The Legal 500

Onno de Bruijn’s team at Houthoff Buruma acted on €15bn worth of real estate deals in 2009. This group of ‘strategic thinkers’, who take a ‘hands-on approach’, advised SEB on the acquisition of De Maastoren, the Netherlands’ tallest building, and acted for the Municipality of Rotterdam and OCNC on redeveloping Nieuw Crooswijk (a large residential area in Rotterdam). Jan Cees Kuiken is ‘very experienced, and a lawyer who is not afraid to give his opinion and really adds value to a transaction’.

Loyens & Loeff is ‘expert, accurate, innovative, respectful, and swift’. Its clients include ABN AMRO, the municipalities of Amsterdam and Rotterdam, and the British Land Company plc. Recent highlights include acting for Corio on its €1.3bn acquisition of a pan-European, prime retail development portfolio. Practice head Wilfred Groen is ‘open for discussions outside of legal knowledge’, and has a good grasp of all aspects of large and complex developments and transactions.

Highlights for Allen & Overy LLP’s team included advising RBS on relocating its Dutch headquarters, acting for the arrangers on the €735m refinancing and debt restructuring of Q-Park – which involved security and properties in 13 jurisdictions – and advising a consortium on acquiring a €95m commercial real estate portfolio. Henry van Geen is the key partner.

Boekel De Nerée handled 80 deals with an aggregate value of €12.8bn. The team is advising the Municipality of Muiden on the €1.5bn redevelopment of a former industrial site, acting for Invesco on acquiring Entre Deux shopping centre, and assisting Unibail-Rodamco with the acquisition of De Markthal, a property in Rotterdam city centre. Other clients include Maarsen Group, ING Bank and SNS Property Finance. Practice head Paul Wanders and Anne-Marie Klijn are highly recommended experts.

CMS Derks Star Busmann acted in the EU Court of Justice case that led to a change of Dutch laws on the definition of building land. It also advised MVAP CV on De Verbinding, a mixed-use development comprising 3,300 sq m of commercial and office space, plus parking space and 155 residential properties. Frank Leyendeckers leads the team, which also represents OVG Projectontwikkeling, the Netherlands’ largest commercial real estate developer, and RWE.

Clifford Chance is a good choice for ‘larger syndicated real estate finance transactions, as well as cross-border transactions’. Jaap Koster led the team advising Schuitema on the real estate aspects of its acquisition of 80 Super de Boer supermarkets. Other clients include JPMorgan, Royal BAM Group and Shell.

De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek’s Annemieke Wessels advised BPF Bouw on its structural reorganisation, which involved transferring 400 properties collectively worth €4bn. Nicolien van den Biggelaar represented Port of Rotterdam on creating a new North Sea location for port activities and industries. Mark Rebergen is acting for TenneT on all real estate aspects of the extension of the national grid.

Clients recommend Lexence for its ‘knowledge and long experience with real estate transactions’. During 2010, the 50-strong team acted on projects worth more than €12bn, including advising the Dutch government on Zuidas, Holland’s largest real estate development, and acting for Wereldhave on the acquisition of several shopping centres. ‘Response times are perfect’, and Taco de Lange, Tomas Steenmetser and Menno van Groningen are all recommended.

NautaDutilh advised ING Real Estate on transferring the Rhea portfolio of 39 prime office buildings, and on the sale and transfer of the Courthouse portfolio. The team is currently advising the Municipality of Amsterdam on the €4bn Zuidas development. The team provides ‘quick and good advice’, and includes top partners such as Bernard ter Haar and Kees Boodt. The group was strengthened by the recruitment of David van Dijk, formerly head of real estate at Boekel De Nerée.

Joop Janssen’s team at Stibbe counts Vesteda, ProLogis and Accor as key clients. The group recently advised the Municipality of Waddinxveen on the Triangel housing project, and acted for Aareal Bank on the acquisition and subsequent sale of Hotel Lijnden. Maarten de Bruin advised Q-Park, a car park management company, on a €735m credit facility.

AKD recently advised ASR Vastgoed Vermogensbeheer on the €86m sale of a residential property portfolio, and acted on the development of Port Feyenoord. The group acts for a number of housing associations, which the group advised on transactions totalling €1.3bn. Marc Wintgens heads the practice.

Rutger Oranje’s team at DLA Piper acted on €2bn worth of real estate transactions in 2009. The group acted for Omrin on the development of a renewable residue power plant, and for NH Hoteles on the development and acquisition of a new hotel that will be part of the biggest building in the Netherlands.

Managing associate Frenk Huisman took over as head of the real estate practice at Simmons & Simmons LLP upon his return from his secondment to Abu Dhabi. The group acted for the Municipality of Maassluis on developing a new city district, and advised on a number of multi-storey developments in Abu Dhabi.

Van Doorne’s Cees Kniestedt ‘provides the legal background that clients need to make the right decisions’, while Mark Moolhuizen provides a ‘pragmatic approach and has excellent sense when it comes to solving issues in the best possible way’. Highlights included acting for Aberdeen Property Investors on the acquisition of a portfolio of property in Hertogenbosch.