The Legal 500 > Europe, Middle East & Africa > Netherlands > Project finance and PFI

The practice at Clifford Chance is very active in renewable energy developments and acts for lender and borrower clients on major solar, offshore and onshore wind projects. The group is also in demand for international mandates as lead and local counsel, and provides in-house English law advice though the expertise of Angela McEwan. Hein Tonnaer and counsel Liesbeth Buiter co-head the team, while senior counsel Jaap Koster is also recommended.

Norton Rose Fulbright's strong project finance team remains a key force in the Dutch market, and is often instructed on some of the largest PPP projects in the country; the group also has significant experience in international project financing matters. The practice works for prominent lenders and financial institutions, and also acts for consortia and developers on the borrower side. The team is jointly led by finance practice head Wouter Hertzberger and infrastructure team leader Daphne Broerse; both have particular experience in the energy and infrastructure sectors. Senior associate Ania Gorna is emerging as a key figure in the team, and is regularly involved in high-profile matters.

The department at NautaDutilh is active on the borrower and lender sides of the market, and works on a wide range of mandates including substantial PPP infrastructure projects, large-scale private developments in the commercial and residential spaces, communications infrastructure work and energy projects. Jaco Belder specialises in PPP financing, and co-leads the team with David van Ee and Erik Geerling. The group is also active in international transactions; Belder and finance practice head Arjan Pors have significant experience in cross-border work.

With regular instructions from the State of the Netherlands and various local municipalities, Pels Rijcken & Droogleever Fortuijn NV is primarily active in the PPP space and advises contracting authorities on tender processes including DBFM and DBFMO contracts. Practice head Mark Birnage is highly focused on PPP matters, and has particular experience in the infrastructure space; recent mandates include large-scale road, canal and airport projects, as well as renewable energy work, secure facilities projects including prisons, and mandates relating to prominent government buildings.

The project finance team at Stibbe has a strong presence in Dutch PPP work, and is headed up by David Orobio de Castro, who is a PPP specialist with significant experience in utility and infrastructure developments. The group is instructed by contracting authorities, lenders and consortia on DBFM agreements, refinancing matters and tender processes, and regularly achieves financial closure on major projects. The team operates as part of a full-service projects practice, and frequently works in conjunction with energy and industry practice head Martin In de Braekt and construction specialist Ingmar De Groot.

Van Doorne houses a construction practice with strong PFI experience, and acts for leading consortia and lenders providing credit facilities to consortia; it also advises on the tenderer side. The group is noted for its track record in the hospital and healthcare financing sector, where practice co-head Roel Botter stands out, and also handles other private financing work for public sector bodies including housing corporations and educational institutions. Fellow practice head Angelique Thiele is recommended for German clients operating in the Dutch market, particularly pfandbriefbanks and insurers.

Projects specialist Marc Wintgens and notary Sven Billet jointly lead the team at AKD, which provides advice on financing issues as part of its integrated construction practice. The group is active across a wide range of sectors including the commercial and residential real estate, healthcare and logistics industries; the practice has also seen an increase in sustainability-related mandates. Taco De Lange is recommended for his project finance work.

De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek's project finance department has significant expertise in the energy sector, with recent high-profile instructions in the nuclear, renewable, and LNG spaces. Practice head Menno Stoffer is experienced in handling a wide range of financing work and often collaborates with other teams on project finance mandates including the construction practice, which is headed up by Bommel van der Bend.

Dentons is active across a broad range of project finance work, including advising lenders, project sponsors and contractors on major infrastructure, energy, utilities and transport projects. Practice head Marcel Janssen is experienced in a variety of finance work, and the team regularly collaborates with energy sector specialist Jan Jakob Peelen. The team recently added English-qualified Jacqueline Bell, who had previously been an independent consultant, while Jeroen den Hamer departed for an in-house position.

Houthoff is particularly active in the infrastructure space and advises on financing and refinancing arrangements for large projects. Practice head Jessica Terpstra is highly regarded in the project financing space, with a focus on cross-border mandates and experience in financings in the energy and infrastructure sectors. Other key figures in the team include construction specialist Michel Klijn and banking and finance expert Loet Venrooy; Venrooy is particularly active on the lender side of project finance transactions.

Simmons & Simmons fields a project finance team, which works closely with the firm's London office, where energy and infrastructure project specialist Andrew Petry leads advice on several large Dutch infrastructure projects. Within the local team, Marieke Driessen is the key project finance specialist, while counsel Frédérique Jacobse is also highly recommended. Driessen co-heads the practice with construction specialist Luc Cohen.

Stek is predominantly active on the lender side of project financing work and advises large Dutch banks and public funds on the financing of a wide range of projects. Key areas of work include telecoms infrastructure projects including fibre roll-outs, privately funded green energy projects and those with an element of public funding, and refinancing matters. The team is jointly led by Herman Wamelink, Sharon Kaufmann and Reijnoud Homveld.