The Legal 500

Allen & Overy LLP offers ‘no-nonsense, to-the-point advice’ that makes it ‘absolutely value for money’. The team represented Heineken in an EU appeal against a €220m fine. It has also been acting for Meneba in the pending cartel investigation into the flour industry, and represented the Ministry of Finance on matters regarding state aid to financial institutions. Paul Glazener has ‘a good feel for the political side of things’.

De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek advised Friesland Foods and Campina on successfully obtaining permission for their merger, and represented Philips in cartel investigations into the LCD panels, TV, and monitor tubes markets. Other clients include Shell, Unilever, and Rabobank. Clients recommend managing partner Martijn Snoep and Erik Pijnacker Hordijk for competition work in the Netherlands.

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer reported significant growth in its state aid practice, and acted for clients such as ING, Vestra, and ABN AMRO, as well as new clients such as Mitsui Oil Exploration and Compass. The group advised Essent on its €9bn merger with RWE, and successfully represented Essent in litigation on ownership issues. Onno Brouwer and Winfred Knibbeler lead the team.

Stibbe’s ‘service is outstanding, and the fees are reasonable given the work product, complexity of matters, and the level of support received’. The team advised AkzoNobel and Akcros on the European Court of Justice case regarding the scope of professional legal privilege for in-house lawyers, and acted for KLM/Martinair in the air cargo cartel case. Christof Swaak gives ‘excellent legal advice balanced by practical business advice’. Swaak and Rein Wesseling, ‘whose ease and efficiency in dealing with complex business cases is remarkable’, are highly recommended. Marc van der Woude left to accept an appointment as the Dutch judge at the General Court in Luxembourg.

Clifford Chance’s team is ‘extremely professional; the people are solution-driven and able to work with clients to find creative solutions’. Recent highlights include advising Schuitema on its acquisition of 80 supermarkets from Jumbo, and acting for Dutch Central Bank as supervisor of state aid issues. Geert van der Klis is ‘able to use the different areas of business expertise to come up with a better legal solution, and to build a legal reasoning around that’.

Weyer VerLoren van Themaat’s three-partner strong team at Houthoff Buruma ‘always delivers’, and provides ‘exceptional service’. The practice is representing T-Mobile in the Dutch mobile operators’ case before the ECJ, and continued representing Dutch brewery Bavaria regarding the validity of its brand name.

NautaDutilh handles the gamut of competition and EU work, from cartel investigations to state aid work, but is particularly noted for its transactional competition practice. Charles van Sasse van Ysselt heads the team, which has a strong presence in the energy sector, acting for clients such as Eneco, InterGen and Nuon. Clients are ‘always satisfied with the services rendered’.

Banning NV’s ‘young, dynamic, efficient, and proactive lawyers’ offer ‘24/7 assistance and a very high value for money ratio’. The group is active in three of the five ongoing cartel proceedings, and obtained unconditional approval for the second phase of the merger between Cehave Landbouwbelang and Agrifirm. Minos van Joolingen is recommended.

Bird & Bird LLP picked up its first instructions from Mastercard, and was appointed as T-Mobile Nederland’s first choice for competition counsel. Other recent highlights include advising four fixed-telecom operators on an appeal against the decision allowing the KPN/Reggefiber joint venture to roll out a fibre-optic network. The ‘level of service is very good, especially the response times and commercial sense’ of Pauline Kuipers.

Boekel De Nerée advised Academisch Medisch Centrum on gaining clearance for its purchase of VZA’s ambulance service, and acted for Stichting De Glazen Lift in a civil law claim against the alleged elevators and escalators cartel. Other clients include Telecom Italia, Maxxam and EMS. Frederieke Leeflang is ‘recommended for her expertise in this field’.

Loyens & Loeff has ‘good knowledge and connections with Dutch competition authorities’. The team successfully persuaded the Netherlands Competition Authority (NMa) to review five decisions and to reduce fines in five other cases. The team represents adidas, Dell, and Bayer, and recently added National Railways to the client roster. Maurice Essers has ‘enormous drive to provide good legal services, and stays involved with all aspects’ of a matter.

Pels Rijcken & Droogleever Fortuijn NV works extensively for the Dutch state. Before his return to private practice, Berend Jan Drijber spent ten years as a member of the European Commission’s legal service and served as legal adviser to the Netherlands’ permanent representation at the European Union.

Sarah Beeston’s team at Van Doorne is heavily involved in representing clients such as Vivium, Thuiszorg Gooi en Vechtstreek, and Hilverzorg before the NMa, and advised De Staatsloterij (Dutch national lottery) on competition compliance. The practice’s new clients include dairy company Hoogwegt Groep and a number of hospitals. Gijs Verberne has ‘excellent knowledge, offers good advice and proves proactive’.

AKD defended the Province of Gelderland against challenges to the awarding of public transport contracts, and continues to advise ProRail on competition matters, including proceedings before the NMa Office of Transport Regulation and administrative courts. Pieter Kuypers leads the team.

BarentsKrans N.V.’s Pierre Bos has ‘thorough knowledge of European legislation, and shows great commitment to clients’. The team is advising the Netherlands Nursing-Home and Home-Care Association on its attempts to achieve a comprehensive settlement with the NMa regarding all pending cases, and is acting alongside Claims Funding International to represent more than 150 companies in a damages suit against members of the air cargo cartel.

Brinkhof provides ‘friendly, efficient service’, and has ‘great in-depth knowledge’. It is representing Reggefiber in all competition and regulatory matters, including its joint venture with KPN to create the country’s largest fibre-optic network operator, and acting for Medochemie in a pharmaceutical sector inquiry. Pepijn van Ginneken is ‘very calm and collected, and responds well under pressure’.

CMS Derks Star Busmann’s clients include Suzuki International Europe, Veolia Water, and Rabobank Nederland. The team is advising Alpuro on multijurisdictional merger notifications, and CRV in an appeal against a judgement involving the alleged abuse of a dominant position through the use of a loyalty-enhancing rebate system.

Léon Korsten’s team at DLA Piper gives ‘high-quality advice and has valuable practical experience’. It continues to act for VNPI (Netherlands Petroleum Industry Association) on its claim against Rotterdam Harbour Authority for abuse of a dominant position. Senior associate Martijn van Wanroj ‘adapts quickly, has profound expertise in legal matters, and a pragmatic approach’.

Greenberg Traurig LLP is representing Tele2 before the Trade and Industry Appeals Tribunal regarding market analysis by the regulator, and on the question of whether an agreement reached by mobile operators could be challenged by cable operator UPC. Hans Urlus is the main contact.

Recent highlights for Kennedy Van der Laan include advising the Dutch banking association on negotiating a treaty with Dutch retail organisations regarding debit card payments. It is also defending Schiphol, an international airport, against a complaint by an airline. Annemieke van der Beek is ‘punctual, pragmatic, and has an excellent network’.

Simmons & Simmons LLP is representing the European Commission in the General Court regarding an appeal against a fine issued in the Dutch brewery cartel case. It is also acting for Nedri in the first EC cartel investigation into the prestressing steel industry. Marco Slotboom heads the team.