Allen & Overy LLP‘s team is widely hailed for its strengths acting for banks and fund clients on complex domestic and cross-border finance transactions. The group’s work covers a number of key areas, including leveraged finance, syndicated lending, public bid finance, asset finance and structured finance. In addition to heading up the banking department, Niels de Ru leads the global trade, commodities and export finance group. In 2020, highlights included Erik-Jan Wagenvoort, Femke Bierman and Andrew Thomas advising Adrian Private Debt and Apollo Credit Fund on an equity bridge provided by Aquiline in connection with the acquisition of Quintes Holding. Aroen Kuitenbrouwer and senior associate Luke Whibley are also recommended.
Banking and finance: lender or arranger side in Netherlands
Allen & Overy LLP
Practice head(s):
Niels de Ru
Other key lawyers:
Femke Bierman; Andrew Thomas; Aroen Kuitenbrouwer; Erik-Jan Wagenvoort; Luke Whibley
Testimonials
‘Experienced team, well balanced and able to adjust the composition of the team, when this is required. Great mix of backgrounds and cultures in the team.’
Key clients
ING
MetLife Investment Management LLC
Landesbank Baden-Württemberg
Kartesia
Work highlights
- Acting for the lenders in connection with an uncommitted revolving credit facility for AlpInvest Secondaries Fund VII.
- Advising the two debt funds on the take out of the equity bridge provided by Aquiline in connection with the acquisition of Quintes Holding.
- Acting for Kartesia in relation to the provision of €49.7m of term loan facilities for Integrative Interventions Group B.V.
Clifford Chance
Clifford Chance‘s first-rate team demonstrates its market-leading credentials across a multitude of large and complex financings, including those involving real estate finance, leveraged finance, export credit finance, trade and commodity finance, structured finance, syndicated lending and club deals. Titus de Vries leads the team, which is comprised of both Dutch and English law-qualified lawyers. In addition to acting for mainstream financial institutions, the firm also has a broad private debt client base. In the project finance space, a highlight in 2020 involved counsel David Woolmer and others acting for ING Bank and the Development Bank of South Africa on the €640m financing of seven solar farms in Angola with a combined capacity of 370MW, including one of the largest solar projects in sub-Saharan Africa to date. Also notable is that Folko de Vries advised Idinvest on the financing of the acquisition of Pe Pe Parts by Bencis Capital Partners. Other practitioners of note include Nienke van Stekelenburgh, Jelle Hofland, Angela McEwan and counsel Boudewijn Vermeer. Mark Huddlestone is a consultant.
Practice head(s):
Titus de Vries
Other key lawyers:
Folko de Vries; Jelle Hofland; Angela McEwan; Hein Tonner; Nienke van Stekelenburgh; Jackie Jones; Mike Niekoop; Nanette Rutgers; Boudewijn Vermeer; David Woolmer
Testimonials
‘Excellent legal knowledge, broad and global network, and at the same time, personal contact. Keen on advising their clients, but also able to be pragmatic and connect with the counterparty to make sure that parties work to a suitable solution.’
‘Very pleasant experience in working a/o with Jelle Hofland and Nienke van Stekelenburg. Both excellent and committed professionals.’
‘Although based in Amsterdam, the team has extensive developing markets experience from having advised several European development finance institutions. The team is gender diverse, with several leading female senior lawyers, including partner Angela McEwan and counsel Jackie Jones and Sylvia van der Heyden. And good access to the senior team too.’
‘Angela McEwan is pragmatic and commercial, and has a knack for turning the complex into simple and clear concepts.’
‘Jackie Jones is a seasoned professional who protects our position without seeming adversarial, which maintains a great dynamic on deals to get to parties to reach solutions.’
‘One of the top financing teams in the NL mid-market. Very experienced and pleasant to work with.’
‘Great people, business minded with high expertise.’
Key clients
Dutch Mezzanine Fund (DMF)
ABN Amro Bank N.V.
Cooperatieve Rabobank U.A.
ING Bank N.V.
Ares Management Limited
Idinvest
LGT
Work highlights
- Advised Dutch Mezzanine Fund (DMF) and FundIQ on the mezzanine financing of the acquisition of accessory chain J-Club by Nordian Capital.
- Advised the syndicate of lenders on the Dutch and US law aspects of Ahold Delhaize’s €1bn sustainability-linked revolving credit facility.
- Advised a syndicate of national and international banks led by ABN Amro, Rabobank and ING Bank on negotiations with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and the Dutch State in relation to the €3.4bn financial support package for KLM (which was in financial difficulties as a result of Covid-19).
NautaDutilh
NautaDutilh has a stand out reputation handling complex and innovative finance transactions for Dutch and global financial institutions, as well as alternative debt providers. The practice is led by Arjan Pors, whose wide-ranging expertise includes general corporate lending, project finance and acquisition finance. His recent work included acting for the European Investment Bank on a financing for Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd. through its Dutch special purpose vehicle Serum Life Sciences B.V. Another highlight saw David Viëtor and Janneke De Goeij assist Crescent Capital Group LP with the unitranche financing of the acquisition of CNC Holding by Sun European Partners from the Coöperatieve Nederlandse Champignonkwekersvereniging in 2020. Other notable individuals include Marc Orval, who has specialist expertise in leveraged/special situations financings, and Diederik Vriesendorp.
Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
David Viëtor; Diederik Vriesendorp; Marc Orval; Janneke De Goeij; Michelle van Doren; Jinne van Belle
Testimonials
‘Hands-on, deal-oriented and borrower/lender-friendly. Efficient, pragmatic, yet knowledgeable.’
‘Social, know how to balance between need and nice to have. Solution-oriented, rather than stubborn.’
‘Diederik Vriesendorp, very knowledgeable and a pleasant person to deal with.’
‘Consistently one of the strongest banking teams and my first choice for banking work in the Netherlands.’
‘David Vietor – very responsive and constructive, good at maintaining the relationship.’
‘Very client-friendly and efficient work.’
Key clients
ABN AMRO Bank N.V.
Arcmont Asset Management Limited
Ares Capital Corporation
ASR Bank
Citibank, N.A.
Coface Finanz GmbH
Credit Agricole
Crescent Capital Group LP
Deutsche Bank
DeKa Bank
European Investment Bank
Goldman Sachs
HSBC Bank Plc
ING Bank N.V.
KBC Bank N.V.
Lucid Trustee Services Limited
National Westminster Bank Plc
NIBC Bank N.V.
PGIM Real Estate Finance
Rabobank
Royal Bank of Canada
Sanofi SA
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking and Corporation Europe Limited
Tokio Marine Europe S.A.
Triodos
Zurich Insurance PLC
Work highlights
- Assisted multiple international banks as Dutch counsel in connection with the senior secured credit facilities for Organon. Organon is a global healthcare company formed through a spinoff from Merck (known as MSD outside of the US and Canada).
- Assisted Sanofi with its recommended all-cash public offer for Kiadis Pharma B.V., a Dutch biotech company listed on Euronext Amsterdam and Brussels.
- Advised ING Bank on financing the acquisition by Woonhave of two residential portfolios from respectively Castella and ASR Real Estate.
Dentons
Dentons is highly reputed for its work on the lender side of finance transactions, with it acting for all of the largest banks in the Netherlands, as well as a significant number of international financial institutions. Marcel Janssen leads the team, whose experience spans a number of areas, including project/energy finance, supply chain finance, real estate finance, export/trade finance and strutured finance. In 2020, highlights included Janssen, Jacqueline Bell, Jack Schrijver and others advising Berlin Hyp on the provision of a €59m financing to Greystar for the acquisition of 'Project Rock' in Utrecht. Elsewhere, the firm is a strong choice for emerging markets transactions and matters involving ESG/sustainable finance.
Practice head(s):
Marcel Janssen
Other key lawyers:
Jacqueline Bell; Jack Schrijver; Todd Crosby; Gerard Koster
Testimonials
‘Very pragmatic team that understands the deal dynamics of a certain transaction and is able to adjust and scale up when the transaction requires.’
‘Marcel Janssen has been indispensable for the success of the transaction in multiple transactions. He is a skilled and knowledgeable lawyer, who is very capable to pick the right battles in negotations. This is the reason why we have met certain timeframes that seemed impossible to meet at the start. Besides that, he is friendly.’
‘Strong local network. Good for cross-border transactions, so that there is only one law firm to deal with.’
‘The Dentons team was a great strategic sparring partner for us setting up and documenting a new and innovative financing structure. They really understood the specific needs in setting up this structure and acted accordingly.’
‘All team members are very responsive and easy to deal with. Down to earth but also professional.’
‘I value their hands on mentality, broad knowledge of the real estate market and full display of company knowledge and additional resources from disciplines outside of real estate.’
‘Within Dentons, Marcel Janssen is my main contact. I value his knowledge of the real estate market combined with his ability to come up with solutions to put the practice into documentation.’
Key clients
ING Bank
Rabobank
Citibank
HSBC
BNG Bank
ABN Amro
MUFG
UniCredit
Credit Suisse
Berlin Hyp
RoundShield Partners
IPF Partners
Nestr Smart Finance
Raiffeisen Bank
Societe Generale
Triodos
BNP Paribas
Shell (and Société Générale and ABN AMRO Bank)
Kommunalkredit Austria AG
Work highlights
- Assisting Rabobank with setting up its new business line ‘Energy as a Service’, which includes the drafting of all of Rabobank’s draft contracts and pilot transactions in this respect.
DLA Piper
Equally strong acting for private credit funds and financial institutions, DLA Piper‘s recent workload included sustainability financings, acquisition finance transactions and real estate finance matters. Practice head Lex Oosterling and senior associate Adam Abou Habaga were among the advisers to ABN AMRO and ING Bank on their recent financing of NPM Capital’s acquisition of Futurewhiz. On the real estate finance side, Oosterling and legal director Stephanie Menz assisted Berlin Hip with financing the acquisition and development of the Zandkasteel building (ING’s former headquarters). Max Mayer, who is an English law-qualified solicitor, is also recommended.
Practice head(s):
Lex Oosterling
Other key lawyers:
Max Mayer; Stephanie Menz; Adam Abou Habaga; Nine Scheenjes
Key clients
Cooperatieve Rabobank U.A.
ING Bank N.V.
ABN AMRO Bank N.V.
Deutsche Bank
Siemens Bank
BerlinHYP
HSBC Bank
OLB
Investec
SocGen
Natwest
SNS
Ares Management
Barings
Capital Four
Crescent Capital
CVC Credit
Idinvest/Eurazeo
HPS
Permira
Pemberton
Kartesia
Partners Group
KKR Credit
Work highlights
- Advised Rabobank and NWB Bank on the sustainability financing provided to Nationaal Groenfonds for the benefit of its new climate fund (Klimaatfonds) in order to finance projects in the agriculture projects that contribute to the sustainability goals of the Dutch State.
- Advising Helaba on the financing of the acquisition by Warburg-HIH of the largest single tenant logistics property in Bleiswijk, the Netherlands on behalf of Korean investors.
- Advised on the amendment and restatement of the €175m senior facilities agreement provided to Five Arrows for the acquisition of the Sucsez/Heilbron Group to facilitate a €467.5m financing for the Sucsez Group and its acquisition of the Voogd & Voogd Group.
Hogan Lovells International LLP
Hogan Lovells International LLP acts for leading Dutch banks on many of their largest and most complex real estate finance and acquisition finance transactions, and it is also a first port of call for a number of the world’s largest international financial institutions. Beyond the firm’s work for banks, it also excels in working with non-bank lender clients on unitranche and other alternative lending products. Wouter Jongen, who is dual English and Dutch-law qualified, recently acted for a large syndicate of lenders on the ESG refinancing of Hoogwegt. Jongen co-heads the practice with Robert Masman. Counsels Dylan Goedegebuure and Siddharth Saxena are also recommended.
Practice head(s):
Wouter Jongen; Robert Masman
Other key lawyers:
Dylan Goedegebuure; Siddharth Saxena
Testimonials
‘They are very much on top of things and fully aware of what is going on in the market/most recent precedents etc. The high quality team operates highly efficiently and is well capable to focus on the key items from both a borrower’s as well as lender’s perspective.’
‘Would probably rate Wouter Jongen as the best lawyer within the Dutch leveraged finance space. Always available; very pragmatic, understands the sensitivities within a deal very well and has a broad and deep network.’
‘The team at Hogan Lovells in Amsterdam of Wouter Jongen is at the forefront of banking transactions in the Benelux market, and affirmatively leads the pack when it comes to acquisition financings with an emphasis on covenant-lite Term Loan B and direct lending solutions. They skillfully combine the know-how and expertise in the US and UK capital markets with outstanding local advice.’
‘Wouter is relentlessly hardworking, very smart and always on-duty; a delight to have on your side.’
‘The Amsterdam banking practice of Hogan Lovells led by Wouter Jongen excels in proactive, commercial thinking whilst getting the balance right. They strive at complex cross-border financing situations whilst always keeping an eye on the ball and making sure that the desired end-result is obtained.’
‘The team is super responsive and well resourced with strong individuals across products and geographies. They come up with innovative solutions to numerous difficult aspects of transactions, while staying commercially focused and achieving favourable outcomes supporting the development of the business. Siddharth Saxena is certainly up-and-coming in the Amsterdam team!’
‘Wouter Jongen is a great partner to have on a transaction, due to his value-add in terms of (i) good advice on docs, (ii) solid negotiation skills, (iii) and extensive knowledge of Dutch leveraged finance market, including the various debt structures.’
Key clients
Ares Management Limited
Bridgepoint
Pemberton
Blackrock
Intermediate Capital Group
HSBC Bank
ABN AMRO Bank
ING Bank
Rabobank
Deutsche Bank
NIBC Bank
Kempen Van Lanschot Bank
Work highlights
- Advising a large syndicate of national and international banks on the financing supporting large cap private equity sponsor Ardian on the acquisition of Deli Home from premier Dutch investor NPM Capital.
- Advised Alcentra on Vitruvian’s largest investment to date, the acquisition of majority stake in Expereo.
- Advised HSBC on financing of the Rosewood hotel in Amsterdam, which is to become one of the most exclusive hotels in Amsterdam and the Benelux region.
Houthoff
Houthoff‘s excellent reputation in complex cross-border transactions sees it regularly attract referral work from international (particularly US) law firms. Loet Venrooy leads the team in Amsterdam, which is widely recognised for its strong capabilities across the full spectrum of finance transactions, including those involving acquisition finance, structured finance, project finance and syndicated and bilateral loans. The group particularly excels in real estate finance transactions and real estate loan transfer transactions. In addition, it is notably active in the financing and refinancing of large infrastructure investments. Jessica Terpstra works in both the London and Amsterdam offices.
Practice head(s):
Loet Venrooy
Other key lawyers:
Jessica Terpstra; Jan Veeningen; Jeroen Vossenberg; Sjors Panis
Testimonials
‘Houthoff is an outstanding firm with strong market knowledge and specialised teams for issues including structured finance, restructuring, corporate loans and regulatory compliance. For the Netherlands we believe they have few peers. They are very responsive, knowledgeable and have top-rate partners who are commercially minded and able to see things from the clients’ point of view.’
‘I consider Jessica Terpstra to be an extremely good and clever lawyer providing accurate legal advice in an efficient and pragmatic way. Her broad knowledge of the sector makes her one of the most remarkable practitioners in the banking and finance sector in the Netherlands.’
Key clients
KBC
Municipality of Amsterdam
ABN AMRO Bank
ING Bank
Rabobank
Credit Suisse
NIBC Bank
BNP Paribas
Bank of America Merrill Lynch
Deutsche Bank
Petrobras
Royal VolkerWessels
Attestor Capital LLP
ASR
Work highlights
- Advising ABN AMRO Bank N.V. in respect of a sustainability linked revolving credit facility for CBRE European Industrial Fund.
- Together with Bracewell LLP, the firm acted as counsel to Credit Agricole as agent to the lenders in the successfully completed exit financing for McDermott International, Ltd.’s emergence from bankruptcy.
- Advising the lenders to the PMC project, the first of its kind in the Netherlands, on amendments and waivers relating to PMC metal purifying project in the Netherlands.
Linklaters
Linklaters has an outstanding track record acting on the full spectrum of lending transactions for Dutch and international banks, as well as funds. Paul Kuipers heads up the team, which particularly distinguishes itself in high-profile domestic and cross-border mandates, including those involving general corporate lending, acquisition finance, syndicated finance and real estate finance. In addition, the firm’s involvement in large and complex projects (particularly those connected with energy and infrastructure) makes it a major player in related project finance transactions. In a notable Covid-19-related mandate, Mees Roelofs, Kuipers and others acted for the Dutch State on the provision of a €3.4bn support package to KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (KLM) in 2020. In a more recent highlight, Roelofs led a team which acted as international counsel to ING Bank and Lloyds Bank on the extension of Greenergy Group’s $1.25bn borrowing base facilities.
Practice head(s):
Paul Kuipers
Other key lawyers:
Mees Roelofs; Bram Bulter; Mark Warren
Key clients
Ministry of Finance of the Netherlands
VTTI B.V.
LaSalle Investment Management
Nuveen Real Estate Management
ABN AMRO Bank N.V.
ING Bank N.V.
Coöperatieve Rabobank U.A.
Bank of America NA
Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited
Lloyds Bank plc
Loyens & Loeff
Loyens & Loeff‘s team is highlighted for its ability to handle myriad complex financings for domestic and international clients. The practice is led by Willem Jarigsma, whose practice is split between London and Amsterdam, and has particular expertise in asset-based lending and transportation finance (particularly ship finance and aircraft finance). He works with Gianluca Kreuze, who has a notable focus on secured corporate lending and leveraged finance transactions. In addition, other key practitioners include Kim Koops and senior associate Ruben den Hollander, who advised Berlin Hyp on a €75m term loan to Matrix Innovation Center in 2020. Ehsan Shirzadi is also recommended.
Practice head(s):
Willem Jarigsma
Other key lawyers:
Gianluca Kreuze; Kim Koops; Ehsan Shirzadi; Ruben den Hollander
Testimonials
‘What is different from other law firms is that the approach is pragmatic und solution-oriented.’
‘Kim Koops is outstanding and perceptive, and also has a pragmatic view of the essentials (legally and economically). He also keeps calm if others’ emotions are running high.’
‘Full-service banking team. Responsive and commercially minded.’
‘Partner Kim Koops is excellent, and has been our “go to” on financing matters for some time.’
Key clients
Macquarie Bank International Limited (MBIL)
Bank of America N.A.
Coöperatieve Rabobank U.A.
Goldman Sachs Bank USA
European Investment Bank
ING Bank N.V.
ABN AMRO Bank N.V.
KFW IPEX- BANK GMBH
Rabobank Nederland
Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation
Berlin Hyp
Stibbe
Stibbe is prominent in large deals in the Netherlands and further afield in Europe, with it being able to advise on Dutch, EU and English law on the ground in Amsterdam and in joint collaboration with London-based firms. The transactional and advisory practice was strengthened by the arrivals of Marieke Driessen (who is Dutch and English-law qualified) and senior associate Niek Groenendijk from Simmons & Simmons in January 2021. Driessen co-heads the group with Maarten de Bruin and Rein Van Helden. The team has extensive expertise in areas such as real estate finance, syndicated lending, leveraged finance, project finance, corporate finance and restructurings, among various others. In a recent mandate, van Helden and Groenendijk advised JP Morgan on the financing aspects of TA Associates’ acquisition of Unit4, in addition to advising private debt asset management firm Arcmont on a debt and equity investment related to the acquisition.
Practice head(s):
Maarten de Bruin; Rein van Helden; Marieke Driessen
Other key lawyers:
Robert Steeg; Niek Groenendijk; Suzanne van Boheemen; Barbra Bulsing
Key clients
ABN AMRO
Allied Irish Banks
ANZ
Aozora Bank
Ardian
Ares Management
Bank of China
Bank of Ireland
Barclays
Belfius Bank
BlackRock
Bank Nederlandse Gemeenten
BNP Paribas
Cerberus
Citibank
Credit Suisse
Danske Bank
DBS Bank
Deutsche Bank
Deutsche Hypo
European Investment Bank
Goldman Sachs
ING
Insight Investment Management
JP Morgan
Kartesia
Landesbank Baden-Wurttemberg
Lloyds Bank
Mizuho Bank
Morgan Stanley
MUFG Bank
Natixis
NIBC
Nordea
Nederlandse Waterschapsbank
Royal Bank of Canada
Santander
Sberbank
Société Générale
Toronto-Dominion Bank
UBS
Unicredit
Work highlights
- Advised the European Investment Bank (EIB) on the amendments to the existing facilities provided to Allego in connection with its business combination with Spartan, a SPAC sponsored by Apollo Global Management.
- Advised Kartesia, the European specialist provider of capital solutions for small and mid-sized companies, on its €75m debt and equity investment in HeadFirst Group
- Advised an ad hoc committee of noteholders on the restructuring of notes issued by DTEK Finance PLC. DTEK Finance PLC and DTEK Energy B.V.
Van Doorne
Van Doorne has a particular capability in real estate and development finance transactions, with 12 practitioners focusing on this area. Elsewhere, the firm’s workload covers leveraged finance/corporate lending, hospital financing, sub- and non-performing loan portfolio sales, asset-based lending and debt restructurings. Stefan van Rossum and Angelique Thiele jointly lead the practice, which is highly active in cross-border transactions, and generates a strong flow of work from Dutch, German, US and UK banks. It also has a strong profile among Dutch and international non-bank lenders, such as insurance companies and loan funds. Van Rossum and Anneloes van Uhm recently acted for VTB Bank as lender and arranger on the £3.7bn financing of Nova Resources’ acquisition of shares in Kaz Minerals Plc by way of a public offer.
Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Babette Vos; Estelle van Heerden; Jelmer Baukema; Anneloes van Uhm
Testimonials
‘The banking practice combines experience, adaptability and practical relevance in an extraordinary way, which makes this team extremely valuable for our financing activities. Definitely one of the top teams in the Netherlands, with it being able to support the most complex financing structures.’
‘Stefan van Rossum and Anneloes van Uhm both have outstanding specialist know-how and offer pragmatic, solution-oriented legal advice. A real pleasure to work with.’
‘A highly responsive and technically competent team with a detailed knowledge of the complexities of the transaction. Always available, extremely pragmatic and very easy to deal with. Resourcing has been scaled up and down as the deal ebbs and flows so that there is always the right level of resource. Partner engagement is first rate.’
‘Stefan Van Rossum. Lead partner and extremely knowledgeable across a wide range of banking subjects. He is very responsive and easy to deal with. He is commercially astute and very pragmatic in dealing with things. He makes things happen and solves problems.’
‘It has been very refreshing working with Van Doorne – they are smaller than I typically work with but the fact they are lean is a strength. You get complete partner engagement, get to know the team very well and they are superb value for money.’
‘Angelique Thiele is one of the most thorough, hard working and client-friendly lawyers I have ever worked with. When Angelique acts for me, I can relax knowing that no stone will be left unturned and there will be no risks in the document that she has not brought to my attention.’
‘Despite its small size, the practice offers a quality of service and level of expertise on a par (and in some cases exceeding) much larger firms.’
‘Angelique Thiele – works extremely hard, great attention to detail, proactive. I felt very comfortable leaving her to drive forward work on getting the legal documents agreed.’
Key clients
Aareal Bank
Allianz
Atlantic Park Strategic Capital Fund
Barings/MassMutual
BentallGreenoak
Berlin Hyp
Canada Life
Deutsche Bank
Deutsche Hypo
DRC Capital
Goldman Sachs
HSBC
Kildare
HCOB
Nationale Nederlanden Investment Partners
Mogelijk Vastgoedfinanciering
NIBC Bank
Oaktree
PGIM Real Estate
Rabobank
RiverBank
Rothesay Life
Unicredit
Tristan Cap
VTB Bank
York Capital
Work highlights
- Advised Mogelijk Vastgoedfinancieringen (Mogelijk) – a major Dutch P2P property lending platform – on the launch of its buy-to-let financing activities in the Netherlands.
- Advised Rothesay Life on two conduits for the purchase of Dutch mortgage loan portfolios from Dutch banks/insurers.
- Advised DRC Capital on a series of whole and mezzanine loan office to residential redevelopment financings.
AKD
AKD‘s practice is notably active in handling the Dutch law aspects of cross-border bank financing transactions. Its work spans areas such as real estate finance, project finance, acquisition finance and structured finance. One of the main contacts at the firm is Vincent Bettonville, who has over 20 years of experience in this space. He works with managing partner Erwin Rademakers and Jasper Verhoog.
Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘High level of partner commitment. Pragmatic and swift responses. The quality of work is high.’
‘Very friendly and informal style with a lot of humour.’
Key clients
Crédit Agricole Corporate & Investment Bank
JPMorgan
Baker McKenzie
Baker McKenzie is a strong choice for advice on cross-border banking matters, with its team’s expertise being seen in transactions relating to acquisition finance, syndicated lending, trade finance and export finance, real estate finance and project finance. In a recent development, Paul Goedvolk joined from Eversheds Sutherland (Netherlands) B.V. to head up the real estate department; he has real estate finance expertise. Moussa Louizi was recruited from Clifford Chance. Corinne Schot and Fedor Tanke co-head the practice. Martijn van der Vliet joined Buren.
Practice head(s):
Corinne Schot; Fedor Tanke; Martijn van der Vliet
Other key lawyers:
Paul Goedvolk; Moussa Louizi
Testimonials
‘The colleagues are always available and very supportive.’
Key clients
VEON
Landesbank Baden-Württemberg
ING Bank N.V.
Work highlights
- Advised the coordinators, arrangers and bookrunners, Citi and J.P. Morgan on VEON’s successful new multi-currency revolving credit facility agreement of $1.25bn for VEON Holdings B.V.
- Assisting Landesbank Baden-Württemberg as lender’s counsel with the drafting, negotiation and execution of the to be syndicated €26m covered bond (Pfandbrief) financing of the acquisition of The Share office building in Hoofddorp (near Amsterdam) for Neo AMS Propco Limited (BVI) and Neo AMS Limited (BVI).
- Advised ING and other lenders as lead lenders’ counsel on the refinancing of a revolving facility for Indorama Ventures Europe B.V. The facility is on project finance terms.
CMS
As part of the firm’s wider international banking and finance practice, CMS' team in Amsterdam plays a key role in cross-border finance transactions, in addition to undertaking domestic matters. Although real estate finance is seen as a core area of focus, the group’s workload is broader and encompasses leveraged finance and acquisition finance, asset finance and structured finance, project finance and financial restructurings. Counsel Etiënne Courbois has expertise in syndicated lending (investment grade, leveraged and real estate). Marc van Zanten leads the team, which acts for a mix of Dutch and international banks, as well as alternative lenders. In 2020, Eduard Scheenstra and associate Jenny Noordermeer were among the advisers to Münchener Hypothekenbank on the €28m financing granted to a subsidiary of Patrizia for the acquisition of a residential property located at the Pontkade in Amsterdam.
Practice head(s):
Marc van Zanten
Other key lawyers:
Eduard Scheenstra; Etiënne Courbois; Jenny Noordermeer
Testimonials
‘The team did a fabulous job. They were very helpful and available at all times when we had queries.’
‘We are very happy with the team, especially Jenny Noordermeer, who was particularly helpful and proved to be a strong anchor of support during the challenging times.’
‘Eduard Scheenstra and senior associate Jenny Noordermeer were very effective, efficient and readily available in their representation of us as the lender.’
Key clients
Norinchukin Bank Europe N.V.
ING Bank N.V.
Rabobank
Yapi Kredi Bank
Amsterdam Trade Bank N.V.
Deutsche Pfandbriefbank AG
Erste Group Bank AG
Raiffeisen Bank AG
Landesbank Saarbrücken
HSBC Bank
Oaktree Capital Management
Münchener Hypothekenbank eG
Deutsche Hypothekenbank
Delin Capital Management
Capreon
Catella Real Estate
Macquarie
Work highlights
- Advised Yapi Kredi Bank Nederland N.V. on the €90m financing granted to Çimsa Cementos España for the purpose of financing the $180m acquisition of the Buñol White Cement Plant in Valencia, Spain.
- Advised Lloyds Bank plc on the amendment and restatement of the £21.5m and €32m facilities agreement granted to Clink Hostels group in connection with the restructuring of the group.
- Advised Deutsche Pfandbriefbank AG on the €93.6m acquisition by Frasers Industrial & Commercial Trust of an interest in FPE.
Norton Rose Fulbright
In a key development at Norton Rose Fulbright, Omar Salah joined the firm from De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek N.V. in August 2021. He serves as the head of financial restructuring and insolvency in Amsterdam. In addition, Salah is a leading expert in Islamic finance and he is also well-known for his experience of acquisition and leveraged finance transactions. Elsewhere, the firm has a stand out reputation in the project finance arena, with its team playing a key role in domestic and international PPP projects, particularly major PFI infrastructure (and accommodation) projects and those in the power and renewable energy sector. It is also prominent in the digital infrastructure space. Other matters relate to general corporate lending, export finance, trade and commodity finance and development finance. Wouter Hertzberger is the overall head of the banking practice, which also includes Joris Ravelli.
Practice head(s):
Wouter Hertzberger
Other key lawyers:
Joris Ravelli; Omar Salah
Testimonials
‘Joris Ravelli is very approachable and very much involved for a partner.’
‘The banking team at Norton Rose Fulbright has an excellent reputation in the market. What sets them apart, is their international focus and global reach while providing top-quality legal advice in the Dutch markets. The hire of new banking partner Omar Salah is a market-shaking move. I have worked with him on banking matters. Omar is a top-notch banking lawyer and a great addition to the team to win mandates on leveraged finance and Islamic finance.’
‘I have worked with Omar Salah. He is the best in the Dutch market on Islamic finance deals. He is doing a lot in leveraged finance too. Omar is technically very strong, understands banking and finance inside out, and did a great job advising us as a large financial institution on innovative banking transactions.’
Key clients
ABN AMRO
Amsterdam Trade Bank
Apollo
Bank of America
BNP Paribas
FMO
HSBC
ING Bank
Rabobank
Work highlights
- Assisted Coöperatieve Rabobank U.A., Nederlandse Waterschapsbank N.V. and KBC Bank NV with the financing of a 80 MW onshore wind farm in the Netherlands, which will consist of 19 wind turbines and will be developed by Kroningswind B.V.
- Advised the lenders to the winning consortium of the tender procedure of the DBFMO Agreement on the design, construction, finance, maintenance and operation of a new accommodation project that shall be used by the National Institute for Public Health and Environment and the Agency of the Medicines Evaluation Board.
- Acting for De Nederlandse Waterschapsbank N.V./BNG Bank N.V. on the construction of onshore windfarm Drentse Monden en Oostermoer (the DMO Project). The DMO Project is divided into three sub-projects, which are structured in three separate legal entities and the project financing is structured at the level of each sub-project.
Simmons & Simmons
At Simmons & Simmons, the arrival of Ivo van Dijk from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in April 2021 has bolstered the firm’s ability to serve lenders across a wide range of transactions, including those involving leveraged finance, corporate finance and real estate finance. He is particularly experienced in heavily-syndicated and multijurisdictional financings. Working with practitioners in the Frankfurt office, van Dijk recently advised German bank DZ Bank on the financing of the floating solar plant known as Van der Wiel in the Netherlands. In addition, he also assisted the Italian banks Intesa Sanpaolo S.p.A. and UniCredit S.p.A. with negotiating a €100m senior facilities agreement with Reno De Medici in relation to the acquisition of Fineska. Marieke Driessen and Jan-Joost van Rijsbergen joined Stibbe and Bond Advocaten respectively in 2020.
Practice head(s):
Ivo van Dijk
Testimonials
‘Ivo van Dijk joined Simmons & Simmons at the beginning of the year as partner in banking and finance. He is a real expert in real estate finance, but also on portfolio acquisitions and structured finance transactions. New team with high expertise. Easy to contact and strong advice. Good eye for our business requirements and pleasant to work with.’
‘Ivo van Dijk is a real expert in the (real estate) finance sector and is also skilled in structured finance and portfolio/M&A transactions. High expertise and strong lawyer. Pleasant to work with and always delivers quality. Good understanding of our business and operations.’
Key clients
MUFG Bank (Europe) N.V.
Barclays
Rabobank
ABN AMRO Bank N.V.
ING Bank N.V.
Barclays
Svenska Handelsbanken AB
DRC Capital LLP
Intesa Sanpaolo S.p.A.
UniCredit S.p.A.
Mediobanca – Banca di Credito Finanziario S.p.A.
Banco BPM S.p.A.
Work highlights
- Assisted Handelsbanken with the amendment and restatement of a loan granted to Unibail Rodamco Westfield to cater for, among others, Covid-19-related changes.
- Advised DRC on a facilities agreement to the Realterm-group for the purposes of financing of a portfolio of logistics assets located in the Netherlands and Belgium.
- Advised ING Bank N.V. on the upsize of its facility to the Heimstaden group in relation to the purchase of residential property in the Netherlands.
Stek
Stek‘s team regularly acts as local Dutch counsel to international law firms and foreign financial institutions in transactions involving Dutch borrowers and/or assets. Its client roster also includes the largest Dutch banks in the market. The firm’s work spans a number of key areas, including acquisition/leveraged finance, general corporate lending (involving a combination of lending and asset-based financing) and project finance transactions. It is also one of the few firms in the market to be notably active in healthcare/hospital financings. The practice is jointly led by Maarten van der Graaf, Frans Haak, Sharon Kaufmann and Herman Wamelink. Recent highlights included Wamelink, associate Katinka van der Brink and others advising ABN AMRO Bank and Rabobank on the financing of Rendo, which is a major name in the Dutch glass fibre market. Guy Pegels was promoted to counsel. Another key counsel of note is Marleen Veenstra, who was recently hired from ABN AMRO Bank.
Practice head(s):
Maarten van der Graaf; Frans Haak; Sharon Kaufmann; Herman Wamelink
Other key lawyers:
Guy Pegels; Marleen Veenstra; Katinka van den Brink
Testimonials
‘Well-qualified staff who listen carefully, are proactive and understand our interests but also our customers.’
Key clients
ABN AMRO Bank
BNG Bank
Claret Capital Partners
Commerzbank
Deutsche Bank
ING Bank
Invest-NL
Limburgs Energiefonds (LEF)
NIBC Bank
Rabobank
Raiffeisen Bank International
Silicon Valley Bank
Work highlights
- Advising Commerzbank on the financing of a solar park in Haarstdiek in the Netherlands.
- Advising BNG, ING and ABN AMRO on the financing of Stichting ‘s Heeren Loo Zorggroep (healthcare) and an intercreditor agreement with the European Investment Bank.
- Advising a consortium of lenders on the financing of Schiphol.
Bird & Bird
Bird & Bird's finance practice attracts a growing volume of work from mainstream commercial banks, alternative lenders, special opportunity lenders and development banks/multilaterals. Project finance transactions are a major area of strength; practice head Roger van Buuren has over 20 years of experience in this space, including the finance aspects of infrastructure and renewable energy projects. In addition, under van Buuren’s leadership, the firm handles a significant portion of telecoms-related finance work. Elsewhere, acquisition finance transactions are also a mainstay of the practice. In addition, emerging markets finance and asset finance are other key areas of expertise for the team. A recent highlight saw van Buuren and others act for ABN AMRO Bank on the provision of a project finance facility to Plastic Recycling Amsterdam for the construction and operation of a plastic recycling facility.
Practice head(s):
Roger van Buuren
Other key lawyers:
Pauline Vos; René Rieter; Franka van Buuren
Testimonials
‘Very happy to work with Bird & Bird. Quick communication. Great collaboration, short lines. Quick answers. High quality.’
‘They were hands-on and practical.’
‘Flexible and supportive team.’
‘Roger van Buuren is an expert in his field. He is service minded and proactive.’
‘Good sector knowledge, quick turnaround and follow through. Pragmatic.’
‘Roger van Buuren – personal involvement, strong lead in documentation negotiation.’
Key clients
ABN AMRO Bank N.V.
Cooperatieve Rabobank U.A.
Limburgs Energiefonds
Oesterreichische Entwicklungsbank AG
Belgian Investment Company for Developing Countries SA/NV
Nationaal Groenfonds
Kreos Capital
Work highlights
- Advised Rabobank and ABN AMRO Bank N.V. on a project finance facility for E-Fiber and Arcus Infrastructure Partners for the roll-out and operation of a portfolio of optic fibre networks in approximately 20 municipalities in the Netherlands.
- Advised Rabobank on a project finance facility for Primevest Capital Partners for the roll-out of a various optic fibre networks in Eindhoven and Rotterdam.
Heussen B.V.
Led by Martijn Koot, the team at Heussen B.V. excels in handling complex financings and restructurings with a cross-border dimension. Its expertise spans areas such as syndicated lending, acquisition and leveraged finance, structured finance and project finance. Koot works with Sandy van der Schaaf, who is dual-qualified in the Netherlands and Germany, and leads the firm’s German desk. In addition, Tim Schreuders is another key individual.
Practice head(s):
Martijn Koot
Other key lawyers:
Tim Schreuders; Sandy van der Schaaf
Testimonials
‘Heussen’s banking team integrates broad experience across industries and practices which allows them to capably support complex cross-border transactional projects. They are efficient and responsive. Heussen is my go-to law firm in the Netherlands for banking and finance matters.’
‘Sandy van der Shaaf, the recently promoted partner, is an outstanding lawyer, very client-oriented and always available to assist. Martijn Koot, the lead partner of the banking and finance team, is also an outstanding legal professional.’
Work highlights
- Acted as Dutch local counsel to The Bank of Nova Scotia, on the replacement of Centerra Gold Inc.’s previously existing $500m revolving credit facility by a $400m four-year revolving credit facility plus a $200m accordion feature.
Orange Clover Law
Orange Clover Law has a strong track record in lender/arranger-side mandates, as is reflected by its work for a wide base of international banks such as JP Morgan, Société Générale and Barclays. Illustrative of its strong credentials, the team often encounters international law firms in large and complex transactions, and its deep industry expertise sees it regularly attract referral work. Practice head Kees Hooft acted for a lending syndicate on the €4.2bn financing of Nouryon and the €1.8bn financing of its spin-off Nobian (its base chemicals business). In addition, his other work included advising a consortium of lenders on the $1.7bn financing of Advent’s acquisition of the Global Connect consumer goods data business from the Nielsen Company.
Practice head(s):
Kees Hooft; Alex Gonzalez
Other key lawyers:
Anita Koster
Testimonials
‘High quality legal work and highly efficient.’
‘Kees Hooft delivers strong legal work and is an efficient problem solver.’
‘The finance team of Orange Clover is very efficient, knowledgeable and responsive. They are always up-to-date on the recent legal and market changes and always find constructive solutions.’
‘Kees is quite on top of his expertise and provides accurate and efficient advice. He is also very responsive.’
Key clients
NIBC Bank
BNG Bank
ING Bank
Natixis
Barclays
HSBC
JP Morgan
Banco do Brasil
Santander
Société Générale
GEFA Bank
Bank of America
Triton (PE)
Avedon Capital Partners
Work highlights
- Acting as lender’s counsel in respect of the €4.2bn financing of Nouryon (the specialty chemicals company) and the €1.8bn financing of its spin-off Nobian (its base chemicals business).
- Acting as lender’s counsel to a syndicate led by Bank of America in respect of the $1.7bn financing of Advent’s acquisition of the Global Connect consumer goods data business from the Nielsen Company.
- Acting as lender’s counsel to Capital Dynamics US, in respect of the $45m financing in respect of the acquisition of the Apex Global Brands by Galaxy Universal LLC.
Taylor Wessing
At Taylor Wessing, the main contact is Andrei Babiy, whose transactional experience spans areas such as project finance, leveraged finance and trade finance. In addition, real estate finance is another core area of strength, with Babiy acting for banks, insurance companies and non-bank lenders.
Practice head(s):
Andrei Babiy
Testimonials
‘Andrei Babiy is a great finance specialist with a deep understanding of development markets and the client’s demands.’
‘We have mainly worked with Andrei Babiy who provided reliable support to the lead counsel.’
Key clients
MetLife Life Insurance Company
PGIM
Europa Capital
Canada Life Investments
Bayerische Landesbank
Lidl Nederland
Work highlights
- Advised Metropolitan Life Insurance Company on the Dutch law issues associated with its provision of a €92.5m loan, which was used to finance the acquisition and capex costs of a property in the Netherlands, which supports the development of the Netherlands’ largest innovative technology region in which companies, governments and educational institutions work together.