The Legal 500

Within Arbitration , De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek is a first tier firm,

The 160-strong litigation team at De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek houses a number of arbitration experts, including Marnix Leijten, Bommel van der Bend and Eelco Meerdink. The team represented GasTerra regarding claims worth over €1.5bn, and acted for Eureko Achmea in proceedings arising out of the loss of over €100m in investments in its Slovak subsidiary.

Within Asset finance and structured finance, De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek is a second tier firm,

De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek has been advising the City of Amsterdam on acquiring 23 subway trains plus spare parts, and representing Dutch Railways on its restructuring including terminating certain transactions in its US lease portfolio of rolling stock. Other recent highlights include acting for Vion and 76 subsidiaries on a €300m trade receivables securitisation transaction. Menno Stoffer is recommended.

Within Banking and finance, De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek is a first tier firm,

Jan Marten van Dijk heads the banking and finance team at De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek, which advised Dutch Railways on a €350m standby credit facility agreement with a syndicate of banks including Rabobank and ING. It also represented Netherlands-based food group VION on its credit facilities, including a multibank, multicurrency term and revolving senior facilities agreement, and advised HAL Holding on its €100m credit facility with BNP Paribas. Menno Stoffer is recommended.

Within Capital markets, De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek is a first tier firm,

Recent key work for De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek includes advising Unilever on its proposed capital restructuring through a cancellation of its 4% cumulative preference shares and a public offer for its 6% and 7% cumulative preference shares. It also advised Aviva during the €1bn IPO of Delta Lloyd. Practice head Jan Willem Hoevers and Niek Biegman are recommended.

Within Commercial litigation , De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek is a first tier firm,

De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek is a good choice for ‘cases representing more than average interests’, and its 160-strong litigation team is ‘first choice for bigger cases’. Highlights included successfully defending Inter Access in a shareholder dispute before the Enterprise Chamber that suspended the voting rights of the majority shareholder, and acting for Yukos Capital and Yukos International on proceedings worth $465m. Marnix Leijten has ‘in-depth industry knowledge, and a skill set that makes him the link between business and law’.

Within Construction , De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek is a second tier firm,

De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek’s Bommel van der Bend and Nicolien van den Biggelaar are particularly noteworthy for their contentious construction practice and involvement in large infrastructure and energy projects. The team successfully represented ProRail in arbitration regarding a rail link, and acted for Port of Rotterdam on a new North Sea location for port activities and industries.

Within Corporate and M&A, De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek is a first tier firm,

Clients ‘leave the super-sized deals’ to De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek, which is known for its ‘quality advice’. The team advised Netherlands-based TenneT on its €1.1bn acquisition of a transmission grid from E.ON. It also advised Smit Internationale on an agreement regarding a merger with a leading dredging company, Royal Boskalis Westminster. Pierre Nijnens heads the practice, which also includes Arne Grimme and Bernard Roelvink. Former team head Lodewijk Hijmans van den Bergh left to join Royal Ahold, while Jan Willem De Boer has moved to Linklaters.

Within EU and competition , De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek is a first tier firm,

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.

Within Employment , De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek is a first tier firm,

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.

Within Energy , De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek is a first tier firm,

De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek fields some ‘excellent energy lawyers’. Rutger de Witt Wijnen advised Gold Standard Foundation on establishing the first-ever appeal mechanism in carbon transactions, while Elisabetta Aarts acted for TenneT – the state-owned electricity grid – on its €1.1bn acquisition of E.ON’s 10,700km German extra high voltage electricity transmission grid. Marnix Leijten represented GasTerra in two $1.5bn arbitrations against Eni regarding the pricing of natural gas destined for Italy. Other clients include Centrica, GDF Suez and Shell.

Within Environment and planning, De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek is a first tier firm,

De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek focuses primarily on large energy and transport projects. Nicolien van den Biggelaar is representing the port of Rotterdam on creating a new location for port activities in the North Sea, and is acting for Gasunie on the €1.1bn Gas Roundabout project to expand the hi-cal gas transmission system. The team is also acting for TenneT on the new electricity grid interconnection between the Netherlands and Germany.

Within Fraud and white-collar crime , De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek is a second tier firm,

Marnix Somsen’s multidisciplinary team at De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek focuses exclusively on representing corporates and financial institutions. The group is representing Philips and Philips Pension Fund in the largest financial fraud matter in Dutch legal history.

Within Information technology , De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek is a first tier firm,

Bart van Reeken heads De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek’s top-end outsourcing practice, while Lokke Moerel leads the firm’s IT compliance group. The pair also undertake IT litigation, working alongside Tobias Cohen Jehoram, who focuses on internet and digital copyright litigation. The team counts IBM, Unilever and BT as clients, and recently advised Philips on its global outsourcing to T-Systems.

Within Insurance , De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek is a second tier firm,

Eelco Meerdink’s team of ‘smart, strategic lawyers’ at De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek largely act for insureds, such as Philips, ABN AMRO and Shell. Marina de Kort-de Wolde retired from practice.

Within Intellectual property , De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek is a first tier firm,

De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek is highly recommended for the ‘good service and knowledge within its IP practice’. The practice represents clients such as Danone, Sara Lee, Unilever, Philips and Google, and has a strong presence in the food and drinks sector. Gertjan Kuipers successfully represented Sharp in the European part of its worldwide patent dispute with Samsung regarding LCD technology, while the team acted for AstraZeneca in a Nexium patent case against Sandoz. Koen Limperg successfully defended PepsiCo in a trade mark action.

Within Legal market overview,

Leading Dutch firms such as De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek, NautaDutilh, Stibbe, and Houthoff Buruma frequently compete with the local offices of international players such as Clifford Chance and Allen & Overy LLP. Howrey LLP closed its Amsterdam office after the intellectual property team left to set up Hoyng Monegier LLP in conjunction with former Howrey LLP colleagues in Brussels, Madrid, Paris, and elsewhere. The new firm opened in January 2011 and is not yet ranked but is widely expected to do well, thanks to the number of market-leading IP partners such as Willem Hoyng, who enjoys a ‘phenomenal reputation’.

Within Media and entertainment, De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek is a first tier firm,

De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek lost Joris van Manen and Madeleine de Cock Buning, but continues to advise clients such as Google, Universal Music and E! Entertainment. The firm attracted new clients such as Walt Disney and The Saul Zaentz Company, which the group advised on protecting IP rights relating to characters from The Lord of the Rings franchise. Tobias Cohen Jehoram heads the group.

Within Private equity , De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek is a third tier firm,

De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek counts KKR, CVC and JPMorgan Private Equity as clients, and recently advised Gilde and Rabo Private Equity on private equity auctions. The group advised Fortis Bank and BGL Société Anonyme on the divestment of Intertrust Group to Waterland Private Equity Investments. Arne Grimme is recommended for large, complex deals.

Within Project finance and PFI, De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek is a second tier firm,

De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek advises on infrastructure and power projects including wind farms and PPP projects. The firm has advised Royal BAM Group, the Netherlands’ largest construction company, on Dutch PPP project tenders, and as the successful bidder on the A12 project. Other clients include Arcadis and Nuclear Research & Consultancy Group. Menno Stoffer heads the practice.

Within Real estate , De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek is a second tier firm,

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.

Within Restructuring and insolvency , De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek is a second tier firm,

De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek is the only Dutch member of the Insol Group of 36. Jan Willem de Boer is advising One Equity Partners on SAS Group’s restructuring, while Ruud Hermans is acting on the $1bn restructuring of Almatis. Other clients include ABN AMRO and Yukos.

Within Shipping, aviation and transport , De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek is a second tier firm,

The comprehensive, transportation team at De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek represents clients such as Dutch Air Traffic, Martinair, and Boeing. The firm also has a longstanding relationship with Dutch Railways, and recently advised the Municipality of Amsterdam on the financing and purchase of hundreds of subway cars.Berend Crans heads the practice and is an aircraft finance expert.

Within Tax, De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek is a third tier firm,

De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek’s Dick Hofland recently advised Almatis on restructuring its debt through US Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, while Paul Sleurink acted for GMAC Fortress on acquiring large portfolios of European residential mortgage assets. Other clients include Deutsche Bank and Gucci. The firm recently created a dedicated team of tax specialists to work with the investment management group.

Within Telecoms, De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek is a second tier firm,

De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek acts for KPN, which the group advised on its fibre-optics joint venture with Reggefiber and in its appeals against OPTA’s market analysis decisions concerning cable companies. Other highlights included advising NOVEC on establishing a joint venture to develop and operate a network of telecommunication towers. Jolling de Pree leads the team.