Next Generation Partners

Banking and finance: lender or arranger side in Netherlands

Allen & Overy LLP

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 WagenvoortFemke 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.

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):

Arjan Pors

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 BellJack 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.

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.

Other key lawyers:

Erwin Rademakers

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 FulbrightOmar 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.