Sustainability vision

In addition, as a firm, we also want to contribute to an ecological, economic, fair and sustainable future. With this in mind, we have drawn up a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) vision within GSJ:

‘As a law firm, we take our responsibility to integrate sustainability into our services and business operations seriously. We do this by continuously caring for and paying attention to our environment and society, and by optimising our social impact on them.’

We implement the concept of ‘sustainability’ in our business operations based on the 5 Ps: People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace and Partnership. The United Nations has also divided the Sustainable Development Goals into these five dimensions. The 17 SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) form the cornerstone for eradicating global poverty, tackling inequality and protecting the environment and world peace by 2030.

As a law firm, we do this by focusing on health and well-being at work, by working paper-free and digitally as much as possible, by encouraging sustainable mobility among our employees, by donating financial support and legal services to charities, by collaborating with local partners and much more. For us, CSR is about finding the right balance between these five dimensions.

1. People

Internal

• Annual participation in the Antwerp Ten Miles, the Palace Run, and the OVB Lawyers' Run
• ‘GSJ Around the World’ = project in collaboration with Slim naar Antwerpen, which encouraged our colleagues to exercise in 2019, resulting in 57,000 kilometres covered and €20,000 for the charities Nijlen voor Hodora, Hope vzw and Bistro Buitengewoon
• Biweekly delivery of fair trade fruit and veggie soup
• Establishment of GSJ cycling, padel and running club
• Greenery in the office to promote well-being at work and air quality
• Organisation of Happy Hours (GSJ Sip & Paint), team-building activities per department and with the entire office, GSJ barbecue, Ugly Christmas Sweater Day, New Year's receptions, Tableau parties, secretarial dinners, office outings (Carnival in Oeteldonk, etc.)
• GSJ Gazet: internal magazine with fun facts about our GSJ family
• Equal opportunities for everyone: healthy mix in the office in terms of gender, sex, religion, age, etc.
• Lifelong learning: detailed training policy for all our employees

External

• Facilitating internships: summer, winter, practical and orientation internships for secondary schools, colleges and universities
• Sponsorship of charity campaigns and good causes, e.g. Kom op Tegen Kanker, Nijlen voor Hodora, Bistro Buitengewoon, Hope vzw, Pakje van je Hart, Warmste Week, Special Olympics, Pink Ribbon, Olivia Fund, Ferm'Eline

2. Planet

• Move to sustainable office building Post X in 2019
  
• Paperlow and working digitally as much as possible
  
• Option to work from home (less commuting)
  
• Encouraging sustainable mobility: Cambio and Vélo car and bicycle sharing subscriptions
  
• Maximum socially responsible procurement: FSC-certified paper, biweekly sustainable delivery of fair trade fruit, installation of Aqualex (tap water instead of bottled water), use of thermos cups and Dopper bottles in the office, implementation of e-signature (DocuSign)
  
  

3. Peace

• During the European Championships in 2024, we organised two fun ‘European Championships bars’ at the office, with all proceeds going to the charity VillaMax, an unsubsidised organisation that offers unique, warm and free holidays for families with a sick child.
• Donation to Olivia Fund and Ferm'Eline in 2023 following savings on production costs for digital Christmas cards
  
• As part of Warmste Week, we joined the fight against poverty by organising the “Warmste GSJ bar”.
  
  

4. Prosperity

• Supporting the local economy by collaborating with local partners for GSJ goodies, catering, etc.
  
• Donating legal services to De Brug, a social enterprise, etc.
  
  

5. Partnership

• Engagement with the local community through collaboration with local partners, memberships of various networks and sponsorship: a wide range of activities with social significance to make them more resilient.
  
• Knowledge is the keyword at GSJ. It is no coincidence that our slogan is ‘Shared knowledge is double knowledge’. Our lawyers are regular speakers at seminars and we sponsor the ALEC and AHLIC chairs. In this way, we strive to contribute to high-quality academic research and education in our city in the sectors in which we are active on a daily basis.
  
• We are a sponsor of De Conferentie, the study centre for the practice of law in one's own language, and a partner of the ELSA Antwerp student association.
• Since 2021, we have been an alliance partner of a British and Dutch law firm, TLT LLP and Holla legal & tax. This enables us to support internationally oriented clients better than ever before.
• Since 2025, we have had a partnership with 180 Degrees Consulting Antwerp, where we guide students in developing legal advice for non-profit organisations and social enterprises.
  
  

In June 2024, we obtained the Voka Charter for Sustainable Entrepreneurship (VCDO) certificate for the second year in a row. This recognition was the result of a comprehensive action plan with initiatives in areas such as sustainable mobility, well-being and health at work, paperless and digital working, purchasing sustainable products, donating financial support and legal services to various charities, and much more. For the coming year, we are aiming for the “SDG Pioneer” label.

A great deal of effort has already been made in our business operations, but the work is far from over and the challenges facing us as a society are considerable. Sustainable entrepreneurship is a growth process and we are proud that our firm has taken the first steps. We look forward to the next sustainability challenges, or rather, “collaboration challenges”. The challenge lies in working together: our behaviour and actions are the key to success!