After a career spanning more than 35 years, Mirjam de Blécourt will step down as an Employment Law partner at Baker McKenzie effective July 1, 2026, thereby concluding her career as an employment lawyer.
She is confidently handing over Baker McKenzie Amsterdam’s Employment practice to a strong team led by Danielle Pinedo. The Baker McKenzie Amsterdam Employment practice is among the largest and most prominent employment law teams in the Netherlands. It forms part of Baker McKenzie’s global Employment group, which is ranked Band 1 worldwide by Chambers and Partners.
De Blécourt is regarded as one of Europe’s most influential employment lawyers. She played a key role in large scale reorganizations and mass redundancies involving multinational corporations. Together with her team, she made complex legal themes more accessible, including through the 'Complaints Challenge' - a card game addressing misconduct in the workplace - and the longest legal poster in Dutch history, focusing on dismissal law. She also developed the 'De Blécourt Method', an innovative and widely adopted approach to collective redundancies.
International recognition and leadership
De Blécourt’s career was marked by extensive international recognition. She was ranked Band 1 in the Chambers and Partners guides for 20 consecutive years, inducted into the Legal 500 Hall of Fame (2022-2026), and named Europe’s Best Female Employment Lawyer on four occasions. Within Baker McKenzie, she held several leadership positions, including serving on the EMEA+ Management Committee and completing two terms on the Amsterdam office’s management board.
“I made the deliberate choice to step down at my peak,” says De Blécourt. “I have given it my all and leave the team with a strong foundation and solid leadership in place. For me, this moment marks not only a farewell but also a new beginning. I look forward to spending more time with my family, serving on supervisory and advisory boards, continuing my commitment to gender diversity, and deepening my involvement in Africa, which remains very close to my heart.”
Diversity and community involvement
Long before diversity became a strategic priority, De Blécourt placed the topic firmly on the agenda. She has long advocated for gender equality, initiated programs to support the development of female leadership, and played a key role - while serving as a member of the Dutch Senate (Eerste Kamer) - in the introduction of the Dutch quota legislation aimed at increasing the number of women in senior corporate leadership. In 2019, she published the book 'Vrijgevochten', a call for autonomy, courage, and inclusion. In addition, she holds various societal roles as a supervisory board member and director, including positions with the Emma Children’s Hospital Support Foundation, African Parks, and the American European Community Association (AECA).
Continuity secured
“Mirjam leaves behind a practice that is stronger than ever,” says Danielle Pinedo, Employment & Compensation partner at Baker McKenzie. “Her legal insight, entrepreneurship, and dedication have been a tremendous source of inspiration for everyone on our team and far beyond. Her legacy lives on in the way we collaborate and look ahead as a team.”
Kim Tan, Managing Partner of Baker McKenzie Amsterdam, also emphasizes her impact on the Firm. “Mirjam combined legal excellence with entrepreneurship and vision. She has left a lasting mark not only on our Firm, but also on employment law and the broader societal debate on diversity. We are deeply grateful for everything she has contributed to Baker McKenzie.”
She is confidently handing over Baker McKenzie Amsterdam’s Employment practice to a strong team led by Danielle Pinedo. The Baker McKenzie Amsterdam Employment practice is among the largest and most prominent employment law teams in the Netherlands. It forms part of Baker McKenzie’s global Employment group, which is ranked Band 1 worldwide by Chambers and Partners.
De Blécourt is regarded as one of Europe’s most influential employment lawyers. She played a key role in large scale reorganizations and mass redundancies involving multinational corporations. Together with her team, she made complex legal themes more accessible, including through the 'Complaints Challenge' - a card game addressing misconduct in the workplace - and the longest legal poster in Dutch history, focusing on dismissal law. She also developed the 'De Blécourt Method', an innovative and widely adopted approach to collective redundancies.
International recognition and leadership
De Blécourt’s career was marked by extensive international recognition. She was ranked Band 1 in the Chambers and Partners guides for 20 consecutive years, inducted into the Legal 500 Hall of Fame (2022-2026), and named Europe’s Best Female Employment Lawyer on four occasions. Within Baker McKenzie, she held several leadership positions, including serving on the EMEA+ Management Committee and completing two terms on the Amsterdam office’s management board.
“I made the deliberate choice to step down at my peak,” says De Blécourt. “I have given it my all and leave the team with a strong foundation and solid leadership in place. For me, this moment marks not only a farewell but also a new beginning. I look forward to spending more time with my family, serving on supervisory and advisory boards, continuing my commitment to gender diversity, and deepening my involvement in Africa, which remains very close to my heart.”
Diversity and community involvement
Long before diversity became a strategic priority, De Blécourt placed the topic firmly on the agenda. She has long advocated for gender equality, initiated programs to support the development of female leadership, and played a key role - while serving as a member of the Dutch Senate (Eerste Kamer) - in the introduction of the Dutch quota legislation aimed at increasing the number of women in senior corporate leadership. In 2019, she published the book 'Vrijgevochten', a call for autonomy, courage, and inclusion. In addition, she holds various societal roles as a supervisory board member and director, including positions with the Emma Children’s Hospital Support Foundation, African Parks, and the American European Community Association (AECA).
Continuity secured
“Mirjam leaves behind a practice that is stronger than ever,” says Danielle Pinedo, Employment & Compensation partner at Baker McKenzie. “Her legal insight, entrepreneurship, and dedication have been a tremendous source of inspiration for everyone on our team and far beyond. Her legacy lives on in the way we collaborate and look ahead as a team.”
Kim Tan, Managing Partner of Baker McKenzie Amsterdam, also emphasizes her impact on the Firm. “Mirjam combined legal excellence with entrepreneurship and vision. She has left a lasting mark not only on our Firm, but also on employment law and the broader societal debate on diversity. We are deeply grateful for everything she has contributed to Baker McKenzie.”
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