from the traditional lawyer — there is no denying that. And fortunately, that is not something we want to resist. It is incredibly exciting to think about the future design of our services, and we are actively working on that.
At the same time, our role as a sparring partner will certainly remain. We do people-focused work, and that is extremely valuable — now and in the future.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work to relax?
Outside of work, I quite literally enjoy being outdoors. Going for walks, cycling or doing other enjoyable activities — preferably together with my family, and sometimes on my own. It creates space in my head, which in turn leads to valuable insights and good ideas!
Do you have any final words or advice for our clients or readers of this newsletter?
A new year has begun, so let me conclude by wishing everyone all the very best for 2026! We hope for great collaborations with our clients, successful cases, and above all inspiring challenges that we are happy to take on together with you. Personally, I wish everyone good health in this new year, a healthy balance between work and private life, and many wonderful personal moments — because in the end, those are what matter most. Here’s to a fantastic 2026!
