The Legal 500

The two-partner practice at Allen & Overy LLP advised on a high-profile dismissal claim by the chairman of the board against a joint venture between the Dutch government and Transdev. Ferdinand Grapperhaus is ‘very strong in court and very knowledgeable’. Suzanne Sikkink, who recently made partner, is also recommended.

Mirjam de Blécourt and Karin Bodewes head the team at Baker & McKenzie Amsterdam N.V., which advised the Central Works Council of ABN AMRO on matters such as internal reorganisation, and integration between ABN AMRO and Fortis following the demerger of ABN AMRO Bank N.V.

De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek’s five-partner team advised ING Bank’s pension fund on successfully defending the interests of equal treatment issues. It also acted on a landmark decision by the Supreme Court, which determined that dismissals must not be ruled unfair solely on the grounds that no compensation was awarded; and that the cantonal court formula cannot be used to calculate damages in unfair dismissal proceedings. Evert-Jan Henrichs and Stefan Sagel are recommended.

Jaap van Slooten heads the team at Stibbe, which advised Merck & Co on negotiations with Organon regarding the planned reorganisation of its R&D activities in the Netherlands. It also represented Shell Pension Fund in litigation against its participant’s council in a case about pension indexation. Paul Vestering is also recommended.

Boekel De Nerée advised Reed Business on various restructurings and works council issues. Other clients include Merck Sharp & Dome, Johnson Controls, Gulf Oil, and Van Oordt Portion Pack. Eugenie Nunes heads the team.

Houthoff Buruma advised Telegraaf Media Groep on renegotiating, restructuring, downsizing, and renewing all of its employment conditions and benefits. It also advised on all employment-related aspects of DSB Bank’s insolvency. Other clients include T-Mobile, T-Systems and Connexxion. Edward de Bock heads the five-partner team, in which Kees Jan Hagen is singled out for praise.

Loyens & Loeff advised ABN AMRO Bank NV during a high-profile dispute over a compensation package. It also acted for Standard Aero, an accessory repair and overhaul business on restructuring. Notable individuals include Hermine Voûte and Tom Claassens.

Van Doorne acted for Albemarle Corporation (and its Dutch subsidiary) on reorganising its Dutch business. The team also advised Greencore, the Dutch subsidiary of Greencore Plc, in a dispute with FNV Bondgenoten trade union and the industry pension fund concerning the applicability of the industry branch regulations. Els de Wind is ‘highly responsive, with very good and up-to-date knowledge, as well as being good on risk assessment’.

François Defaix leads the team at AKD, which advised RBS when the so-called N-share of ABN AMRO was transferred to a new entity to be merged with Fortis. It also advises Koninklijke Boskalis Westminster on various employment law issues. Other clients include Imtech Netherlands and WPN. Clients ‘highly appreciate the response times, depth of knowledge, flexibility and creativity’ of the group.

BarentsKrans N.V. advised HTM, The Hague’s public transport company, in an attempt to have a strike outlawed. It also acted for Aramco Overseas Company in an unfair dismissal case. Caroline van Gent heads the team, and Peter van Nunes is ‘thorough, listens well, and has a deep knowledge and a service ethic that is above the rest’.

Michiel van Dijk heads the team at CMS Derks Star Busmann, which advises high-profile clients from the insurance, financial and energy sectors.

Clifford Chance’s team advised Automatic Data Processing Nederland on employment aspects of the acquisition of Logica Nederland’s payroll business. It also acted for Schuitema on acquiring certain stores from Euronext-listed Super de Boer in a transaction with Jumbo Groep Holding. Ruth van Andel heads the practice.

Marnix Holtzer heads the team at DLA Piper, for which key clients include Philadelphia, Mirror Controls International, Almatis and VLM Airlines. Hélène Bogaars, who is ‘extremely knowledgeable and committed to the clients’, was recently promoted to partner.

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has a ‘highly professional approach, keeping clients’ interests in mind and keeping response times short’. Key clients include Sara Lee, ABN AMRO, Royal Boskalis and Credit Suisse. The team is led by Brechje Nollen, whose ‘solid analysis and clear insights on risks and opportunities make it easy for clients to make the right decisions in a timely and effective manner’.

Hogan Lovells International LLP advised Honeywell on consultation and co-determination matters following reorganisations and the implementation of global policies. It also advised Wright Medical on restructuring. Anita de Jong leads the team, while counsel Huub van Osch ‘knows the laws and court decisions, and is able to provide strategic advice (even on the psychological aspects)’.

Kennedy Van der Laan represents clients such as Endemol Nederland and Microsoft. Chris Nekeman heads the group, which was bolstered by the arrival of Johan Pel from Boekel De Nerée.

Judith Schulp and Mark Keuss head Lexence’s team, which represents clients including Persgroep Nederland, ProLogis, Delta, and Sita Nederland.

Warner Roeters van Lennep and Albert van der Kolk head the team at NautaDutilh, which advised the Municipality of Amsterdam on its high-level employment matters, including compliance, replacement of key personnel and the relationship with its works councils. It also acted for Deutsche Bank on employment issues arising from the acquisition of parts of ABN AMRO.

Pels Rijcken & Droogleever Fortuijn NV’s Monique de Witte-van den Haak largely acts for government employers, and has been actively advising on a number of large-scale reorganisations, while Jan Pas handles employment and benefits matters for companies, governments, and senior executives. The group acts on all aspects of labour law, including works council law and strikes.

Practice head Joris Oster recently joined Simmons & Simmons LLP from Allen & Overy LLP. The group advised Merck & Co on downsizing its Dutch subsidiary, Organon, and represented Organon in complex individual dismissal cases. It also acted for Avaya on its acquisition of Nortel’s electronics services department.