The Legal 500 > Europe, Middle East & Africa > Netherlands > Banking and finance: Borrower side

De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek is one of the strongest finance teams in the Dutch market, advising several of the largest domestic clients on their borrowing needs. The team is able to undertake work across the full spectrum of financing including bilateral and syndicated lending, emergency funding, refinancing, leveraged financing, and acquisition financing. Practice co-heads Menno Stoffer and Niek Biegman are highly regarded for international work, while senior associate Pim Van Leersum is also recommended.

Clifford Chance's borrower-side practice covers a wide range of clients and sectors, including acquisition financing for funds and corporations, real estate financing, export finance, and leveraged finance, alongside general corporate lending work for large domestic and international clients. The sizeable team is headed by Titus de Vries, while leveraged finance expert Jelle Hofland is another key name to note, along with Folko De Vries.

Dentons is particularly strong in the area of real estate financing, including the acquisition of single properties, real estate portfolios, and the funding of developments. Other key areas of work include acquisition financing, sustainable finance, export finance, and commodity finance. The firm expanded its offering this year, and now offers English law advice with the arrival of Jacqueline Bell from her position as a sole practitioner. Marcel Janssen set up and heads the group, and both partners are very active in the firm's European sustainable finance group.

Houthoff's team is involved in a wide range of borrower-side side financing work, including refinancing, syndicated and bilateral lending, cross-border transactions, property and real estate financing, and infrastructure finance. Loet Venrooy heads the practice and is active in a wide range of work for large funds and corporates. Jessica Terpstra, who specialises in energy and infrastructure transactions and is also qualified in English law, splits her time between the firm's Amsterdam and London offices and is another key figure in the team.

NautaDutilh's borrower-side finance team is instructed by a wide range of large corporate clients both internationally and from across the Benelux region, often advising on the Dutch law aspects of international financing for UK or US clients. The team undertakes the full spectrum of work, with particular strengths in acquisition financing, revolving credit facilities, and large-scale refinancing. Arjan Pors heads the team. Elizabeth van Schilfgaarde is a key contact for US clients.

Stibbe is involved in several high-profile borrower-side deals, particularly in the field of acquisition financing, where the team often works in conjunction with its prominent transactional practice for large corporates and funds. The firm is also strong on refinancing work, particularly in situations involving multiple creditors or revolving credit facilities. The practice is jointly headed by real estate finance specialist Maarten de Bruin and  Rein van Helden, whose areas of focus include cross-border leveraged finance, syndicated lending and financial restructurings.

The banking and finance group at AKD is led by Vincent Bettonville, who is particularly recommended for US clients operating in the Dutch market, with a practice encompassing general bank lending and acquisition finance. In addition to Bettonville's track record with US clients, the firm is often instructed to handle the Dutch financing aspects of cross-border transactions, often working with its other offices across the Benelux region.

Baker McKenzie's borrower-side finance practice is headed by Fedor Tanke and Martijn van der Vliet, who have significant experience of real estate finance and financial restructuring. Other key areas of work for the firm include acquisition financing and export finance. The firm is also highly regarded for deals with a cross-border element, either as local counsel on mandates originating in other jurisdictions, or managing Dutch deals in conjunction with the firm's broader network.

The finance team at CMS reports a growth in instructions from borrowers in the hotels and leisure, energy, and automotive sectors, as well as real estate funds. The team is particularly adept at acquisition and real estate financing, particularly cross-border financing, though it is active on the full spectrum of borrower-side work. Eduard Scheenstra heads the team, focusing on real estate financing. Associate Jesler Hartman Kok is also recommended.

The finance team at DLA Piper has seen a recent uptick in acquisition finance and leveraged finance work, and is instructed on a wide range of deals in this space. Lex Oosterling heads the team; Gerard Kneppers is highly regarded for borrowers in the energy sector; and Max Mayer is a key contact for work involving private equity. The firm is also notable for its work on cross-border mandates, both coordinating deals and working with other offices of the firm.

Wouter Jongen is the key figure in Hogan Lovells International LLP's borrower-side finance practice, and is particularly focused on acquisition financing and real estate financing. The firm counts private equity funds, large-scale manufacturers, and real estate investors among its client base, and often works with the firm's broader international network on complex cross-border deals. The firm's 'dedicated and insightful' team is praised by clients for its hands-on approach and pragmatism.

The banking and finance team at Lexence is led by English law-qualified Charles Destrée, and handles a wide range of work including acquisition financing, syndicated loans, bridge financing, and cross-border mandates. The firm is primarily active in the mid-market, but has also seen recent activity in larger mandates. At a junior level, leveraged and real estate finance specialist Bas Zandvliet is the key name to note.

Loyens & Loeff's finance team is highly experienced in acquisition financing, working with the firm's M&A, tax, and private equity teams to handle the full life cycle of a transaction and related financing issues. Gianluca Kreuze leads the acquisition and corporate finance team, and is recommended for his structuring of transactions, particularly in leveraged finance, while Kitty Lieverse, who runs the broader department, is more active in the advisory and regulatory space. Kim Koops is also noted.

Simmons & Simmons is strong on cross-border financing work, often acting in collaboration with other elements of the firm's international network, particularly the UK office. The firm is particularly active in the field of real estate financing, spanning all sectors including residential, diverse portfolios, and more niche areas such as logistics hubs. Jan-Joost van Rijsbergen, Frédérique Jacobse, and Marieke Driessen jointly lead the group.

Van Doorne's finance practice has several strong sector focuses , including healthcare and hospitals, where it is one of the market leaders, leveraged financing, and real estate finance. The firm remains popular with domestic clients, though real estate finance in particular is an area where the firm does act for substantial international clients. Roel Botter is a key contact for public sector financing work and jointly leads the team with property finance specialist Angelique Thiele.

Based in The Hague, BarentsKrans  has substantially expanded its financial offering over the last year, hiring senior associates Jason Van De Pol and Han Tonino in 2019, from Baker McKenzie and the Dutch Authority for Financial Markets respectively. The team is led by managing partner Michiel Martin, who has experience of a wide range of financing structures. Recent work has included acquisition finance, refinancing, and large cross-border deals, where the firm has provided Dutch law advice to major international firms and their clients.

The banking and finance team at Heussen is particularly known for financing work related to transactions, including acquisition finance, post-transaction refinancing, and development financing. The firm is also heavily involved in the financial restructuring space, as well as the amendment of existing credit facilities. Additionally, the firm differentiates itself by its close links to the German market, with dual-qualified senior associate Sandy van der Shcaaf heading the firm's German desk. The overall team is headed by Martijn Koot and Tim Schreuders is also recommended.

Stek houses a finance practice which is strong on acquisition and leveraged financing, financing work in the health and energy sectors, and local counsel work for high-profile international law firms and large corporates. Key lawyers include Maarten van der Graaf, Frans Haak, Sharon Kaufmann, and Herman Wamelink.