The Legal 500

Allen & Overy LLP handles cross-border employment matters for Dutch and European clients. Practice head Ferdinand Grapperhaus ‘combines in-depth knowledge with a down-to-earth attitude and broad industry knowledge’, and recently handled compliance and governance matters for IKEA. The ‘objective and focused’ Suzanne Sikkink acted for TNT on the demerger of its Express business and for Wolters Kluwer on multijurisdictional outsourcing projects.

Baker & McKenzie Amsterdam N.V. has ‘a very capable team with strong knowledge that offers straightforward, honest and reliable advice’. It advised Abbott Laboratories on post-merger employment issues and handled a number of well-publicised executive terminations. Karin Bodewes and Mirjam de Blécourt lead the practice.

De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek’s Evert-Jan Henrichs recently handled unfair discrimination issues and high-level dismissals. Stefan Sagel assisted Grolsch and Reed Elsevier in successfully defending unfair dismissal cases. Other clients include Achmea, Capgemini and KNVB (Dutch Football Association), and Supreme Court litigation remains a core focus. Rogier Duk retired.

Stibbe provides ‘tailor-made’ advice on labour law issues, and has strength in depth. It has acted for clients such as ING, KLM and British American Tobacco. ‘Creative, intelligent lawyer’ Jaap van Slooten is experienced in complex disputes, and the ‘cool and collected’ Paul Vestering is well regarded for his pensions law knowledge. Senior associate Hanneke Bennaars is also recommended.

‘Creative and business-savvy’, Boekel De Nerée’s advice ‘goes far beyond a simple legal analysis’. Eugenie Nunes is ‘a leader in her field’, advising on major reorganisations and pension funds. Marian van Eck is highly regarded and ‘partners with rather than against the client’: she advised Organon on creating a science park to provide work for redundant employees. Hester Uhlenbroek and senior counsel Yvette Dissel are also recommended.

DLA Piper’s team ‘interacts on a strategic level’, but is ‘down-to-earth, with a non-bureaucratic approach’. Clients include PepsiCo, Ernst & Young, Hard Rock Café, TMF and Westland Utrecht Bank. Practice head Marnix Holtzer is much appreciated as an adviser at boardroom level, and healthcare sector specialist Dirk Jan Rutgers ‘brings humour, persistence and quality delivery in everything he does’.

Houthoff Buruma recently advised Siemens and LyondellBasell on reorganisations, and represented Connexxion group in disputes, including an appeal against a works council regarding a public contract. It also advised on establishing the first Dutch pension scheme joint venture, set up between Delta Lloyd and Binck Bank. Edward de Bock leads a four-partner team. Louis Kuypers joined the Dutch Central Bank.

Loyens & Loeff combines employment and tax law expertise. Hermine Voûte handles employee representation and collective dismissals. Newly promoted partner Klaas Wiersma is ‘an expert in his field’, focusing mainly on employment law aspects of M&A transactions. He advised CB Richard Ellis on acquiring ING Real Estate Investment Management.

Van Doorne ‘delivers excellent advice on even the most complex cases’. Els de Wind is well regarded for her EU and cross-border expertise, while Paul Witteveen provides ‘sensitive handling and an intelligent approach’ to matters. Marjolijn Lips is recommended for her respectful and diplomatic approach.

AKD is highly regarded for its pragmatic approach and proactive service. Practice head François Defaix recently acted for the WPN (association of postal service employees). Pieter Huys and Hans van Mens are also recommended. Ton Gaalman retired from the partnership but remains counsel to the practice.

BarentsKrans N.V. advised ABN AMRO Bank on outsourcing, and won an appeal for CHC Helicopters regarding collective agreement negotiations. Caroline van Gent leads the team, which includes employment law specialist Peter Vas Nunes.

CMS Derks Star Busmann’s team focuses on cross-border matters. Madeleine Lamers acted for Sara Lee on works council and co-determination issues regarding a business divestment, and advised CSC on pan-European employee reorganisation. Michiel van Dijk heads the group.

Clifford Chance recently advised CVC Capital Partners, Sanoma and Maxeda Retail Group on employment aspects of M&A. Practice head Ruth van Andel is ‘creative, solutions-driven and a strong negotiator’. Counsel Sara Schermerhorn ‘goes the extra mile to deliver outstanding support’.

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer’s employment practice is led by Brechje Nollen. It advised on employment aspects of Prysmian’s winning bid for Draka Holding and Sara Lee’s divestment of its shoe care business.

The ‘very pragmatic, highly experienced and knowledgeable’ Anita de Jong heads Hogan Lovells International LLP’s team, which is ‘focused on practical solutions’. Clients include ICTS Group, O.W. Bunker & Trading, Honeywell and Schering-Plough. Associate Sigrid Romijn is also recommended.

Kennedy Van der Laan’s ‘down-to-earth and personable yet professional and highly knowledgeable’ team acts for clients including Dutch Railways, Microsoft and Martinair. Practice head Chris Nekeman is ‘a practical, trustworthy lawyer’, and newly promoted partner Inge de Laat is recommended for privacy matters. Johan Pel recently handled dismissal cases for Endemol and IDTV.

Lexence provides ‘solid, pragmatic advice’ to clients such as Electrabel, Alliander and De Persgroep. Floor Damen and Mark Keuss specialise in collective dismissals, while Judith Schulp acts for corporates.

NautaDutilh’s Homme ten Have focuses on the sports sector, and recently negotiated the first collective bargaining agreement for professional cyclists in the Netherlands. Other clients include ECT, Mediq and the Muncipality of Amsterdam. Warner Roeters van Lennep and Albert van der Kolk head the practice.

Pels Rijcken & Droogleever Fortuijn NV mainly acts for the government and public sector, although it also has corporate clients including KPN and ExxonMobil. It represented the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment in mass litigation regarding work permits for Romanian and Bulgarian agricultural workers. The team includes Jan Pas and Sandra van Heukelom-Verhage.

Simmons & Simmons LLP’s Joris Oster advises Organon on various issues, including individual dismissals, and is lead employment counsel to Warner Bros Entertainment Group regarding the restructuring of its Benelux operations.