Banking and finance: lender or arranger side in Netherlands
Allen & Overy LLP
With both a national and a global reach, Allen & Overy LLP's team provides 'very good advice' to major local and international banks active in the Dutch market. In addition, the practice, with Niels de Ru at its head, is heavily involved in advising non-bank lenders, including the asset management units of major insurance companies and pension funds. The full spectrum of work is offered, including advising on leveraged and structured finance, and asset-backed and corporate lending. Other key contacts are Femke Bierman, who is 'always available for advice', Andrew Thomas, and Aroen Kuitenbrouwer. Etienne Courbois and Nicolette Limberger, who does 'high quality work', are the key names to note at senior associate level.
Practice head(s):
Testimonials
‘Our team has very extensive experience with A&O in the Netherlands lasting well over a decade on corporate syndicated loans. A&O is the counsel we use most often but we also regularly come across them advising on the Borrower’s side. On all transactions, A&O has delivered very good advice and worked diligently towards the timely closing of each transaction. In case out of scope work was required, A&O identified this at an early stage and provided appropriate add-on fee quotes. We furthermore appreciate A&O’s availability to discuss certain legal topics for clients on a no-name basis, or market trends like IFRS 16, or technical issues such as preference shares and other topics. This helps them to stay at the forefront of our team’s minds. Innovation is something we regard A&O highly for. We have been to their Fuse lab and are closely monitoring what products come out of that.‘
‘Femke Bierman is our number one go-to partner. She is in our speed-dial. Her advice is second to none and she is also always available for advice on potential deals for which she has not (yet) been appointed. Aroen Kuitenbrouwer is the tech partner within A&O, and we very much monitor that space. Niels de Ru mostly advises our commodity trading colleagues. Andrew Thomas: English law. Senior associates Erik-Jan Wagenvoorto and Luke Whibley: high quality work and sound advice. Nicolette Limberger is, together with Luke, our preferred associate. High quality work and sound advice.‘
Key clients
ING
Aegon
Deutsche Bank
NIBC
Morgan Stanley
Bain Capital
Work highlights
- Advising ING and PKO on the financing of a joint venture between Nokia and Infracapital which will construct and operate a fibre optic network cable in a number of regions in Poland.
- Acting for the lenders to SBM Offshore on the refinancing of its $1bn unsecured revolving credit facility.
- Advising the mandated lead arrangers on Ecom Agroindustrial Corp Ltd’s borrowing base on its $600m sustainable revolving credit facilities.
Clifford Chance
The 'balanced group of lawyers' which make up Clifford Chance's sizeable team bring together expertise across different types of finance and industry sectors, as well as qualifications in both English and Dutch law. Mark Huddlestone has considerable experience advising on all aspects of bank lending, including acquisition and project finance, structured trade and commodity finance, and general syndicated lending and restructurings. The firm also undertakes project funding work in industries including offshore and onshore wind, battery storage, and oil and gas. Titus de Vries is another key contact, along with Angela McEwan and Jelle Hofland.
Practice head(s):
Testimonials
‘Nanette Rutgers has in-depth expertise, is innovative in finding solutions and is a tough negotiator.‘
‘Our team has acquired very extensive experience with CC in the Netherlands for well over a decade on corporate syndicated loans. CC has a balanced group of lawyers available that do not only rely on the partners.‘
‘Titus de Vries and Jelle Hofland are our go-to partners for our deals. Mark Huddlestone: when English law is involved. We have been working with counsel Jackie Jones for more than 15 years. She is a delight to work with and always very positive. She largely supports our colleagues that work for commodity traders. Boudewijn Vermeer was instrumental in a transaction we signed in 2018, keeping all the lenders, the client and other investors aligned was a true work of art.‘
Key clients
Waterland
KIWA
ING BANK N.V.
Coöperatieve Rabobank U.A
Borssele Devex B.V.
Encavis AG
FMO.
Adyen
TenCent
ABN AMRO Bank N.V.
BNP Paribas Asset Management
Orange Capital Partners
BNP Paribas
EQT
UniCredit Bank
Work highlights
- Acting for lenders Rabobank, ABN Amro, ING and Helaba on a sustainability-linked credit facility for the port of Rotterdam.
- Advising the lenders on the project financing for the design, development, construction, commissioning, operation and maintenance of a 50MWp solar photovoltaic power plant to be located in Pakistan, in a deal worth €48m.
- Advised Crescent Capital Group on the financing of the acquisition of Medsen by Bencis Capital Partners.
Linklaters
With the recent arrival of Mark Warren, the team at Linklaters has further expanded its focus into the project, property, and leveraged finance areas. The practice advises notable financial institutions, alternative credit providers, and private equity sponsors, as well as assisting a growing industrial client base, including Unilever. The team makes use of the firm's international network to act for clients on cross-border loan portfolio transfers and acquisition financing. Also notable are team lead Paul Kuipers and Mees Roelofs, a 'stable and steady contact' who specialises in advising banks and corporates on structuring and restructuring, including asset finance and leasing matters.
Practice head(s):
Testimonials
‘Over the past 12 months, we have worked on various transactions with the Amsterdam LL Banking & Finance team. Our go-to contact is Partner Mees Roelofs who has been a stable and steady contact over the years. The type of transactions we do with LL Amsterdam Banking & Finance are Dutch, corporate non-sponsor driven syndicated loan transactions. So refinancings, corporate acquisitions, bridge facilities etc. Mees Roelofs is our go-to Partner. He often works with Bram Bulter, whom we appreciate working with. On a recent transaction we have worked with Mark Warren and Douglas Gibbs. We would describe their work as high-quality, pragmatic and no-nonsense. Their attention to detail is of a high standard, but this has no negative impact on their speed, which is highly appreciated by borrowers. We never have any issues with billing, invoicing and cost overruns. We very much appreciate their “big picture” attitude to transactions, e.g. when it involves a bridge financing and also work on the ECM side. They are able to provide a one-stop shop package to cover all the work at a competitive price and at high quality.‘
‘Solid team in Amsterdam. Well-engaged in providing training to our teams.‘
‘Mees Roelofs: committed, always reachable, friendly and not afraid to challenge counterparties.‘
Key clients
ABN AMRO
ING
Rabobank
Deutsche Bank
Public Sector Pension Investment Board
Bank of America Merrill Lynch
MUFG Bank (previously Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ)
JP Morgan Chase
Cerberus
Unilever
Work highlights
- Acting for lenders ING Bank and ABN Amro Bank on setting up a €150m acquisition bridge facility agreement for Takeaway.com.
- Advised Neptune Property Ventures, a joint venture between Nuveen, Neinver and Nemab SugarCity, on the financing of a new retail outlet centre, The Style Outlets, Amsterdam.
- Acted for Barclays Bank as agent and Goldman Sachs International as arranger on the refinancing of an existing facility agreement for Stage Entertainment.
NautaDutilh
NautaDutilh has considerable multijurisdictional reach, with Arjan Pors heading the team in the Netherlands and Elizabeth van Schilfgaarde leads the team in New York, which advises on the Dutch aspects of international finance transactions. The firm's focus on real estate financing was highlighted by its advice to Venn Partners and Mount Street on the acquisition and development of an office building located in Almere, the Netherlands. Another key area of strength is asset-based lending. The practice counts major Dutch and global financial institutions, including BNP Paribas Fortis, HSBC Bank and ING Bank among its notable clients. Walter Schellekens left the firm in July 2019.
Practice head(s):
Testimonials
‘Hands-on, pragmatic, to the point, knowledgeable.‘
‘Very social, engaging personalities. Co-operative and helpful. Diederik Vriesendorp (together with Michelle van Doren and Sjors Panis) are the best one-stop shop you can go to.‘
Key clients
BNP Paribas Fortis SA
Royal Bank of Canada
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking and Corporation Europe Limited
ING Bank N.V.
NIBC Bank N.V.
Venn Partners
GSO Capital Partners
National Westminster Bank Plc
KBC Bank N.V.
HSBC Bank Plc
Post Road Group
Work highlights
- Acted as lenders’ counsel to a syndicate of international banks, including BNP Paribas Fortis, Coöperatieve Rabobank, ING Bank, Royal Bank of Canada, and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking and Corporation Europe Limited on the €400m refinancing of the Kiwa-Group, a portfolio company of NPM Capital.
- Assisted Venn Partners and Mount Street with the financing of the acquisition and development of an office building located in Almere, the Netherlands.
- Advised Post Road Group on its financing of the Pareteum Group, a subscription-based global cloud platform, in a deal worth €50m.
DLA Piper
At DLA Piper, Lex Oosterling regularly advises Rabobank, ING Bank and ABN AMRO Bank on leveraged finance, as well as assisting with asset-based and fund lending combinations. Max Mayer focuses on the private credit fund segment, and is also active in the corporate finance area. Another key contact at the practice is Gerard Kneppers, who advises clients in the energy and infrastructure project space on financing matters. In a recent example, Kneppers assisted ING Bank with the financing one of the largest portfolios of ground mounted, solar and rooftop projects in the Netherlands.
Practice head(s):
Key clients
Rabobank
ING Bank
ABN AMRO
Berlin Hyp
De Nederlandsche Bank
Triodos Bank
Financieringsmaatschappij voor Ontwikkelingslanden (FMO)
Bank Nederlandse Gemeenten (BNG)
Astronergy
Knab
NatWest Markets
Demir Halkbank
Pemberton Asset Management (Private Debt)
HPS Investment Partners
CVC Credit Partners
Barings (Private Debt)
KKR Credit
Permira Private Credit
TIP Trailer
Bencis Capital
IK Invest
Gilde Equity Management
Actief Interim
Vitruvian Partners
Carlyle Technology Partners
NPM Capital / Ploeger Oxbo
Talpa
Work highlights
- Advising Coöperatieve Rabobank as the super-senior revolving credit facility provider (and arranger) on the super-senior RCF/Unitranche financing of private equity investor Waterland’s portfolio company Swyx in order to facilitate the merger with Voiceworks and the acquisition of Centile.
- Assisting HSH Nordbank with the financing by Solarfields of ground-mounted solar developments in the Netherlands, dubbed Solar Park Scaldia.
- Advising Belfius, Rabobank and HSBC on its multi-jurisdictional all-senior acquisition financing provision to Ergon Capital, in connection with its acquisition of the TMC Group.
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Houthoff
Houthoff's team undertakes a wide range of work for lenders and arrangers, including high-end acquisition, real estate and project finance, syndicated and bilateral lending, and asset-based financing, with several matters involving cross-border elements. The practice is particularly active in assisting with large infrastructure investments for large wind power projects. In recent highlights, practice head Loet Venrooy led a team that advised a consortium of banks, including BNP Paribas and Citibank, on a senior-secured borrowing base facility of $600m to the Dana Petroleum Group. Jessica Terpstra is also recommended.
Practice head(s):
Key clients
ABN AMRO Bank
ING Bank
Rabobank / FGH Bank
Credit Suisse
NIBC Bank
BNP Paribas
Bank of America Merrill Lynch
Deutsche Bank
Bank of China
Petrobras
Royal VolkerWessels
Attestor Capital LLP
Work highlights
- Advised a consortium of banks, including BNP Paribas, RBS, Citibank, Wells Fargo Bank, ABN Amro Bank and ING Bank, on a senior-secured borrowing base facility of $600m to the Dana Petroleum Group for the refinancing of existing credit facilities belonging to that company.
- Assisted ING Bank with a secured term loan facility for IC Campus, in a deal worth €75m.
- Advised Coöperatieve Rabobank on the €35m refinancing of Coöperatie Koninklijke Fruitmasters.
Loyens & Loeff
The 'easy to approach' team at Loyens & Loeff combines 'high knowledge and experience' with a thoroughly integrated approach, involving colleagues from practice areas including real estate and tax. Key areas of strength include providing project financing advice to clients in the transport and real estate sectors, assisting with securitisations and asset-based financing, and advising on acquisitions, a particular speciality of Gianluca Kreuze's. Other key names include practice head Kitty Lieverse, Kim Koops, who recently made partner, and senior associate Sabine Schoute. Sietske van ‘t Hooft left the practice.
Practice head(s):
Testimonials
‘Good knowledge of the real estate lending industry. Understand our needs and requirements. Excellent expertise in combining both consumer lending and protection requirements with lending to professional real estate investors and, as such, able to advise on the entire spectrum of our business.‘
‘Availability and responsibility, easy to approach, high knowledge and experience. High expertise and also pleasant to work with. Understand our business and industry so it is easy to obtain advice. Pro-active.‘
Key clients
ABN AMRO Bank N.V.
ING Bank N.V.
Sociéte Générale
European Investment Bank
Berlin Hyp AG
Deutsche Bank AG
Work highlights
- Advised Deutsche Bank on the upsizing of Tesla’s ABL credit agreement by $500m to a total of $2.425 bn.
- Assisted ABN Amro Bank, Berlin Hyp, and Landesbank Hessen-Thüringen with their €500m refinancing of the High Tech Campus, Eindhoven.
- Advised Berlin Hyp on its financing of Highbrook’s take private of listed company Groothandelsgebouwen.
Simmons & Simmons
At Simmons & Simmons, the team is 'very pleasant to work with'. It has been particularly active recently in financings related to the real estate sector, including advising ABN Amro Bank and ING Bank on the €460m bridge financing of the Woluwé shopping centre in Brussels and assisting ABN Amro with the financing provided for the acquisition of a portfolio of residential properties, known as Project Red. The firm is jointly headed by Jan-Joost van Rijsbergen, Marieke Driessen and counsel Frédérique Jacobse. Also recommended are managing associate Dirk-Jan Gerrits and senior associate Vincent Engel.
Practice head(s):
Jan-Joost van Rijsbergen; Marieke Driessen; Frédérique Jacobse
Testimonials
‘The team is very pleasant to work with: they are fast, they respond fast, you can reach them anytime and they are pro-active in informing us on general legal topics by giving in-house training/presentations. One of our favourite teams to work with.‘
‘Jan-Joost is very responsive, is pro-active, helps us out by involving other disciplines within S&S without charging, and is very well informed on the real estate market (trends in the market, deals, players).‘
Key clients
Aegon Asset Management
Citibank, N.A.
Rabobank
NN Investment Partners
LeasePlan
ABN Amro
ING Bank
BMO Global Asset Management
NIBC Bank
Barclays
Work highlights
- Advised ABN Amro as the arranger on the financing of the acquisition of a portfolio of residential properties in The Netherlands by Heimstaden from Round Hill Capital.
- Assisted ING Bank with the financing of funds managed by UBS for the acquisition of two office buildings in the Houthavens.
- Advised ABN Amro Bank and ING Bank on the €460m bridge financing of the Woluwé shopping centre in Brussels, a €230m mortgage loan refinancing and additional financing for the acquisition of an adjacent property.
Stibbe
Key areas of focus for the 'always available' team at Stibbe are acquisition finance, corporate lending, real estate finance, project finance and derivatives. Longstanding clients include the European Investment Bank and Goldman Sachs, and the team also gained the Royal Bank of Canada as a new client. Rein van Helden, who heads the practice jointly with Maarten de Bruin, is the key contact for matters involving cross-border leveraged finance and syndicated lending. Also notable are counsel Robert Steeg, who is 'pragmatic and always available', and senior associate Suzanne van Boheemen.
Practice head(s):
Testimonials
‘Stibbe is a great firm for Benelux matters. They are very good and always available.‘
‘Robert Steeg is a very good lawyer. He is pragmatic and always available.‘
Key clients
ABN AMRO
Allied Irish Banks
ANZ
Aozora Bank
Ardian
Ares Management
Bank of China
Bank of Ireland
Barclays
BlackRock
BNG (Bank Nederlandse Gemeenten)
BNP Paribas
Citibank
Credit Suisse
Danske Bank
DBS Bank
Deutsche Bank
Deutsche Hypo
European Investment Bank
Goldman Sachs
ING
Insight Investment Management
JP Morgan
Landesbank Baden-Wurttemberg
Lloyds Bank
Mizuho Bank
Morgan Stanley
MUFG Bank
Natixis
NIBC
Nordea
NWB (Nederlandse Waterschapsbank)
Royal Bank of Canada
Société Générale
Toronto-Dominion Bank
UBS
Unicredit
Work highlights
- Advised BlackRock on the upsizing of a unitranche credit facility for Summit Partners in connection with its acquisition of Normec.
- Assisted the European Investment Bank with a €75m investment loan to the Province of Limburg.
- Advised new client Royal Bank of Canada on providing a $360m senior-secured term loan to MRO Holdings.
AKD
Vincent Bettonville, practice head at AKD, advises clients, among them Dutch and international banks including JPMorgan, on a range of matters including acquisition, structured, asset and project finance transactions. Also notable in acting for lenders are Erwin Rademakers, who assists with Dutch law aspects of major cross-border bank financing transactions, and Jasper Verhoog, who acts as the main liaison between the firm's offices in Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Cathelijn Frederiks, formerly a counsel with the firm, is now with SBM offshore.
Practice head(s):
Key clients
Benson Elliot
Crédit Agricole Corporate & Investment Bank
JPMorgan
Seaway Heavy Lifting
Benson Elliot
Sumitomo Corporation
Ralph Lauren
Exide Technologies
Deutsche Private Equity
PepsiCo
Braskem
Boskalis
Bernhoven
Baker McKenzie
Baker McKenzie team advises international and domestic clients on infrastructure developments, acquisition and leveraged financing, and syndicated, bilateral and club financings. It has notable strength in the industrial, hotel and leisure, logistics, and green energy sectors. Counsel Fedor Tanke has 'a thorough understanding of law and market practice in the real estate sector in the Netherlands', and also assists clients with project financing. Martijn van der Vliet is also recommended, especially for work involving export finance and restructuring matters.
Practice head(s):
Testimonials
‘Fedor Tanke has a thorough understanding of law and market practice in the real estate sector in the Netherlands, and – most importantly – the internal requirements of a bank in Germany.‘
‘Fedor Tanke speaks impeccable German. This is so important because many people within our bank do not feel comfortable speaking English, and even less so about legal matters.‘
Key clients
Greystar
ING Bank NV
Rabobank
IES Immobilien-Projektentwicklung GmbH
ALLSAFE
Landesbank Hessen Thüringen
Landesbank Baden-Württemberg
Riyad Bank
APM Holding GmbH
Credit Suisse
Dentons
Dentons' integrated and international approach is bolstered by the team's ability to 'rapidly pull out resources from other departments and other jurisdictions'. The firm counts among its clients alternative lenders, including Roundshield Partners, as well as an impressive roster of domestic and global banks. Key areas in terms of financing are energy and real estate. The practice is headed by Marcel Janssen, and Jacqueline Bell, who is a recent arrival from a sole practitioner position, and has a notable focus on trade commodity finance and transport finance in the aviation, shipping and offshore industries. Jeroen den Hamer left the firm in March 2019.
Practice head(s):
Testimonials
‘The team is extremely reactive and available, they understand the commercial aspects and when to push and not to push and are on top of everything. They lead the transactions very smoothly and could rapidly pull out resources from other departments and other jurisdictions. It very much feels like it’s an A+ team in a true global law firm.‘
‘Jacqueline Bell was fantastic. She is an impeccable professional, she knows every detail of the documentation and is always spot on with each piece of advice and in each negotiation. She is fully available and completely involved. She is the kind of lawyer that one can rely on and totally trust with the entire transaction. She has excellent communication on the transaction as well as on billing, so there are no bad surprises at the end of the deal.‘
Key clients
ING Bank
Rabobank
Amsterdam Trade Bank N.V.
HSBC
BNG Bank
Credit Suisse
Berlin Hyp
RoundShield Partners
Swedbank
IPF Partners
Work highlights
- Advised HSBC on a €635m real estate lending facility to Chariot Top Group, a special purpose vehicle incorporated in the Netherlands and owned by an equity consortium including, amongst others, funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management and Redefine Properties.
- Assisting Credit Suisse with the mezzanine financing of Chimcomplex Borzesti for the acquisition of the insolvent state-owned chemical company Oltchim in Romania.
- Advised Berlin Hyp on the €38m real estate financing of a prime location office building in Rotterdam.
Hogan Lovells International LLP
The 'pro-active and pragmatic' team at Hogan Lovells International LLP 'benefits from an international base' and is 'able to use that accumulated knowledge' to 'seek solutions that work for all parties involved'. The practice advises global banks as lead lenders' counsel, as well as assisting asset managers, debt funds, and domestic financial institutions with acquisition and real estate financings. The firm is also expanding its expertise into the unitranche debt market, working with non-bank lender clients on alternative lending products, and with banks to provide super-senior working capital facilities. The key contacts are Wouter Jongen, Robert Masman and senior associate Carola Houpst.
Practice head(s):
Testimonials
‘Strong position in fund-led financing, international footprint.‘
‘Pro-active, pragmatic, hands-on.‘
‘The team has a strong practice in the Dutch leverage finance market. They are very active and as a result have a good view of the market and recent developments/terms. They are a very responsive team with a very good level of partner attention/engagement.‘
‘I worked with Wouter Jongen on a number of transactions. I find him to be very responsive and focused on getting the best result for us as a client and not just getting the transaction over the line. He is very good at managing processes and building relationships with all parties involved which helps the smooth and efficient execution of transactions. He is very well connected in the Dutch market and keeps up-to-speed on market developments and has a good commercial sense. He is also a very pleasant person to deal with.‘
‘Dedicated team with good knowledge of our company and current market circumstances in the Netherlands and surrounding countries. Good availability and engagement and seek solutions that work for all parties involved in the process.‘
‘Knowledgeable and well experienced in a broad array of financing structures. Benefits from an international base (of offices/activities), able to use that accumulated knowledge.‘
‘We have had most experience with Wouter Jongen whom we consider to be highly pro-active, quick of mind and able to think along.‘
‘Overall strong team with a very client-centric and hands-on approach starting at partner level. Very knowledgeable and understand current market dynamics very well.‘
‘I have worked with two top-of-the-bill partners in the past 12 months. Wouter Jongen, partner in the Amsterdam office, is a great lawyer, well aware of deal dynamics and current market standards, and a great communicator. Go to guy in the Netherlands. Jo Robinson, partner in the London office, is very committed, hands on, knowledgeable and a great asset to the business.‘
‘Strong local knowledge, close co-operation and continuity. Pro-active and pragmatic. Understand the position and client relationship the bank holds with the sponsor.‘
Key clients
Ares Management Limited
Blackrock
Intermediate Capital Group
Egeria
Parcom
HSBC Bank
ABN AMRO
ING Bank
Rabobank
Work highlights
- Advising Blackrock on the cross-border acquisition financing of Infradata Group.
- Assisting Intermediate Capital Group with the refinancing and acquisition financing of NL Healthcare.
- Advised Ares on the unitranche facilities it provided to BC Partners for the acquisition of a majority stake in Synthon International Holding.
Lexence
The team at Lexence assists with asset, real estate and acquisition finance for lenders largely active in the mid-market. The practice counts real estate consultants, private equity funds, manufacturers, and asset management companies among its clients. Practice head Charles Destrée is experienced in Dutch and English law. Associate Bas Zandvliet, who focuses on the logistics, infrastructure and food sectors, is also noted.
Practice head(s):
Key clients
Gencap Partners, Inc
Modern Dental Group
Waterland private equity
UnieKaas Beheer B.V.
Flextronics International Europe B.V.
Kirloskar Brothers Limited
Uniface B.V.
Intertrust
Lessors of V&D
Agro Merchants Group/Oaktree
Takeaway.com N.V.
MSREF
H2 Private equity
Norton Rose Fulbright
In line with its strength acting for leading Dutch domestic lenders, the team at Norton Rose Fulbright focuses on outbound finance and assisting with cross-border facilities. Practice head Wouter Hertzberger has extensive experience of a broad range of structured finance transactions, particularly in the energy sector; he acted for the lenders on the financing of Westermeerwind's near-shore wind farm project. Clients include Dutch and international financial institutions, among them BNP Paribas and HSBC. Other key names to note are Berend Crans and Paul Vine.
Practice head(s):
Key clients
ABN AMRO
Amsterdam Trade Bank
Apollo
Bank of America
BNP Paribas
FMO
HSBC
ING Bank
Rabobank
Work highlights
- Advised the lenders on the refinancing of a near-shore wind farm project in the IJsselmeer off the coast of the Westermeerdijk and Noordermeerdijk, in a deal worth €300m.
- Advised the lenders of the winning consortium for the tender procedure of the DBFMO Agreement for the design, construction, finance, maintenance and operation of a new accommodation project to be used by the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment and the Medicines Evaluation Board.
- Assisted the lenders to HES Hartel Tank Terminal with the financing arrangements and project documents for the realisation of a new tank terminal in the Port of Rotterdam.
Stek
As well as assisting with acquisitions and leveraged finance, Stek's team, which stands out for its 'commercial' approach and 'good sense of judgement', also advises on general corporate lending and asset-based financing. Sharon Kaufmann advised longstanding clients ABN Amro and BNG Bank on the €95m financing of Stichting de Opbouw, which provides care for the elderly and disabled, showcasing the team's particular focus on the healthcare sector. Herman Wamelink, Frans Haak and Maarten van der Graaf, who is 'a real pleasure to work with', jointly head the team with Kaufmann.
Practice head(s):
Maarten van der Graaf; Frans Haak; Sharon Kaufmann; Herman Wamelink
Testimonials
‘Incredibly easy to deal with, commercial and user friendly, good sense of judgement as to which key issues need to be escalated.‘
‘Maarten van der Graaf (Partner) and Bianca Mwangi (Associate) are a real pleasure to work with.’
Key clients
ABN AMRO Bank
Rabobank
ING Bank
Deutsche Bank
NIBC Bank
BNG Bank
BNP Paribas SA
Silicon Valley Bank
Export Import Bank of India
Work highlights
- Advised ABN Amro and BNG Bank on the €95m financing of Stichting de Opbouw, which provides care for the elderly.
- Advising the lenders on the financing of Euro Pool, provider of reusable packaging in the European fresh supply chain, consisting of a combination of bank lending and a European private placement facility.
- Assisted junior lender BNG Bank with financing involving senior lenders, shareholder lenders and a complex project financing structure for the construction of a large-scale state-of-the-art processing plant that is to recycle contaminated steel scrap.
Van Doorne
At Van Doorne, the focus is on property financing, with work covering the full roster, including residential, retail, and office space, as well as hotels. In an illustration of this expertise, a team led by Stefan van Rossum advised Aareal Bank, as lender and arranger, on the €34.8m financing of the acquisition and renovation of the Lloyd Hotel in Amsterdam. The firm's clients include Dutch and international banks, as well as alternative finance providers, among them funds and institutional investors, which the team assists with leveraged financing and corporate lending. Angelique Thiele is another key contact.
Practice head(s):
Key clients
Aareal Bank AG
ABN AMRO
Rabobank
PGIM Real Estate
Berlin Hyp
Deutsche Hypothekenbank
Rothesay Life
Kildare
Mount Street
HSBC
Greenoak Loan Fund
DRC Capital
OLB (Bank)
Barings
ING Diba
Deutsche Bank
Morgan Stanley/Unifore
Nationale Nederlanden IP
Helaba
GAM
Work highlights
- Advised PGIM (the Prudential Insurance Company of America) and Rothesay Life as lenders on the €350m redevelopment financing and investment refinancing of the WTC Towers office buildings in Amsterdam.
- Assisted Aareal Bank with the €110m refinancing of the Marriott Hotel, located in the Amsterdam city centre.
- Advised Deutsche Hypo on the financing of US investor Greystar’s first development in the Netherlands, a €75m residential project in Rotterdam for students and young professionals.
CMS
Clients including Dutch and global banks, lenders in the alternative funding sector, and newcomers in the financial markets instruct the team at CMS. Eduard Scheenstra and Marcel Groenewegen are key names and have considerable experience assisting with real estate financing, a core focus for the practice. The key contact for matters within the transportation sector is associate Jesler Hartman Kok. In recent highlights, the firm advised Lloyds Bank on its financing of the Starbed group's Clink Hostel in a deal worth over €56m. Deputy civil law notary Jan Joris van Kampen is also recommended.
Practice head(s):
Key clients
Aspen Real Estate Investment B.V.
Münchener Hypothekenbank
Delin Capital Asset Management
Deutsche Pfandbriefbank AG
Curzon Advisors
Robus Capital
Capreon
Oaktree / Kadans
Fidelity
M&L
Patrizia
Invesco
Kildare Management Ltd.
McGregor Fashion Group
Aareal Bank AG
Work highlights
- Advised Lloyds Bank on its financing of the Starbed group’s Clink Hostel in a deal worth over €56m.
- Advised Erste Group Bank on its position as a minority lender in a syndicated loan facility involving a Dutch borrower possibly about to file for bankruptcy.
Orange Clover Law
At boutique firm Orange Clover Law, the team stands out for its 'winning combination' of being both 'technically apt' and 'very responsive'. Matters advised on include acquisition, real estate and project financing, as well as distressed financing. The practice has a growing roster of noteworthy clients, including new additions from the international banking arena, namely Barclays, HSBC and JP Morgan. Kees Hooft, appreciated for 'his responsiveness', led a team that acted as lender's counsel to corporate and investment bank Natixis on the financing of an Amsterdam hotel. Alex Gonzalez is also recommended.
Practice head(s):
Testimonials
‘This team is both technically apt, very responsive, and reasonably priced. That’s a winning combination.‘
‘I work essentially with Kees Hooft, whom I appreciate greatly for his responsiveness (not to mention the fact that he can read French).‘
Key clients
NIBC Bank
BNG Bank
BNP
Natixis
Barclays
HSBC
JP Morgan
Banco do Brasil
Santander
Société Générale
GEFA Bank
Work highlights
- Acted as lender’s counsel to Barclays, JP Morgan, HSBC and Deutsche Bank on the €6.8bn acquisition financing for the purchase of the speciality chemicals division of AkzoNobel by The Carlyle Group and GIC.
- Advised Natixis on the financing of an Amsterdam hotel.
- Acted as transaction counsel to Banco do Brasil and Santander on the refinancing of a shipping logistics company.