#SheDIDIT

Pro Bono Legal Support for Female Entrepreneurship in Belgium

How the global law firm Cleary Gottlieb provided pro bono legal support that strengthened #SheDIDIT’s governance and intellectual property safeguards.

A Growing Need for Legal Protection in the Nonprofit Sector

Nonprofits across Belgium increasingly handle intellectual property, personal data, and contractual relationships. As a result, pro bono legal support for nonprofits in Belgium becomes essential to ensure compliance and sustainability.

Organisations that grow quickly often face legal blind spots. Therefore, timely legal advice can prevent conflicts of interest and protect creative assets before issues arise.

#SheDIDIT: Empowering Women Through Entrepreneurship

#SheDIDIT is a Brussels-based nonprofit that promotes female entrepreneurship and economic independence in Belgium, with special attention to women facing structural barriers such as migration background or limited access to networks and funding. 

Through practical programmes like #SheMeansBusiness, Youthpreneurs, Academy, #SheFUND, and a supportive Community, they provide training, mentorship, and community support to help women start or grow businesses and step into leadership roles, contributing to a more inclusive and diverse business ecosystem.

Why Legal Support Became Crucial

Rapid expansion brought opportunity, but also complexity. The organisation increasingly managed proprietary content, volunteer agreements, and employment contracts. Consequently, it required pro bono legal support for nonprofits in Belgium to review:

  • the intellectual property provisions of their terms of contract dealing with potential conflicts of interest within the #SheDIDIT team;
  • the terms of their template contracts with third-party volunteers and freelancers under Belgian law;
  • their template employment contract under Belgian law;
  • and their board and other internal governance matters.

Without structured legal guidance, scaling these programmes would have created operational risk.

A Trusted Legal Partner: Cleary Gottlieb

Cleary Gottlieb is widely recognised for its international legal excellence and its strong, long-standing commitment to pro bono work, with teams known for combining technical precision with meaningful social-impact engagement. 

The collaboration was facilitated by the firm’s Global Pro Bono Counsel & Director, Byron Spring, who helped enable the match and align the organisation’s needs with the firm’s expertise. The work was then carried out by lawyers Jan-Frederik Keustermans, Michelle Willaert, and Louise Mourlon Beernaert, who partnered closely with #SheDIDIT and balanced legal rigour with a practical understanding of nonprofit realities.

How the Pro Bono Collaboration Unfolded

The Cleary Gottlieb team delivered a comprehensive legal check-up. They analysed contractual templates, drafted improved intellectual property clauses, and clarified governance procedures.

Importantly, they adapted legal language to the NGO’s operational context. This ensured usability, not just compliance. The collaboration involved iterative reviews and open dialogue, rather than one-off advice.

As #SheDIDIT co-founder Lien Warmenbol noted: “They were able to place themselves in our NGO context and dig deep into the challenges and decisions we faced.”

Tangible Results for #SheDIDIT

The deliverables enabled #SheDIDIT to protect its educational content and programme materials, prevent internal conflicts of interest, standardise agreements with volunteers and freelancers, strengthen its employment contracts, and clarify board and internal governance structures, thereby creating greater legal certainty and operational stability as the organisation continues to grow.

These outcomes created operational security and long-term resilience. In Lien Warmenbol’s words: “They never let it feel like we were asking for too much, and delivered as arranged. We are truly grateful for their professionalism and excellent delivery.”

Equally important was the matchmaking role. Pro Publico ensured alignment between need and expertise, making the collaboration efficient from the outset.

This case illustrates how pro bono legal support for nonprofits in Belgium is not merely advisory. It is strategic infrastructure. Strong legal foundations allow mission-driven organisations to innovate confidently and scale responsibly.

If your organisation faces legal uncertainty, consider seeking pro bono support.

👉 Submit your case via our intake form

📬 Subscribe to our newsletter

🔍 Explore more impact stories

Thanks to  @Jan-FrederikKeustermans, @MichelleWillaert, @LouiseMourlon Beernaert, @ByronSpring, @Cleary Gottlieb, @LienWarmenbol,  @#SheDIDIT, @FrancescoZatelli @Pro Publico

#ProBono #NonprofitLaw #BelgiumNGOs #WomenEntrepreneurs #LegalEmpowerment #SocialImpact #Governance #IntellectualProperty #ProPublico #SheDIDIT #AccessToJustice #ImpactPartnerships