Sandra is a partner in the Commercial and Dispute Resolution practices and heads the Insurance and Reinsurance team
Specialist areas
Sandra has a particular focus on:
- insurance law
- liability issues
- litigation
Background
Sandra graduated with a law degree from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KUL) in 1994. After her studies, she took a number of supplementary courses in insurance and risk management, including at Assuralia and with the German reinsurer, Münchener Rück. Sandra was admitted to the Brussels Bar in 1999.
Expertise and experience
With six years of invaluable experience at ING Insurance (now Vivium), Sandra possesses a unique perspective that combines direct sector expertise with a legal background, granting her an unparalleled understanding of the challenges faced by her clients. her distinctive blend of experience sets her apart, as no other law firm can boast such a comprehensive in-house capability.
Sandra's client portfolio encompasses Belgian and international insurance and reinsurance companies, professional organizations, mutual societies, and insurance intermediaries.
She advises and litigates in the fields of life and non-life insurance, distribution of insurance products including new distribution forms, regulatory, compliance and corporate governance, reinsurance, corporate insurance and transfer of portfolios, the development of new insurance products and review of policy wording and premium insurance tax.
Her profound understanding of the Insurance Distribution Directive (IDD) coupled with her strong network and regular engagement with insurers, actuaries, academics, insurance associations, and regulatory authorities further augment her expertise. Moreover, Sandra's exceptional knowledge extends to collective insurance and pensions, further distinguishing her capabilities in the field.
The remarkable achievements of both Sandra and Hugo Keulers have been instrumental in our insurance practice consistently attaining the highly regarded Tier 1 ranking in Belgium by Legal 500 since 2017. This outstanding accomplishment further reinforces our undeniable market leadership in the field of insurance law in Belgium. Her extraordinary capacities were recognised by the Legal 500 by putting her in the "hall of fame", the highest distincition.
Publications and speaking engagements
She is in demand as a speaker on insurance and lectures on insurance at the University of Antwerp, where she is a member of the steering group of the Antwerp Liability Law and Insurance Chair (ALLIC). She is regularly published on subjects such the introduction of class actions in the Belgian legal system and the coverage of cyber risks. Sandra regularly conducts in-house courses.
Distinctions
- Legal 500 EMEA 2024 - ranked in the Insurance "Hall of Fame"
- Chambers & Partners Europe 2024 - recommended in EU Regulatory: Financial Services
- Who's Who Legal 2023 - recommended in Insurance and Reinsurance
- Member of the Antwerp Insurance Club; the Belgian Association of Insurance Lawyers (AJA); the Royal Association of the Belgian Insurers (CRAB/ KKVB); the Belgian Pension Lawyers Association (BePLA the Board of Directors of the pension fund for lawyers, bailiffs and other independents (Voorzorgskas OFP); Women’s Law Network (WLN); and the Belgian section of the International Insurance Law Association (AIDA).
