The Legal 500

Within Arbitration , Clifford Chance is a third tier firm,

Clifford Chance represents clients such as Barclays, Shell and ThyssenKrupp. Counsel Juliette Luycks heads the arbitration group, and regularly appears in commercial arbitration under NAI, ICC and UNCITRAL rules, as well as investment treaty arbitration.

Within Asset finance and structured finance, Clifford Chance is a first tier firm,

Although Clifford Chance lost covered bonds expert Kees Westerman to Linklaters, the firm retains an ‘excellent practice’, and is a ‘very good law firm for derivatives’. The team acted for ABN AMRO on the €350m tap issue from Vesteda’s Residential Funding II programme, the first Dutch CMBS issuance since the financial crisis, and also represents Rabobank, JPMorgan and ING as clients. Pieter van Welzen and counsel Robert Masman offer ‘diligent and very thorough advice’.

Within Banking and finance, Clifford Chance is a first tier firm,

Mark Huddlestone heads Clifford Chance’s four-partner practice, which is ‘a reliable business partner’ that is ‘a natural choice for matters in the Benelux corporate syndicated loan market’. The group advised Stirling Square Capital Partners on financing for the acquisition of Environmental Solutions Europe Holding, and also acted for Rabobank on financing Orascom Construction Industries’ acquisition of DSM Agro and DSM Melamine. Angela McEwan and Jelle Hofland are recommended.

Within Capital markets, Clifford Chance is a first tier firm,

Clifford Chance combines ‘a high level of service and good market knowledge with accurate and practical advice from a team that is always reachable and prepared to go the extra mile for the client’. The team acted for the arrangers on the acquisition financing of the Super de Boer acquisition by Jumbo, and advised on the restructurings of Schoeller Arca, Lyondell Basell, and Heijmans. Mark Huddlestone heads the team.

Within Commercial litigation , Clifford Chance is a third tier firm,

Clifford Chance’s Jeroen Ouwehand is representing Promneftstroy in a legal battle arising from the Yukos Oil bankruptcy. He is also acting alongside the firm’s French and German offices in defending EADS against a request for an investigation into the affairs of the parent company of Airbus regarding A380 delivery delays.

Within Corporate and M&A, Clifford Chance is a second tier firm,

Clifford Chance’s strong, cross-border practice notably advised Schuitema and CVC Capital Partners on acquiring 80 stores from Super de Boer. It also advised the executive board of ABN AMRO regarding a demerger between RBS and ABN AMRO. Jeroen Koster heads the team, which is ‘very practical, with a problem-solving focus and a business-like approach from very good lawyers’.

Within EU and competition , Clifford Chance is a second tier firm,

Clifford Chance’s team is ‘extremely professional; the people are solution-driven and able to work with clients to find creative solutions’. Recent highlights include advising Schuitema on its acquisition of 80 supermarkets from Jumbo, and acting for Dutch Central Bank as supervisor of state aid issues. Geert van der Klis is ‘able to use the different areas of business expertise to come up with a better legal solution, and to build a legal reasoning around that’.

Within Employment , Clifford Chance is a third tier firm,

Clifford Chance’s team advised Automatic Data Processing Nederland on employment aspects of the acquisition of Logica Nederland’s payroll business. It also acted for Schuitema on acquiring certain stores from Euronext-listed Super de Boer in a transaction with Jumbo Groep Holding. Ruth van Andel heads the practice.

Within Energy , Clifford Chance is a second tier firm,

Clifford Chance handles a broad range of work in the energy sector, from corporate law to litigation. It advised Sembcorp Industries on its acquisition of Cascal, and represented Promneftstroy in a dispute arising out of the Yukos Oil Company bankruptcy. The eight-partner team also represents E.ON, Shell and Kuwait Petroleum International.

Within Environment and planning, Clifford Chance is a second tier firm,

Jaap Koster’s team at Clifford Chance regularly advises on the environmental aspects of acquisitions, as well as infrastructure and energy projects. The group is currently advising on the A15 and A12 PPP projects, and acting for Enecogen on building a gas-fired power plant. The team also advises funds on their renewable energy investments.

Within Information technology , Clifford Chance is a second tier firm,

Clifford Chance has extensive experience handling outsourcing projects, and advises a number of financial institutions on data privacy work. The group continued to advise Accenture on outsourcing projects, as well as on taking its finance and accounting services in house. Alvin Khodabaks leads the IP/IT group.

Within Intellectual property , tier 4

Clifford Chance’s ‘team is constructive, and strong in finding practical solutions and settlements’. The group continued to advise Endemol on litigation relating to the Big Brother TV show format, and also acts for clients such as Pro Sport Nederland and Stichting Sail 2010. Alvin Khodabaks displays ‘in-depth knowledge of Benelux IP laws’.

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 Other recommended firms

Within Mediation , Clifford Chance is a first tier firm,

Clifford Chance handles mediation work in the telecoms, energy and transport sectors.

Within Private equity , Clifford Chance is a first tier firm,

Clifford Chance represents 3i, KKR and Goldman Sachs Capital Partners. It advised Schuitema on the acquisition of 80 Super de Boer stores in a back-to-back transaction with Jumbo Groep, as well as on setting up a joint purchasing organisation with Jumbo, and advised Stirling Square Capital Partners on its acquisition of Environmental Solution Europe. Thijs Alexander and Gregory Crookes lead the group.

Within Project finance and PFI, Clifford Chance is a first tier firm,

Clifford Chance offers a ‘very high quality of service, and good value for money’. It is advising the lenders on the A12 and A15 road projects, and serving as project counsel on the Enecogen partnership, which will build and operate an 870MW gas-fired power plant. Jaap Koster has an ‘excellent, in-depth knowledge of infrastructure deals’, while Nanette Rutgers is a ‘very good negotiator with excellent understanding of infrastructure financing’.

Within Real estate , Clifford Chance is a second tier firm,

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.

Within Restructuring and insolvency , Clifford Chance is a second tier firm,

Clifford Chance’s Bas Boris Visser and Jelle Hofland ‘both have good legal knowledge and are pragmatic, which is very much appreciated when restructuring’. The team is acting for Lyondell Basell on its landmark restructuring, which allowed the company to avoid the pitfalls of local insolvencies.

Within Tax, Clifford Chance is a third tier firm,

Clifford Chance has ‘the experts you need to go to when it comes to investment fund- and/or tax-related advice’. The team also covers capital markets, finance, and corporate tax work for clients such as Barclays Capital, Rabobank and Aegon. Ate van IJlzinga Veenstra is ‘in a league of his own when it comes to advising clients on the boundaries of tax, legal, and regulatory issues’.