Lexence > Amsterdam, Netherlands > Firm Profile
Lexence Offices
AMSTEVEENSEWEG 500
1081 KL AMSTERDAM
PO BOX 75999 1070 AZ AMSTERDAM
Netherlands
- Go to...
- Rankings
- Firm Profile
- Main Contacts
- Lawyer Profiles
Lexence > The Legal 500 Rankings
Netherlands > Banking and finance: Borrower side Tier 3
The team at Lexence demonstrates impressive and broad capabilities within the banking and finance sector. The firm has in-depth experience of representing private equity firms and regularly handles financial transactions for Dutch as well as foreign clients. Leading the team, Charles Destrée  is a finance expert with three decades of experience, and is particularly knowledgeable about the regulatory components required for cross-border mandates. Further standout members of the team include Max de Vreede and Nina Blanke for their experience in acquisition finance.Practice head(s):
Charles Destrée
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘The team consists of top-notch professionals who really approach things with a solution-orientated mindset.’
‘The team is respectful and offers balanced advice. They are easy and friendly to work with. They respect the wishes and aims of their clients.’
‘Charles Destrée has a huge amount of experience.’
‘The team are hands-on, down to earth and easy to deal with.’
Netherlands > Construction Tier 3
Lexence regularly advises clients during construction on issues such as time extensions, changes to project scope, and completion. After completion the firm continues to assist clients on other common matters such as loss or damages arising from construction, execution or design faults, and failure to complete on time. Contracts and tenders are a key focus for the team as well as sustainability. Real estate specialist Bob Bekker leads the team. Jan-Willem Raadgever advises contractors, developers, and investors on a range of issues related to construction developments.Practice head(s):
Bob Bekker
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Jan-Willem Raadgever knows his subject, is very efficient, to the point, very service minded, good at negotiating and a very nice person to be around.’
‘Jan-Willem Raadgever was very flexible and helped us totally with the Dutch regulations and law.’
‘Jan-Willem Raadgever was very professional and open to help with the questions that was risen in the process. Helping us with the communication to the Municipality was excellent.’
Key clients
Royal A-Ware Food Group
Besix
CBRE
Deutsche Bank
Allianz
HONASSET GmbH
Matrix
Work highlights
- Advising Rizzani de Echer on the main legal aspects related to the expansion of Neste’s biofuel refinery in the port of Rotterdam—the largest port in Europe.
- Assisting Rizzani de Eccher with real estate-related matters regarding the development of the International Meeting Facility (IMF), its integration into the current environment, and its connection to the existing European Space Technology and Research Centre (ESTEC) infrastructure.
- Assisted Bestseller with its project to build a large distribution centre in Lelystad, this included assisting with the purchase, and advising on all legal aspects of the deal, especially those related to zoning, construction, tax, and leasing.
Netherlands > Employment Tier 3
Employment disputes, employee participation issues, and corporate fraud cases all form a part of the employment practice at Lexence. The employment aspects of restructurings are often handled by the team, which also advises on updating the employment conditions of Dutch municipalities. The team is co-chaired by Mark Keuss, Judith Schulp, Floor Damen, and Frank ter Huurne. Keuss is an expert in collective redundancies, Schulp focuses on employment termination law and disputes over employee participation, Damen handles collective reorganisations, and Ter Huurne both advises on employment law issues and handles litigation. Anneke Nijk is also noted.Practice head(s):
Mark Keuss; Judith Schulp; Floor Damen; Frank ter Huurne
Other key lawyers:
Anneke Nijk; Lucas Stuurop
Testimonials
‘Floor Damen is a great strategist. He is a real team player and gets close to the client to get a real understanding of the demand and the dynamics and characteristics of the overall situation and content.’
‘Anneke Nijk is a true legal business partner with a critical eye on all the options available and is ready for a flexible approach that is in line with a fast and relevant solution.’
‘Lexence’s team has some excellent employment lawyers. The team advises on individual and collective employment matters and M&A related work, and has a strong footing in litigation.’
‘The standout individual to mention here is without a doubt Judith Schulp. She is a really gifted lawyer, with a lot of legal creativity, finding new angles to solve complex cases. Moreover, she is fun to work with and extremely easy to get along with.’
‘This team excels in labour law. Their expertise is matched by their remarkable accessibility and quick response times. For legal matters demanding both precision and efficiency, this firm is a standout choice.’
‘Anneke Nijk stands out for her exceptional expertise in labour law. What truly impresses me, as a fellow jurist, is her ability to combine profound legal knowledge with a pragmatic approach. Her practical advice and strong legal arguments make her an invaluable resource for complicated labour law matters.’
Key clients
Apollo Vredestein
Asito
Ballast Nedam
Centerparcs
DPG Media
ECP Factoring
Engie
Flynth Advisors & Accountants
I-SEC
IMC
JD Peet’s
Odin Group
Plukon Food Group
TBauctions
Uber Drivers’ Association
Van Caem Klerks Group
Work highlights
- Representing an organised group of Uber drivers in an appeal before the Court of Appeal in Amsterdam regarding a landmark dispute with the Netherlands Trade Union Confederation (FNV) on the applicability of a collective labour agreement.
- Representing Centerparcs in litigation against the Dutch state in which the client is seeking the repayment of wage subsidies.
- Assisted Henkel with the dismissal of one of its managing directors, a French national who planned to return to France as soon as possible.
Netherlands > Environment and planning Tier 3
Lexence‘s environment and planning team is headed up by experienced public lawyer Michael Klijnstra who is adept handling both advisory and litigious matters in various contexts and is described as being ‘a great person to work with’. Zoning plans, building permits, compliance, and enforcement with regard to projects, developments and redevelopments are key areas of focus for the team.Practice head(s):
Michael Klijnstra
Other key lawyers:
Pelin Oztürk
Testimonials
‘Michael Klijnstra is very pleasant to work with.’
‘You are in direct contact with the partner or senior associate, all of whom really offer pragmatic advice.’
‘Michael Klijnstra and Pelin Oztürk are a good team – it is pleasant to work with them. Michael fully trusts his associates.’
‘We can rely on the entire team. They are always ready to provide us with valuable legal advice.’
‘Michael Klijnstra was the primary reason for our firm to choose Lexence for legal advice. He is a great person to work with and in addition to his legal knowledge, he knows what is going on in the real estate market. In court, he can really make a difference with his pleas.’
‘Pelin Ozturk has been involved in various cases for many years and has become a very professional and knowledgeable lawyer. In addition, she is an extremely good representative of her office.’
‘The Lexence team is analytically strong and oversees the entire playing field from an administrative law perspective. The team is particularly highly specialized in environmental law and spatial planning.’
‘Michael Klijnstra is a great litigator. ’
Key clients
Citisense Property Group
PLTS Netherlands B.V.
Back Vastgoed
De Realisatie B.V.
Giga Storage B.V.
Hoogvliet Beheer B.V.
Midvast B.V.
Work highlights
Netherlands > Private equity Tier 3
The ‘very capable team of professionals’ in the private equity team at Lexence include Kevin Beukeveld, who is noted for his ‘sharpness and understanding’ and associate Bas de Mie who is noted as providing a ‘high-quality service’ to clients. The team has capabilities advising its portfolio of clients on high-value acquisitions and sales. The team is overseen by Joost Kolkman, Wouter Helder and Luc Habets.Practice head(s):
Joost Kolkman; Wouter Helder; Luc Habets
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘The team is flexible, always available, very competent and friendly.’
‘I have worked with Kevin Beukeveld for a very long time now. And he is my lawyer of choice for his sharpness and understanding of the financial elements of the work, availability and reliability.’
‘A very capable team of professionals covering various aspects of matters. They are advisory and to-the-point, providing us with a clear path and opinions.’
‘Billing is very transparent and fair.’
‘Their collaboration was beyond any expectations – very accurate and professional. They were very accessible and very easy to communicate with.’
‘The availability at the partner level, their involvement with the topics and essentially a full-on engagement was exceptional.’
‘We had the opportunity to work with Joost Kolkman and Bas de Mie who were extremely responsive and pulled out all the stops to deliver a high-quality service in a very timely manner. I have never come across such professional service provision.’
Key clients
Main Capital
Volker Wessels
Carepay International
ADDVise AB
NIBE Industrier AB
Royal Schiphol Group
Glaspoort
Invivo
PostNL
ESRO Foods
Endeit Capital
A-Ware Food Group
KPN (Fiber Division)
Modern Dental Group
RTL Netherlands
PCI
Hibernia Worldwide Hotels
Intelligent NV
Agro Merchants Netherlands BV
Greenlane LLC
Dutch Greentech Fund
Truffle Capital
Avedon Capital Partners
Sirius Venture Partners
ING Bank
ABN AMRO Participaties
Triton Partners
International Wellness Resort
Dental Clinics
Normec Group
Hewlett Packard Bank Plc
HSO
Carlyle
Waterland Private Equity
Synergia Capital
DM Equity Partners
Antea Participaties
Glaspoort
Work highlights
Netherlands > Real estate Tier 3
Lexence is a ‘frontrunner in the field of retail lease agreements‘. The team routinely handles sales and leaseback matters as well as environmental law and construction-related real estate issues. Practice head Bas Martens specialises in real estate development, area development and construction disputes. Michiel de Wit focuses on the sale and purchase of commercial real estate; Vincent Boumans is a go-to for commercial leasing law issues; and Jan-Willem Raadgever advises on cross-border transactions and real estate development matters. Civil law notaries Jan Hockx and Arief van Rhee specialise in notarial commercial property development and commercial real estate law. Jip Spierings and Esther Vochteloo are also noted.Practice head(s):
Bas Martens
Other key lawyers:
Michiel de Wit; Vincent Boumans; Jan-Willem Raadgever; Jan Hockx; Arief van Rhee; Stephan Westera; Jip Spiering; Esther Vochteloo
Testimonials
‘Vincent Boumans has excellent analytic skills, he’s always available and is very dedicated to get results for his clients.’
‘Good service, easy to contact and answers questions within deadlines. It has good contacts within the real estate fields, i.e. other legal firms, public notaries and the municipality of Amsterdam as well.’
‘Arief van Rhee has been a public notary for many years. Hard working, client oriented, but always fair in his opinion. His client’s interest comes first.’
‘Esther Vochteloo is a very experienced public notary. Works very hard to get the job done for us. Good listener, very good memory, strong debater and negotiator with the interest of the client in mind.’
‘Vincent Boumans’ team is a frontrunner in the field of retail lease agreements. Highly recommendable. ’
‘Highly accessible and ad rem constructive advice for a broad range of legal (leasing) matters. Vincent Boumans and his team have a very good understanding of what the needs of their client are. They always provide you with the advice you’ve been looking for.’
Key clients
Union Investment Real Estate GmbH
Merin (Blackstone company)
Mileway (Blackstone company)
Hansainvest
Forma Real Estate Funds
Schiphol Airport
Kroonenberg Groep
MEAG Munich Ergo
Besix
Hannover Leasing
DWS
Allianz
HONASSET GmbH
Logicor
CBRE IM
Work highlights
- Assisting JYSK with the purchase and leasing of a plot for the implementation of a 25-hectare distribution centre building in the Flevokust Haven industrial park, in the city of Lelystad.
- Advised Amsterdam Arena Poort Winkelfonds on the sale of two retail units in Amsterdam.
- Advised CBRE IM on a prominent deal regarding the lease of a to-be-redeveloped property in the city centre of The Hague to the University of Leiden.
Netherlands > Banking and finance: Financial services regulatory Tier 4
Lexence has a vast amount of experience in assisting both domestic and European clients with the financial laws and regulations that govern the structuring of financing transactions. The team’s broad capabilities include negotiating due diligence and licensing matters with Dutch financial regulators such as the Central Bank and Authority for the Financial Markets. Practice head Charles Destrée has more than three decades of experience, giving him an in-depth understanding of financial regulatory law. Bastiaan van Schaik is also a notable contact.Practice head(s):
Charles Destrée
Other key lawyers:
Bas Zandvliet; Max de Vreede; Nina Blanke; Bastiaan van Schaik
Testimonials
‘The firm stands out for its quality of advice, attitude and attention to clients’ requests.’
‘They have outstanding partners who are professional and very dedicated.’
Â
Netherlands > Commercial, corporate and M&A Tier 4
The commercial, corporate and M&A practice at Lexence has a strong track record in handling buy-side and sell-side matters relating to M&A transactions, joint ventures, investments, acquisitions and private equity work. Energy and telecoms are core sector strengths for the group, which is co-led by Joost Kolkman and Wouter Helder. Luc Habets left the firm in January 2024.Practice head(s):
Joost Kolkman; Wouter Helder
Other key lawyers:
Bas de Mie; Kevin Beukeveld; Diederick de Boer
Testimonials
‘They present a no-nonsense attitude with focus on material matters and an ability to level with lawyers from other parties and to set the tone in negotiations.’
‘A very capable team of professionals who cover various aspects. They offer excellent advice and are to the point, providing a clear path and opinions. Billing is very transparent and fair. Their collaboration was beyond any expectations and the team delivered the service on time and in a very accurate and professional manner.’
‘Communicative and accessible.’
‘The availability of partners and their involvement with the topics was exceptional. We had the opportunity to work with Joost Kolkman and Bas de Mie who were extremely responsive and pulled out all the stops to deliver a high-quality service in a very timely manner.’
‘I have never before come across such professional service provision.’
Key clients
Main Capital
Volker Wessels
Carepay International
ADDVise AB
NIBE Industrier AB
Royal Schiphol Group
Glaspoort
Invivo
PostNL
ESRO Foods
Endeit Capital (Joop van der Ende)
A-Ware Food Group
KPN (Fiber Division)
Modern Dental Group
RTL Netherlands
PCI
Hibernia Worldwide Hotels
Intelligent NV
Agro Merchants Netherlands BV
Greenlane LLC
Dutch Greentech Fund
Truffle Capital
Avedon Capital Partners
Sirius Venture Partners
ING Bank
ABN AMRO Participaties
Triton Partners
International Wellness Resort
Dental Clinics
Normec Group
Hewlett Packard Bank Plc
HSO
Carlyle
Waterland Private Equity
Synergia Capital
DM Equity Partners
Antea Participaties
Glaspoort (KPN/APG)
Work highlights
- Advised NIBE Industrier on the acquisition of all shares in the Dutch Climate for Life Group (CFL).
- Advised on the formation of a joint venture named Glaspoort between Royal KPN and APG.
- Advising Waterland Private Equity on the corporate aspects of the acquisition of two new platforms.
Netherlands > Dispute resolution: Commercial litigation Tier 5
Lexence focuses on individual representation, often acting for shareholders and management in disputes with a specialism in director’s liability and cases related to corporate governance. The firm has also been involved in litigation over EU sanctions related to the Russia-Ukraine war, corporate conflicts and disputes over the termination of projects. Corporate law experts Bram Thomas Craemer and Timo Jansen lead the practice.Practice head(s):
Bram Thomas Craemer; Timo Jansen
Testimonials
‘The team helped me a lot with identifying possible options to take. Very flexible and creative.’
‘Bram Thomas Craemer is a top-notch litigator and always fair and honest with his clients. He doesn’t go to litigation for litigation’s sake, but litigation when needed and mediation or dispute resolutions outside the court when it is the better option.’
‘Lexence works in small diverse teams. Its small teams and open culture makes the lawyers easy accessible. They are creative in their solutions and not afraid to give their opinion. Although they are often very busy, they always make time for us and react quickly on urgent matters.’
‘Timo Jansen was foundational in establishing my confidence in Lexence. His support showed me that we held a good defence and could build a solid strategy to move forward. He has a talent for seeing and understanding all the elements in play and weighing the impact of each decision, while articulating in a way that we understand clearly even if we don’t agree. He has an astute read on character and predicts and plans for manoeuvres that we may not have seen or known.’
‘Timo Jansen is a strong and strategic lawyer, who can play hardball where necessary and can quickly switch strategy where that better fits the defence. He is clearly very experienced in defending (former) board members against liability.’
‘The Lexence litigation team is top notch.’
‘Timo Jansen is sharp as a knife, always well prepared, a great deal maker and the best story teller in court. He has a great team of associates.’
‘Bram Thomas Craemer is a very strategic thinker and always one step ahead of his counterparties.’
Work highlights
- Represented the former statutory directors of Petrobras in a securities class action brought by Stichting Petrobras Compensation Foundation.
- Representing Boskalis in injunctive relief proceedings against Saren before the Amsterdam Court of Appeal regarding termination of contract due to the invasion of Ukraine.
- Represented a managing partner of Bencis in mismanagement proceedings brought by the counterparty before the Enterprise Chamber of the Amsterdam Court of Appeals.
Lexence > Firm Profile
The firm:Â Lexence is a leading Dutch law firm specialized in corporate and commercial law and real estate law. The firm provides legal services to both national and international companies who operate in the Dutch market. The firm’s professionals, including 95+ lawyers and civil law notaries, work in small teams directed by partners. The lawyers and notaries cooperate seamlessly in their areas of specialization. Quality, efficiency and service orientation always paramount.
Areas of practice
Corporate and commercial law: The Lexence corporate and commercial lawyers and civil law-notaries specialize in legal support regarding commercial and corporate dispute, employment and benefits law, financing, joint ventures, litigation, mergers and acquisitions, notarial services, private equity and structuring and restructuring. and venture capital transactions.
Real estate law: Lexence’s real estate lawyers and civil law-notaries handle cases related to: environmental law, area development, construction, purchase and sale, commercial hire, and management and financing real estate projects. The real estate projects the lawyers work on involve: large-scale urban development, development of logistic properties, shopping malls, office buildings and residential projects.
International: Lexence is an independent law firm with access to fellow international firms with knowledge and experience unique to a specific jurisdiction. Through our membership of the Meritas worldwide network, a highly-regarded legal network of law firms, we have easy access to those firms.
Main Contacts
Department | Name | Telephone | |
---|---|---|---|
Employment law | Annejet Balm | ||
Real estate | Bob Bekker | ||
Corporate/M&A notarial services | Hendrik Bennebroek Gravenhorst | ||
Corporate/M&A | Diederick de Boer | ||
Litigation and arbitration | Bram Thomas Craemer | ||
Employment law | Floor Damen | ||
Financing | Charles Destrée | ||
Commercial contracts | Pieter van Dijk | ||
Corporate/M&A | Mathijs van Doormalen | ||
Corporate/M&A | Luc Habets | ||
Corporate/M&A; member of the management board | Wouter Helder | ||
Real estate notarial services | Jan Hockx | ||
Corporate/M&A | Joost Houtman | ||
Employment law | Frank ter Huurne | ||
Litigation and arbitration; member of the management board | Timo Jansen | ||
Employment law | Mark Keuss | ||
Real estate | Michael Klijnstra | ||
Corporate/M&A | Joost Kolkman | ||
Real estate | Bas Martens | ||
Employment law | Esther van der Meulen | ||
Corporate/M&A notarial services | Jurjen Mos | ||
Real estate | Jan-Willem Raadgever | ||
Employment law | Jordi Rosendahl | ||
Litigation and arbitration | Arnout Schennink | ||
Real estate | Marieke van Schie | ||
Real estate; founding partner | Ferry van Schoonhoven | ||
Corporate/M&A | Michiel van Schooten | ||
Employment law | Judith Schulp | ||
Real estate | Jip Spierings | ||
Real estate | Tomas Steenmetser | ||
Real estate notarial services | Stephan Westera | ||
Real estate | Michiel de Wit |