The Legal 500

Within Arbitration , tier 4

Bird & Bird represents clients in commercial, liability and corporate disputes. Eggo van Rietema successfully acted for Capgemini in proceedings regarding IP ownership, while Olaf Trojan continued to defend Italia Holding against a high-value claim before the NAI.

Within Banking and finance Other recommended firms

Within Commercial litigation , Bird & Bird is a third tier firm,

Eggo Jan Rietema’s team at Bird & Bird strengthened its capabilities in insurance and Supreme Court litigation by recruiting Evelyn Tjon-En-Fa (‘sharp and knows what she is talking about’) from Houthoff Buruma. She successfully represented Alstom Transport in its dispute with GVB regarding the Amsterdam subway system.

Within Corporate and M&A, Bird & Bird is a third tier firm,

Bird & Bird focuses on sectors such as telecoms, media and energy, with representative clients including Omnitech Infosolutions, GEA Group and Wilhelmsen Ships Service. ‘Spot on, commercial and practical’, Pauline Vos advised a target company during its takeover by Intel. Harry Rek heads the practice.

Within EU and competition , Bird & Bird is a third tier firm,

Bird & Bird provides ‘knowledgeable, accessible and practical advice that accounts for commercial interests’, and is very active in regulated sectors. It recently acted for fixed telecom operators in private enforcement proceedings against KPN. Other clients include Mastercard, Post NL, Tele2 and Nobel Biocare. Co-managing partner Pauline Kuipers’ ‘advice is always to the point, yet legally sound and thought-provoking’.

Within Employment Other recommended firms

Within Energy , Bird & Bird is a second tier firm,

Bird & Bird’s team is led by regulatory expert Michelle de Rijke, who recently advised Tata Steel in a dispute with TenneT regarding electricity transmission tariffs, and Delta on issues regarding wind farm grid connections. The practice also advises industry associations EnergieNederland and NOGEPA, and undertakes transactional work for Statoil.

Within Information technology , Bird & Bird is a second tier firm,

Bird & Bird’s expertise includes data protection, IT projects, outsourcing and disputes, with clients including TomTom, Deloitte, NetApp, Infosys and PostNL. Highlights included advising Capgemini on multi-jurisdictional outsourcing and financial sector companies on contracts. Jereon van der Lee heads the practice.

Within Intellectual property , Bird & Bird is a second tier firm,

Bird & Bird has a strong focus on cross-border work, and handles IP matters across many sectors, including life sciences, technology and energy. On the patent side, Armand Killan acted for Nestlé in its coffee capsule infringement case against Sara Lee, and Marc van Wijngaarden recently acted for Teva. Practice head Wouter Pors focuses on copyrights and trade marks.

Within Media and entertainment, Bird & Bird is a second tier firm,

Bird & Bird provides ‘good, objective advice’, with its experience including litigation, regulatory, commercial and transactional matters. Olaf Trojan’s clients includes AD NieuwsMedia, Eyeworks and DutchView, while both he and Pauline Kuipers acted for telecoms company Pretium in its long-running dispute against TV broadcaster Tros.

Within Tax, tier 4

Bird & Bird focuses on corporate, real estate and telecoms sector transactions, representing clients such as BT, Numisma Group and Yorkville Advisors. Pieter Camps heads the team, and also co-heads the firm’s international tax group.

Within Telecoms, Bird & Bird is a first tier firm,

Bird & Bird is ‘the legal partner clients are looking for’ in the telecoms industry. The practice represented Tele2 in proceedings against KPN and the Dutch state regarding the public tender for fixed telephony services, and advises infrastructure companies on regulatory changes. Other clients include T-Mobile, Colt, Verizon and Ziggo. Practice head Marjolein Geus is ‘a sector expert’, and has ‘the ability to be both very analytical and very practical’. Gerrit-Jan Zwenne is recommended for his strong understanding of technical issues.