The Legal 500 > Europe, Middle East & Africa > Netherlands > Employment

‘BarentsKrans is really your go-to when it comes to employment law. Its a rare combination of an employment law team where all lawyers are above the average smart. They are very knowledgeable and each have their own specialism. That makes it a very all-round team.’

‘Their rates are more friendly than the Amsterdam firms, while at the same time they are probably even more knowledgeable than most firms. An excellent choice for any company to work with!‘

‘For me Laurens de Graaf is the employment team of BarentsKrans. His level of knowledge and the way he treats clients questions, both complicated and simple, with speed and care is remarkable.‘

‘We often work with Max Keulaerds, who is an outstanding litigator, extremely smart and at the same time a very friendly guy‘

‘Ireen Castenmiller is very knowledgable and can think very quickly on her feet. She has a pragmatic way of looking at issues which can simplify issues and make priorities clear which is very much appreciated.‘

‘The De Brauw team operates fast and in a very pleasant way with thorough knowledge of labour law and the capability of thinking out of the box. It has the guts to open new perspectives and stands for the interests of its clients.‘

‘Very knowledgeable and up to date, rendering well-thought-out and comprehensive advice. The trainings that the firm organizes on regular basis for its clients are very useful and with added value for the participants.‘

‘Stefan Sagel and Irina Timp fit seamless in the description as mentioned above. Both have a very pleasant way to communicate with contacts on a base of equality and with humour. But always with the absolute goal to get the best solution for the client. ‘

‘I have particular good experiences with Barbara van Duren. I find her to be analytic but also realistic. She is ready to strike a deal of come up with a practical solution, without losing sight of her client’s best interests.‘

‘Stand-outs include Stefan Sagel for his strategic advice in complex projects and his litigation skills, not only in writing but also his pleadings in court. Janneke van der Kroon for her helicopter view and drafting skills in complex transactions. Mirjam Kerkhof for her excellent writing and negotiation skills.’

‘I also work with Janneke van der Kroon. She is pleasant to work with and has a sound legal analysis, that she uses to come to practical terms with her counterparts.‘

‘The labour law team has a quick understanding what is needed and to which scale their skills and effort are needed. When talking to one you know the other team members will be informed the next time you speak to them. Especially on law concerning the collective labour agreement they have a great insight in how to act and negotiate‘.

‘A great and responsive team, diverse and their combined experience is greatly appreciated by our team. They are a true added value where it comes to experience and expertise, which fits nicely with our own in-house business knowledge.‘

‘Astrid Helstone is extremely knowledgeable when it comes to the impact of financial regulations on employment conditions, such as severance and bonus.‘

‘The team offers a wide range of expertise. They are easy to approach and always respond quickly and to the point. They advise about topics that have many perspectives. And often advise pragmatically. They know our company very well, and are able to anticipate if necessary.‘

‘Astrid Helstone is very knowledgeable in regulations on remuneration and able to find very practical solutions for difficult problems. Jaap van Slooten has very deep understanding of the law. Paul Vestering is great in moving projects forward. ‘

‘We work often with Paul Vestering, who is responsive, smart, calm and commercial. He understands the needs of international / private equity clients and ensures that his advice is practical and timely.‘

‘Astrid Helstone and Anne Merks are always available, very hands on and have a sharp eye on practical solutions in this complicated legal landscape.’

‘Van Doorne N.V. have considerable knowledge of the international legislation and provide extensive advice on the international law. They consider potential routes for the companies to take to minimise litigations and associated costs in the long term.‘

‘Van Doorne’s practice is unique in the combination of legal knowledge and business sense. We consider them as our trusted advisor on all employment law questions. They perform this role in a very professional and accessible way while delivering countervailing power at the same time.‘

‘Professional and very competent team. High expert level on the topics we address.‘

‘Els De Wind was the contact person for us in Van Doorne N.V. and we highly value her experience and advise in the international employment law.‘

‘Els de Wind and Niels van Boekel are very approachable and it feels like we have been working together for years.‘

‘Marjolijn Lips and Steven Sterk: they are both very knowledgeable, accessible, helpful and sharp, with short response times.‘

‘Friso Foppes and Cara Pronk are our primary partners. They both provide excellent service and are extremely responsive.‘

‘Marjolijn Lips and Willemien Bischot are senior partners with great expertise. With crisis, they are there for us, support us and will serve are interest. Lieke Bartelsman, Niels van Boekel are the driving force to get things done. They make thorough analyses on which they base their expert advice. They will always point out the risks involved.‘

‘We work with Marjolijn Lips and Steven Sterk. They are very accurate, flexible and substantively strong.‘

‘Baker Mackenzie’s Dutch employment is the most knowledgeable practice in The Netherlands in their field. That expertise is extremely useful when negotiating with employees and unions, this in combination with the personalities of the team they have.‘

‘This team is a fast, efficient and highly responsive team. It knows the key documents, policies and procedures and is thus able to provide quick and commercial advice. Excellent use of lower level associates and global offices to lower costs for the client. ‘

‘Mirjam de Blécourt herself is calm, to the point and oversees complex situations.‘

‘Mirjam de Blecourt is an outstanding partner, with extensive technical knowledge but a commercial and strategic approach to advice.‘

‘Remke Scheepstra has excellent technical knowledge, calm in the face of highly stressful situations‘

‘Malou Schoevaars is excellent negotiator in difficult senior terminations. Trust her explicitly with these sensitive situations.‘

‘The team has a no nonsense mentality and acts very quick on finding any kind of legal solutions. This mentality fits very well within our culture.‘

‘The Lexence team is for me unique for its direct and no-nonsense approach. Time is always short and Lexence understands how this works. If I have a question I will get a professional direct answer, with which I can get further. If my first contact is not available, there is always a professional colleague nearby.‘

‘The team is pragmatic, business savvy and highly effective‘

‘The Lexence lawyers we work close with can be described as highly effective in terms of moving fast and bringing the right solutions to the table. In regard to most other law firms they are extremely pragmatic and have a deep understanding our individual business as the ever changing landscape of law and regulation, so creating a one-time right effect.‘

‘Our main contact person is Mr. Floor Damen. His approach is very unique. He has the ability to create a discussion atmosphere whereby participants feel very comfortable. His knowledge on legal matters is always up to date so that, according to his mindset, he always can find a solution.‘

‘Frank ter Huurne is a not only a no-nonsense type of lawyer, he also is very active in keeping up a great network. Therefore he knows his way around and keeps his knowledge of the market to high standards. He invests a lot in his clients in terms of sharing upcoming legal changes and knowledge. Therefore clients keep coming back to Frank. I value Frank for his directness, his availability and Frank being an intelligent professional. Therefore, Frank is an ideal legal partner to have! ‘

‘Floor Damen works in a very structured way, this gives not only a good overview but also trust that any case will be won. Documentation and communication is clear, objective and written in such a way that it helps to maintain overview.‘

‘They are concise and professional – their advice is straight forward, with options if helpful, but also with recommendations, risks and mitigating factors. They can extract the salient points of an argument, and not be distracted by irrelevant arguments of someone’s case.‘

‘Senior associate Laurie Kuijpers is a highly skilled pension lawyer and a pleasant person to work with.‘

‘Hermine Voûte is friendly but proficient; prompt; understands the reality of a situation and not just the technical viewpoint‘

‘Klaas Wiersma is always available and has a very practical approach, he helps us resolve employment issues quickly and efficiently.‘

‘I really appreciate working with Klaas Wiersma, because of his very high degree of services and the ability to help us in a practical way with the (difficult) employment law issues we have to deal with.‘

‘The Employment Team of Nauta Dutilh under leadership of Homme ten Have provides excellent service. All team members are very knowledgeable. Their response time is very timely. The advice they provide is based on sound legal analysis and is practical of nature.‘

‘Juliette Niersmann is a very diligent, thoughtful lawyer; this made the team discussions very fruitful, and our work a success. ‘

‘My lawyers are Homme Ten Have and Juliette Niersman (associate): they are user-friendly, calm but eager with a very personal approach, honest with great advice. They are always there for me, and they know what they’re doing. Great research and they get the job done.‘

‘Francien Rense definitely deserves a mention – a lateral thinker, not afraid to fight back to protect clients interest and very sharp in strategy too.‘

‘Gijs van Nes did an excellent job in orchestrating each step and always making sure we rationally assess each piece of evidence or argument.‘

‘The strength of this team lies with its approach to its clients. As General Counsel covering a European business what I value most is the ability to pick up the telephone and speak to members of the team getting timely tailored advice as and when I need it.‘

‘This practice is acting more as a business partner instead of a lawyer. They think with you to come to a solution.‘

‘We are very happy with the assistance provided by Ms. Marieke Ten Broeke and Mr. Philip Nabben. They are always ready to help, and they coordinate the different teams involved in the matter in an efficient way. ‘

‘The employment team has a very good understanding of our business and understands what is needed. They provide very practical and high quality advice.‘

‘I worked with Clifford Chance for a litigation. I found the approach pragmatic and clear. Questions and suggestions are being discussed in a professional manner and I very much felt supported.‘

‘Floris van de Bult is very quick to respond and has a natural authority in the case matter.‘

‘Floris van de Bult is one of the best employment lawyers in the Netherlands. His counsel is top notch. He understands his clients, is practical and commercial.‘

‘The team are very responsive and provide sound, reliable and robust employment law advice across various jurisdictions.’

‘They are knowledgeable, accurate and fast. Always friendly and make time to explain the different possibilities to create an optimum outcome.‘

‘Marieke Koster is an expert in employment law and she gives pragmatic solutions for our business. Marieke is fast and accurate and professional.Her style is warm and businesslike.‘

‘The individuals we work with are very responsive which makes them easy to work with. They understand how to write an advice for non-legal readers: executive summary, clear explanation and business sense. They understand the business and the market we operate in. ‘

‘We like the fact Kennedy’s people are really down to earth. ‘

‘It is a great pleasure to work with Kennedy because of their expertise and flexibility.‘

‘All lawyers I have experienced from this firm are very committed and deliver high quality work.‘

‘This practice makes the difference for me because of their total package: up-to-date knowledge of labour law, pro activeness, think out-of-the-box/creative, dare to take a risk, flexible and someone is always available when urgency is needed.‘

‘Very responsive and available. Always commercial and always wanting to do a good job.‘

‘The employment section of AKD is well documented, agile and knowledgable.‘

‘High level of strategic capabilities which is there as legal details are fully under control.‘

‘Pieter Huys and Ronald van der Stap are dedicated to their course serving their clients.‘

‘Mr Pieter Huys is head of the section: He is as much a psychologist as a lawyer. Knows how to bite, bark and wag a tail or two when needed. Very down to earth advise and always focused on how to avoid litigation. His good humored advises are precious and worth every Euro‘

‘Pascal Van Shaick’s advice is always thorough, and he tends to think with us instead of for us and has excellent negotiation skills. We can always count on his 100% dedication to our cases‘

‘I mainly work with Henrike van de Laar. She is a very high skilled lawyer not only content wise but also her social skills are very well developed. As a consequence she is able to work with all kind of people within our company. She can describe complex issues in a very easy manner, also understandable for people who are not familiar with the wording of the law. Of great value is that she is always looking for a pragmatic solution.‘

‘Highly professional and dedicated, smart and pragmatic.’

‘Eugenie Nunes is client focused, smart, problem solving.‘

‘The team is knowledgable, knows the market very well, easy to work with and add values to the clients.‘

‘Very quick in providing legal information which is relevant for the practice‘

‘The team is pragmatic and very solution orientated. Advice is operational and value adding for the clients. Eugenie Nunes stands out being extremely internationally focused and knowing the market as well as the UK market very well. ‘

‘Eugenie Nunes is exception – in an incredibly legally difficult jurisdiction – she will always find a way to get where we want. Also prepared to have difficult conversions with the business leaders‘

‘Anita de Jong and Koos Janssen are the individuals who stand out at Hogan Lovells. Without their support and guidance we could not have been as successful as we are in our HR management.‘

‘The team is very responsive and commercially focussed.’

‘Small but strong team that are willing to work hard to help their clients get results.‘

‘Maartje Govaert is very good.  Understands our business and thinks creatively to find solutions.  In London quite often too, so easy to meet in person.’

‘Maartje Govaert is a highly engaged and driven lawyer, very much focussed on results. ‘

‘The team works well together and is well linked into their firm’s global platform.‘

‘Ploum is a great asset for us in The Netherlands. They are efficient and business oriented‘

‘Simon Tan is a star in handling employment law matters. Fast, efficient, able to understand clients needs, focused and sharp.‘

‘Customer needs always come first.‘

‘The Sagiure team is extremely customer focused and have up to date knowledge of the labour law. Specific example by professionally exploring the interest of connecting my company to another customer of Sagiure. That is really customer focused.‘

‘A very personable team that genuinely cares about their customers and their business. They take the time and effort to understand your business and the particular challenge for which they are being engaged to help resolve.‘

‘They are nimble, astute and very business savvy. They really understand the realities of business and the intersection with employment law.‘

‘Rachida el Johari is our main contact. Expert in her field, she is very responsive and a pleasure to work with. Clients speak very highly of her advice and approach.‘

‘Both Madeleine Molster and Rachida el Johari are great in their knowledgeable and personal approach. They are always available for questions and provide great advice, even on case unrelated matter. From a customer’s point if view this means that once you start working with this team, you will feel respected, recognized and 100% supported by them. ‘

‘Madeleine Molster in particular is recommendable given her ability to combine the appropriate soft skills with up-to-date legal knowledge.  ‘

‘I like Rachida el Johari’s approach. She is one of the best employment law experts in the field, with a most effective and cost-efficient approach.‘

‘Rachida el Johari and Madeline Molster both look at themselves as business partners and advisors not just attorneys.‘

‘Madeleine Molster, owing to her corporate legal experience in the past, has a very good understanding of the employment aspects of corporate matters such as M&A.‘

‘Small boutique firm with outstanding employment lawyers formerly of large international firms. Excellent knowledge and client focussed. In complex cases they always find ways forward.‘

‘I have dealt with both Maarten Vestering and Martijn van Broeckhuijsen: both of whom I would recommend from their responsiveness and pragmatism.‘

‘Martijn van Broeckhuijsen (partner) is one of my favourite external counsels. He truly enjoys employment law and this comes through when you work with him. Perhaps his best skill is in thinking through strategy and the realistic outcomes of such choices. You don’t get vague answers and caveats with Martijn. You get the most likely outcome which allows you to determine strategy and make the hard choices.‘

‘The Simmons and Simmons team are very good at looking at all of a customer’s requests and able to understand the impact of one request on the others. This is only possible thanks to a strong team collaboration.‘

‘Their customer attention, understanding the needs and the capability to advise is outstanding across the countries. Speed of response anticipating the needs of the customer and offering options with pragmatism. ‘

‘The team is dedicated and fast, we work with them on a regular basis for many years now.‘

‘Joris Oster is a capable partner, running a sharp team, Annemarie Elenbaas steps in smoothly in case of Joris’ absence, and Noraly Meeuwisse is a very diligent junior on the team, performs well.‘

‘Joris Oster sees the big picture, has a strong strategic and tactical grasp of the situation, provides authoritative advice, and is pragmatic and fun to work with‘

‘Simmons and Simmons have a high capability, good knowledge, and the ability to think with the customer. High quality of professionals in comparison to other companies. Joris Oster is a stand-out.‘

‘Wijn & Stael has great knowledge of Dutch employment law. They react quickly on requests.’

‘We can always rely on Wijn & Stael, their attorneys deliver good quality of work. Quick responses to our requests.‘

‘Our main contact person Sophie Wierenga-Heintz always looks for practical solutions to solve a legal issue. Out of the box thinker, pro-active, dedicated, knowledgeable, good communicator, responds quickly to questions.‘

‘Sophie Wierenga-Heintz has a no-nonsense approach. She has a unique mixture of warm personal skills combined with hard result-driven solutions. She is analytical and a pleasant sparring partner in law matters.‘

‘Joyce Snijder really stands out on her knowledge on labour law in the flex-market (contingent workforce).’

‘The team at Buren are very knowledgeable but also understand the human factor, which is rare from a legal perspective.‘

‘Our cooperation is based on mutual trust / respect and was experienced as a sustainable partnership; at least that is how my team and I have always experienced it.‘

‘This firm is very skilled and proactive. Each time I used them or worked with them, their advice has been very clear, precise and delivered in a timely manner. The professionnals of L&A Advocaten are well business-oriented.‘

‘Are combination of outstanding legal skills, grit, courage and overall pleasant personalities. Direct and pragmatic advice. A genuine pleasure to work with.‘

‘Arlette Putker is an excellent employment law layer, with a hands on and no nonsense approach.‘

‘My experience with individuals like Irene Francken-van der Ven and Frederique de Jong has been nothing but positive. They are reliable professionals, understand us as their client to continiously provide practical and high quality advice. I see them as our extension where we are short in resource/time and expertise, they know how to be our partner in the employment law area. ‘

‘The team members both are clear, concise in communication, clear on what legal boundaries are, while at the same time trying to understand the drivers for the clients and how the client got into this dispute to begin with.‘

‘Experienced and dedicated team, with specialist knowledge in every field. They stand out against other firms in efficiency, professionalism and partnership.‘

‘The team is hands on, knowledgeable, and handle and incredibly dedicated to achieving results in every case!‘

‘Individuals are responsive in way that they really understand the matters at hand and thus are able to provide in-depth advice. They are true professionals and partners in the overall process.‘

‘For expert advice in any employment matter we instruct M.r. Jan Dop!‘

‘Vestius has broad labour law experience over different industries. They put us front and centre, providing us with the necessary information and advice to make a well-informed decision and at the same time they empower us through legal education.‘

‘For employment law matters, Michiel van Haelst stands out. I send him quite some referral work. Michiel is a very well seasoned intelligent lawyer with a very pragmatic approach at the same time‘

‘Down to earth professionals, flexible, availability and communication in general‘

‘Very hands on lawyers, with a realistic no nonsense approach. ‘

‘Team members are highly skilled and are clearly enjoying working together and complement each other.

‘Peter de Waal has in depth knowledge, and is committed and determined to succeed.‘