The Legal 500

Within Arbitration , Houthoff Buruma is a second tier firm,

Dirk Knottenbelt’s team at Houthoff Buruma is noted for ‘playing things tactically well in difficult circumstances’. Recent highlights include acting for Heijmans in an ICC arbitration against an energy plant employer. Knottenbelt specialises in corporate and commercial disputes, while Johan Rijlaarsdam is noted for construction and property arbitration.

Within Asset finance and structured finance, Houthoff Buruma is a third tier firm,

Houthoff Buruma advised China Development Bank on a number of aircraft financings, Brocacef ABS regarding several asset-backed securities programmes, and FGH Bank and ING Real Estate Finance on financing for 2009’s largest acquisition of a real estate portfolio. Loet Venrooy is recommended.

Within Banking and finance, Houthoff Buruma is a third tier firm,

Houthoff Buruma acted for Royal Bank of Canada regarding a €900m acquisition financing for Dana Petroleum, and acted as legal counsel to KazMunaiGaz Finance for updating and increasing its $5bn global medium-term notes programme. It also acted for Wells Fargo Securities and Wachovia on refinancing and a subsequent $220m private placement by Bumble Bee Foods, Connors Bros, and Clover Leaf Seafoods. Oscar van Angeren has ‘outstanding legal skills, is a pleasant guy, and has excellent response times’. Loet Venrooy and Hugo Oppelaar are also recommended.

Within Capital markets, Houthoff Buruma is a second tier firm,

Houthoff Buruma advised SAT & Co on a $564m market capitalisation, in relation to its proposed equity investment in ShalkiyaZinc. The group also advised Bovemij Verzekeringsgroep on an equity raising.

Within Commercial litigation , Houthoff Buruma is a first tier firm,

Houthoff Buruma’s team is representing Fortis in litigation arising from its nationalisation, and is acting for the bankruptcy trustees of DSB Bank on various litigation issues. Other clients on an impressive roster include BP, Goldman Sachs and ING. Robert Meijer is ‘highly knowledgeable and proves an invaluable asset to clients’, while Hans Londonck Sluijk has ‘broad experience on complex international insurance matters’, and Peter Drion is ‘very professional, provides good and accurate advice, and is always seeking business solutions’.

Within Construction , Houthoff Buruma is a first tier firm,

Houthoff Buruma is acting for Noord/Zuidlijn, a consortium of contractors involved in building the diaphragm walls for an underground train project in Amsterdam, and advising the International Criminal Court on its new premises in The Hague. The team is expert in procurement, and recently advised the owner of the Sluiskil Tunnel, which links Ghent to the port of Terneuzen, on procurement and infrastructure issues. Jan Michiel Hebly and Johan Rijlaarsdam are the key contacts.

Within Corporate and M&A, Houthoff Buruma is a second tier firm,

Houthoff Buruma was recently boosted by the arrival of Willem de Nijs Bik from Simmons & Simmons LLP. It advised General Motors on the sale of SAAB to Spyker Cars, and Portugal Telecom on the €7.5bn sale of its 50% interest in Brasilcel to Telefónica. Casper Banz heads the corporate transactions group. Jan-Paul de Hoek ‘understands priorities and combines strong technical expertise with a human approach to negotiations’, while Eddie Meijer is also recommended.

Within EU and competition , Houthoff Buruma is a second tier firm,

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.

Within Employment , Houthoff Buruma is a second tier firm,

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.

Within Energy Other recommended firms

Within Environment and planning, Houthoff Buruma is a second tier firm,

Houthoff Buruma advised the Municipality of Rotterdam on Europe’s largest land reclamation project, which will triple container capacity at the port of Rotterdam, and acted for Delta Projectontwikkeling on developing the Netherlands’ first sustainable business park. Jans Frans de Groot, Mary de Gaay Fortman and Robert Crince le Roy are the key contacts.

Within Information technology , Houthoff Buruma is a second tier firm,

Houthoff Buruma serves as general counsel for clients such as eBay, Asos Origin and Paypal, and is advising the Dutch Healthcare Authority on the outsourcing of its IT infrastructure. Wolter Wefers Bettink leads the two-partner team, which acted for a number of automotive clients including Volvo, Ford, Nissan and Peugeot on privacy and e-commerce matters.

Within Insurance , Houthoff Buruma is a first tier firm,

Houthoff Buruma is a ‘top insurance firm’ and a ‘specialist on liability’. The group acted for the Dutch export credit agency on various credit insurance issues worth more than half a billion euros issued to Dutch companies that were contracted to Dubai World or its subsidiaries. Clients include ABN AMRO and AXA. Peter Drion is recommended.

Within Intellectual property , tier 4

Houthoff Buruma continued to act for Bavaria, the Dutch brewery, in relation to the “Bavaria” trade mark and the Protected Geographical Indication “Bayerisches Bier”. The team also represented Ryanair in copyright claims against a booking website. Bas Le Poole leads the team.

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, Houthoff Buruma is a first tier firm,

Houthoff Buruma’s Bas Le Poole successfully represented De Telegraaf, the journalists’ union, and the society of editors-in-chief in proceedings to stop AIVD (the Dutch secret service) from following, observing or phone-tapping certain journalists, or from sharing information gathered. Other clients include Dutch broadcasters such as NOS and TROS, as well as TV producers such as Endemol and IDTV.

Within Mediation , Houthoff Buruma is a first tier firm,

Houthoff Buruma was a co-founder of the Netherlands Media Institute and the Alternative Dispute Resolution Centre for Business. Marry de Gaay Fortman and Wolter Wefers Bettink are recommended.

Within Private equity , Houthoff Buruma is a third tier firm,

Houthoff Buruma’s ‘committed, entrepreneurial M&A lawyers offer exceptional service’. Michiel Wesseling advised Barclays Private Equity on its acquisition of a majority stake in MPS, while Casper Banz advised Egeria and Wagram on acquiring Den Braven Group. Eddie Meijer, Michiel Pannekoek and Jan Paul van der Heok are ‘experienced, with excellent interpersonal skills and know-how’.

Within Project finance and PFI, Houthoff Buruma is a second tier firm,

Highlights for Peter Habraken’s team at Houthoff Buruma included advising Bank Nederlandse Gemeenten on restructuring project finance facilities worth €1bn and acting for the International Criminal Court on the PPP for its new premises in The Hague. The group also assisted Royal Bam Groep on bidding for the DBFMO contract for Zorgacadamie Parkstad. Habraken, André de Neve and Jessica Terpstra regularly act for clients such as Rabobank and Dutch Railways.

Within Real estate , Houthoff Buruma is a first tier firm,

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’.

Within Restructuring and insolvency , Houthoff Buruma is a first tier firm,

Houthoff Buruma’s Rutger Schimmelpennick ‘is an excellent bankruptcy practitioner that sets the standard in the field’. He and newly promoted partner Frédéric Verhoeven are ‘fantastic lawyers that are smart and great negotiators’. The team served as the bankruptcy trustee of Lehman Brothers Treasury, and was appointed trustee on the €7.8bn bankruptcy of DSB Bank. Other instructions included advising on the SwissAir and KPNQwest insolvencies.

Within Tax Other recommended firms

Within Telecoms Other recommended firms