De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek > Amsterdam, Netherlands > Firm Profile

De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek
CLAUDE DEBUSSYLAAN 80
1082 MD AMSTERDAM
Netherlands

Netherlands > Banking and finance: Borrower side Tier 1

De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek distinguishes itself in complex and strategically significant borrower-side finance transactions, with its team’s expertise being seen in matters involving project finance, leveraged and acquisition finance, as well as big-ticket refinancings, among other matters. Clients of the firm include highly leveraged corporates, state-owned enterprises and private equity sponsors. In a recent highlight, Menno Stoffer and Bas Boutellier advised Boels Topholding on the €1bn financing associated with its public offer on the shares in Cramo Plc. Debt restructuring expert Ferdinand Hengst is another name to note, as is Niek Biegman.

Practice head(s):

Menno Stoffer; Ferdinand Hengst

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘De Brauw has unique pedigree and reputation as banking and finance firm, excellent quality with decent rates.’

‘The De Brauw banking and finance team is filled with absolute top experts and personalities from the partner to the junior level, who are all used to handling the most complex high-profile cases. When working with them you can see that they absolutely know (and at the same time also really enjoy) their job.’

‘Ferdinand Hengst is an absolutely exceptional lawyer. With his strategic skills and commercial understanding he always provides absolute to-the-point-advice, what makes him stand out from his peers.

Bas Boutellier is definitely one of the Dutch rising stars in the banking and finance area. His expertise and tailor-fit advice are impressive, and he is really fun to work with.’

Key clients

HEMA

Fugro

Royal BAM Group

Nederlandse Spoorwegen (the Dutch Railways)

APAX Partners

Triton Capital Partners

Port of Rotterdam

FrieslandCampina

AkzoNobel

Royal Philips

Tennet Holding

N.V. Nederlandse Gasunie

Royal Dutch Shell

Signify

Royal Vopak

BCD Travel

Just Eat Takeaway.com

Boels

G Square Healthcare private equity

Work highlights

  • Advised Dutch leading retailer HEMA on its complex and multijurisdictional recapitalisation process.
  • Acted as lead counsel to Fugro on its comprehensive refinancing.
  • Assisted JustEat Takeaway.com N.V. with the refinancing of its revolving credit facilities.

Netherlands > Banking and finance: Financial services regulatory Tier 1

De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek handles a full range of financial regulatory matters for virtually all Netherlands-based financial institutions, as well as international banking groups, investment firms and insurance companies, among other clients. In addition to having a standalone financial regulatory practice, the firm is also able to leverage the expertise of practitioners in ancillary departments (including corporate, competition, employment and tax) to provide a full service to clients. Practice head Mariken Van Loopik has extensive experience of advising on recovery and resolution planning, regulatory capital transactions, governance issues and licensing. Elsewhere, on the contentious side, the firm is prominent in internal investigations and enforcement actions.

Practice head(s):

Mariken van Loopik

Testimonials

‘Excellent strategy and relationships at DNB.’

‘Truly impressed by the team’s ability to give advice which goes well beyond legal, ie also taking into account strategic and financial point of view. Thorough knowledge of the Dutch financial sector. One of the leading teams in Dutch regulatory law.’

‘Mariken van Loopik: Mariken has the ability to convert very complex matters into pragmatic advice. She is a trusted advisor to our board in strategic matters; it is highly appreciated that she is not afraid to take a firm position when the going gets though.’

Key clients

ABN AMRO

Rabobank

ING Group

de Volksbank

LeasePlan Corporation

AEGON

NN Group

Achmea

Work highlights

  • Advised de Volksbank NV on various matters in proceedings against the Single Resolution Board (SRB) at the EU Court of Justice. The proceedings concern the decision of the SRB regarding the calculation of de Volksbank’s 2018 contribution to the Single Resolution Fund (SRF).
  • Acted as lead counsel to Bridgepoint on its minority investment in ACT, the leading provider of custom market-based solutions for reducing carbon footprints. Part of the business of ACT is regulated by DNB and AFM.
  • Advising NN Group, a Netherlands-based international financial services company active in 20 countries on several matters, including its acquisition of MetLife’s insurance business in Poland and Greece.

Netherlands > Capital markets: debt Tier 1

De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek‘s excellent practice is led by Niek Biegman, who heads up the London office, but also spends a portion of his time in Amsterdam. Under his leadership, the group demonstrates strong capabilities across the spectrum of domestic and cross-border debt capital markets transactions. Working with the banking team, it particularly excels at assisting global corporates with setting up and maintaining bond programmes, as well as handling standalone bond issuances and restructurings. In addition, work for private equity firms and their portfolio companies is another driver of activity. Ferdinand Hengst has a first-rate reputation in multijurisdictional bond restructurings; he was the lead partner in the team that recently acted for HEMA on a high-profile, cross-border recapitalisation and restructuring process. Another highlight saw Biegman and recently promoted partner Bas Boutellier advise Technip Energies on its inaugural €600m bonds issuance.

Practice head(s):

Niek Biegman

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘The De Brauw capital markets team is nothing else than impressive and literally top tier.’

‘Bas Boutellier is definitely one of the Dutch rising stars in the debt capital markets area. His expertise and tailor-fit advice are impressive, and he is really fun to work with.’

‘Solid legal advice with good knowledge of market standards.’

‘I work with De Brauw on a variety of Dutch matters. They are efficient, helpful and not too dogmatic.’

‘The main contact is Ferdinand Hengst, he is efficient, generally available and flexible on fees.’

Key clients

Port of Rotterdam

Philips

Leaseplan

Akzo Nobel

Axalta

BC Partners

Fugro

Gasunie

Havenbedrijf Rotterdam

HEMA

Nomura

RELX

Shell

TenneT

Elastic N.V.

Just Eat Takeaway.com

Stellantis

Work highlights

  • Acted as global lead counsel to HEMA on a complex and multi-jurisdictional recapitalisation process.
  • Acted for state-owned Port of Rotterdam on inaugural bonds issuance.
  • Acted as lead counsel to Just Eat Takeaway.com on its €1.1bn convertible bonds offering.

Netherlands > Capital markets: equity Tier 1

De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek is widely-hailed as one of the leading firms in the Netherlands for equity capital markets transactions, with it acting for circa 70% of Dutch-listed companies on the premium AEX segment of Euronext Amsterdam. The team primarily acts for issuers, but is also equally skilled at advising underwriters. It has an outstanding track record for featuring in many of the largest and most high-profile IPOs seen in the Dutch market, in addition to acting on spin-off transactions, rights issues and public M&A. Further reflective of the breadth of the practice, the pipeline of work also includes advice on convertible bond offerings, SPAC listings and buy-back programmes. Recent highlights included Gaby Smeenk, senior associate Josse Klijnsma and others acting for logistics property company CTP on its Euronext Amsterdam listing; this was the largest real estate IPO in Europe since 2014. In another mandate, Jan Willem Hoevers and Smeenk were among the advisers to Fugro on its €250m rights issue. Senior associate Féline Goyarts is also recommended.

Practice head(s):

Jan Willem Hoevers; Gaby Smeenk

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘I think De Brauw ranks consistently among the top 2-3 capital market firms in Holland.’

‘I have worked with Jan Hoevers for more than 10 years for all capital markets work. He is extremely pragmatic and highly experienced. He understands our business, which means that response time is really good. I am totally satisfied with his services.’

‘Very responsive, knowledgeable, capable and a real pleasure to work with. I just absolutely know I’m in good hands working with De Brauw.’

‘Gaby Smeenk is very approachable and is extremely knowledgeable, also with practical insights.’

‘It is a pleasure to work with De Brauw. The team is well aware of what is important for our sector, proactive and easily accessible (practically 24/7). Honest advice on opportunities and risks is valuable and we believe De Brauw is able to provide this.’

‘Clear, honest and open communication is what our company values. In combination with a solid level of experience and knowledge that allows the team to be creative and flexible.’

Key clients

Just Eat Takeaway.com

Royal Philips

Stellantis (resulting from the merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Peugeot)

AkzoNobel

Fugro

CTP

CM.com

TechnipFMC / Technip Energies

AMG Advanced Metallurgical Group

IMCD

Altice Europe

Unilever

Shell

J.P. Morgan

BNP Paribas

Work highlights

  • Advised CTP N.V. on the largest real estate IPO in Europe since 2014.
  • Advised Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. on its transformative $50bn 50/50 cross-border merger with Peugeot S.A. to form Stellantis N.V.
  • Advised Just Eat Takeaway.com N.V. on its $7.3bn all-stock acquisition of Grubhub Inc., enabling it to enter the US market and creating the world’s largest online food delivery company outside of China, measured by revenues.

Netherlands > Commercial, corporate and M&a Tier 1

De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek is a market leader for merger, acquisition, divestment and joint venture transactions, often leveraging its overseas offices in Brussels, London, Singapore and Shanghai for multijurisdictional deals. Arne Grimme has a tenacity for public, private, leveraged buy-out and corporate restructuring affairs; he spearheads the practice which is particularly accomplished in the financial services, technology and manufacturing fields. Klaas De Vries combines his proficiency in cross-border deals with knowledge of corporate dispute, advisory and governance matters and Michael Schouten is especially well-versed in the regulatory and board responsibility aspects arising from public offers. Gaby Smeenk handles a mixture of capital markets and M&A work and, owing to her previous role as head of the Shanghai office, is well placed to support on transactions with an Asian component. Frank Hamming is a standout name at senior associate level and demonstrates a tenacity for shareholder activism and hostile takeover bid affairs.

Practice head(s):

Arne Grimme

Other key lawyers:

Klaas De Vries; Michael Schouten; Gaby Smeenk; Lennard Keijzer; Pete Lawley; Yi Duan; Frank Hamming

Testimonials

‘The team is very strong and broad.’

‘Klaas de Vries stands out. He is both practical, pleasant and very knowledgeable.’

‘The way of working and communicating with the team is very pleasant, quick on their responses and with a small team coverage.’

‘Michael Schouten is great in his relation management, very accessible and stands out in performing in both formal and informal settings.’

Key clients

ABN AMRO BANK NV

Mollie

NN Group NV

Bridgepoint

T-Mobile

Otrium

Koninklijke Philips

Unit 4

Hapag-Lloyd

ICT Group N.V

Albert Heijn

Trifleet Group

Ralph Sonnenberg

Royal BAM Group

HEMA

Deutsche Telekom / T-Mobile

COFRA Holding

Altice Europe

TenneT

AkzoNobel

ABN AMRO BANK NV

Mollie

NN Group NV

Bridgepoint

T-Mobile

Otrium

Koninklijke Philips

Unit 4

Hapag-Lloyd

ICT Group N.V

Albert Heijn

Trifleet Group

Ralph Sonnenberg

Royal BAM Group

HEMA

Deutsche Telekom / T-Mobile

COFRA Holding

Altice Europe

TenneT

AkzoNobel

Work highlights

  • Advised Royal Philips on the sale of its domestic appliances business to Hillhouse Capital, a global investment firm focused on helping companies achieve long-term sustainable growth through digital innovation and enablement.
  • Advised Dutch company Mollie, one of the fastest growing payment services providers in Europe, on several venture capital and M&A transactions over the past twelve months, including its Series B and Series C investment rounds.
  • Advised HEMA and its bondholders on HEMA’s restructuring and the sale process.

Netherlands > Construction Tier 1

De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek offers ‘great knowledge of the international construction sector and is able to manage large projects’. The practice is particularly strong in high-profile construction disputes, including litigation and arbitration, and also handles regulatory, corporate and financing work in the construction industry. The team is led by Bommel Van Der Bend, who has considerable experience in European and Dutch public procurement law, and is also appointed as an arbitrator on construction related matters. Stefan Derksen left in February 2021 to launch STAUNCH.

Practice head(s):

Testimonials

‘Professional and very competent firm in the field of construction law and litigation, with a valid network of qualified partners’.

‘The team has taken a professional and responsive approach regarding our situation’.

‘I appreciate the effort Edward van Geuns put into resolving our issues, going across all options and giving professional legal advice’.

‘The team brings strong and diverse experience and gives advice relevant to our particular issues, adapted to focus on solutions and achieving positive outcomes’.

‘The quality of experts recommended to support us has been very strong’.

‘Our project is very dynamic and the team have displayed flexibility, commitment and an understanding of construction projects in addition to legal expertise’.

‘Edward van Geuns is smart, strategic, experienced and has an impact when he speaks up’.

‘The DeBrauw Team brought a powerful combination of expertise, experience and construction litigation macro environment insights to the legal issues at hand’.

Key clients

Royal Dutch Shell

Schiphol Airport

Eindhoven Airport

TenneT

McDermott (CB&I)

Port of Rotterdam

PALLAS

SBM Offshore

Gasunie

Ahold Delhaize

ENGIE

VolkerWessels

BAM Group

Tebodin

DSM

VTTI

VOPAK

Novolipetsk Steel Company (NLMK)

Heineken

Work highlights

  • Represented Sabah Shell Petroleum Co. Ltd. (Royal Dutch Shell) in high-stakes arbitration related to the construction of a large offshore oil platform.
  • Providing Schiphol Airport with strategic advice and assistance with the procurement, tendering, construction and project management of the new pier and terminal.
  • Assisting Stichting Voorbereiding PALLAS Reactor /Foundation Preparation PALLAS Reactor with all aspects of its business, including the construction of its Nuclear Research Reactor and Nuclear Health Centre.

Netherlands > Data privacy and data protection Tier 1

De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek is praised by clients as ‘one of the strongest firms in strategic privacy litigation’ and is also a key name in the market for enforcement proceedings, data subject access requests, cybersecurity issues and compliance work. The group has been leading in mass claim proceedings and recently represented Salesforce in a €10bn claim for alleged infringements of European data protection laws. Geert Potjewijd and recently promoted partner Axel Arnbak jointly lead the group, Arjan Kleinhout is a key contact for administrative law and enforcement work, and senior associate Salima Guettache is active in data litigation.

Practice head(s):

Testimonials

‘This is one of the strongest firms in strategic privacy litigation. They don’t forget about any angle, privacy related or not, or any regional issues that could affect the strategy. They don’t take risks, unless on client instructions.’

‘Very deep knowledge of privacy and AI. Good service, of which knowledge sessions for clients deserve special mention.’

‘Axel Arnbak is always available as a sparring partner, which is good as sometimes no extensive advice is needed.’

‘Top-notch advice and relevant experience in high-profile cases.’

‘Axel Arnbak: very knowledgeable and pragmatic.’

‘Axel Arnbak is an expert in his field.’

Key clients

Salesforce.com Inc.

Facebook

Uber International B.V.

TikTok Technology Limited

Grand Vision

Tencent

Public Interest Litigation Project (PILP)

Talpa Network

Port of Rotterdam

Nationale Nederlanden

DAF

AEGON

KVK (Chamber of Commerce)

Work highlights

  • Defending Salesforce in €10bn mass claim proceedings for alleged infringements of European data protection laws.
  • Defending Uber in various proceedings filed by UK drivers for alleged infringements of European data protection laws regarding automated decision making, data portability and data subject access requests.
  • Defending TikTok in three related mass claim proceedings for alleged infringements of European data protection and consumer protection laws.

Netherlands > Dispute resolution: arbitration Tier 1

De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek‘s arbitration team is ‘outstanding and probably the best in the Netherlands’, and ‘consists of lawyers with various backgrounds, delivering an outstanding quality of work’. Its practice is truly international and handles high-profile and high-value arbitrations for large multinational businesses. Edward Van Geuns heads the disputes group and is a founding board member of the Dutch Arbitration Association and a member of the ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR. Martje Verhoeven-De Vries Lentsch is recommended for commercial arbitration and has considerable experience in the energy and technology sectors. Managing partner Marnix Leijten is also recommended.

Practice head(s):

Edward van Geuns

Other key lawyers:

Martje Verhoeven-de Vries Lentsch; Marnix Leijten; Bommel van der Bend

Testimonials

‘In-depth knowledge of the energy sector and outstanding legal expertise’.

‘Martje Verhoeven-de Vries Lentsch has excellent legal knowledge, grasps the essence of the case very quickly and presents her assessment and advice in a concise and easy to digest way’.

‘Bommel van der Bend always keeps track of the priorities and the big picture and at the same digs into the details of the case’.

‘De Brauw’s team is efficient, multilingual and innovative’.

‘Having all kinds of legal and cultural backgrounds present in the team, we feel that we are really catered for in the best way to deal with an international dispute’.

‘The team has an open attitude, works in an integrated way with the client and is very pleasant in the communication’.

‘They performed extremely well although deadlines were short and were very responsible when the company needed it most’.

‘Edward van Geuns was highly dedicated, extremely diligent, consistent and conscientious in his approach from the start to the finish’.

Key clients

Yukos Oil majority shareholders

Just Eat Takeaway N.V.

The Kingdom of the Netherlands

Republic of Kazakhstan

PJSC Novolipetsk Steel (NLMK)

Unit4 N.V.

Nouryon Industrial Chemicals B.V. (formerly named Akzo Nobel Industrial Chemicals B.V.)

Royal Duyvis Wiener B.V.

Work highlights

  • Successfully advised and continuing to advise the Yukos Oil majority shareholders in their dispute with the Russian Federation.
  • Successfully advised and continuing to advise Nouryon Industrial Chemicals B.V. in its high-stakes M&A dispute under Spanish law with Iberpotash S.A.
  • Advising Sabah Shell Petroleum Company Ltd. in a high-stakes arbitration about the construction of a large offshore oil-platform.

Netherlands > Dispute resolution: Commercial litigation Tier 1

De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek has ‘an exceptionally skilled, bright and devoted team’. It acts for corporates in domestic and international litigation. Practice head Edward Van Geuns handles high-profile litigation and arbitration before the Dutch courts. Eelco Meerdink handles cross-border disputes for clients in the insurance, banking, energy, technology, construction and pharmaceutical sectors. Jan De Bie Leuveling Tjeenk has expertise in corporate and securities litigation, class actions and civil procedures; Machteld de Monchy is recommended for competition cases, while senior associate Tilly Alberga-Smits deals with contract and liability matters. In a recent development, Marieke Bredenoord-Spoek joined from Stibbe as counsel.

Practice head(s):

Edward van Geuns

Other key lawyers:

Jan de Bie Leuveling Tjeenk; Daan Beenders; Eelco Meerdink; Tilly Alberga-Smits; Jeroen van der Schrieck; Machteld de Monchy; Marieke Bredenoord-Spoek

Testimonials

‘Excellent team on all fronts, superb handling of cross-jurisdictional litigation cases’. 

‘All noticeably going the extra mile for us’.

‘The team is well aware of what is important for our sector, pro-active and easily accessible’.

‘Honest advice on opportunities and risks is valuable and we believe De Brauw is able to provide this’.

‘Pragmatic, business savvy lawyers, easily reachable and knowledgeable’.

‘Jan de Bie Leuveling Tjeenk is a top-notch litigator with an unrivalled knowledge of the law’.

‘Machteld de Monchy is a standout partner, combining intelligence with pragmatism to get the best for her clients’.

‘Daan Beenders remains highly recommended; an extremely smart and effective lawyer who never loses sight of the bigger picture’.

Key clients

Yukos Oil Group Companies

PACCAR and DAF Group

COFCO Coöperatief U.A. and COFCO International Limited

Nissan-Mitsubishi B.V.

Former SNS REAAL

Royal Dutch Shell and the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC)

Several NGOs (such as Bureau Clara Wichmann and Transgender Netwerk Nederland) and individuals representing the interests of the transgender and intersex community

Enel S.p.A. and its subsidiary Enelpower S.p.A.

Centerbridge Partners Europe LLC (Conservatorium Holdings LLC)

Airbnb

J&C Acquisition Holding B.V. (joint venture of Jumbo and Coop food retail groups)

Robert Bosch GmbH

ENNIA N.V.

Coöperatieve Rabobank U.A.

British Airways

Royal Philips N.V.

Salesforce.com, Inc.

GrandVision N.V.

Sunscreen Bidco B.V.

Work highlights

  • Advising the DAG Group as lead counsel in 20 jurisdictions in one of the most complex mass claims in Europe.
  • Represents Nissan-Mitsubishi’s interests in a matter concerning the high-profile global litigation between Nissan and its former director Carlos Ghosn.
  • Advising Former SNS REAAL in a matter that constitutes the expropriation of a national bank.

Netherlands > Employment Tier 1

A top-notch practice with the necessary expertise to advise on all types of employment-related issues’, De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek is well known in the market for high-profile litigation in the Supreme Court. On the non-contentious side, the practice handles the HR and co-determination aspects of domestic and global M&A transactions; and on the contentious side, it is active in industrial actions, mass claims and #metoo matters, among others. Stefan Sagel co-heads the team acts for companies, individual employees and trade unions in the Supreme Court. Barbara Kloppert, who jointly heads the team, handles works redundancies, remuneration and pensions matters.

Practice head(s):

Testimonials

‘De Brauw have a strong practice with Stefan Sagel focusing on employment litigation and advisory matters and Barbara Kloppert doing a great job on primarily M&A transaction support’.

‘Stefan Sagel is an authority in his field of Supreme Court employment litigation’.

‘Barbara Kloppert is collaborative and a team player in working together on the complex employment aspects of M&A’.

‘Excellent legal advice’.

‘Willingness to consider alternative fee arrangements’. 

‘The team is able to balance really well between legal boundaries, pragmatism and the company viewpoint’.

‘Always available, quick turnaround and very reasonable on the billing of small issues’.

‘We speak the same language and that makes our relationship special and brings the outcome of our discussion to the next level’.

Key clients

Priceline.com Incorporated

Optiver Holding B.V.

Tata Steel Nederland B.V.

Uber

eBay Inc.

Royal Dutch Shell

SBM Offshore

BAM

Leaseplan

Hema B.V.

JustEat Takeaway.com

Friesland Campina

TPG Pace

Fugro

Unilever

Philips

NXP

Achmea

Volksbank

Rabobank

Nissan

Work highlights

  • Advising Nissan in high profile proceedings before the Amsterdam District Court between Nissan-Mitsubishi B.V. and international fugitive Carlos Ghosn.
  • Advising Hema on all aspects of consultation and employment-related matters with regard to its sale to a 50/50 consortium of Parcom and Mississippi Ventures.
  • Advising on a large-scale reorganisation (1000 employees) of Booking.com’s operation in the Netherlands as a consequence of the Covid-crisis, including assistance in drafting and negotiating a social plan with the trade unions and assistance in the co-determination aspects of the reorganisation.

Netherlands > Energy: regulatory Tier 1

De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek acts as lead counsel in transactions, litigation and regulatory matters in the traditional and renewable energy markets. It has particular knowledge of the oil and gas, nuclear, wind, hydrogen and solar sectors. Finance specialist Menno Stoffer co-heads the team alongside Nicolien Van Den Biggelaar, an experienced administrative and civil law litigator who is well versed in negotiations with authorities and public bodies. Counsel Arjan Kleinhout is recommended for energy and environment, state aid and public enforcement issues.

Practice head(s):

Nicolien van den Biggelaar; Menno Stoffer

Other key lawyers:

Arjan Kleinhout; Martje Verhoeven-de Vries Lentsch; Claire van der Hoeven

Testimonials

The flexibility of the team is exceptionally high.

Able to give detailed analyses as well as practical advice.

The billing that goes with it matches the desired support.

Arjan Kleinhout is our key contact, and stands out in terms of speed, accessibility and clarity of his reasoning, both in writing and orally.

Key clients

Gasunie

Port of Rotterdam Porthos  (a consortium of EBN, Gasunue and Port of Rotterdam)

TenneT

Royal Dutch Shell

GasTerra

Ørsted Wind Power

Impax Asset Management

Nexstep Westermeerwind

Drentse Monden wind farm

Delfzijl wind farm

NAM (a Shell and ExxonMobil joint venture)

The Kingdom of the Netherlands

Cofra

Gate Terminal

Royal Vopak

Stichting voorbereiding PALLAS-reactor

NEA/Gemeenschappelijke Kernenergiecentrale Nederland (GKN)

Varo Energy Netherlands

Work highlights

  • Advising Gasunie on the H2 Backbone; and Gasunie / Port of Rotterdam on the HyTransPort.RTM – both novel and unique hydrogen projects related to energy transition.
  • Advising a consortium comprising Port of Rotterdam, Gasunie and EBN on both the public law and planning/environmental aspects of the Porthos CCS project.
  • Acting as lead counsel to TenneT on various multibillion-dollar energy developments in Europe, involving regulatory, planning and environmental matters, as well as financing issues and extensive litigation.

Netherlands > Energy: transactional Tier 1

Under the leadership of Menno Stoffer and Nicolien Van Den Biggelaar, De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek continues to act as lead counsel in large transactions, high-profile litigation and regulatory matters. The firm is a member of 'Best Friends', a network of independent European law firms, and with offices in Brussels, London and Shanghai, is well placed to handle cross-border matters. The team is active on many facets of the energy industry from oil and gas, to nuclear, to renewables. Stoffer is recommended for financing issues and acts for sponsors, investors, contractors and financial institutions.

Practice head(s):

Nicolien van den Biggelaar; Menno Stoffer

Other key lawyers:

Michael Schouten; Bernard Spoor; Diederik Maessen

Testimonials

Highly experienced and versatile.

Team size matches the task at hand.

Clear and transparent division of work and responsibility within the team.

Easy to confer with and agree on practical steps.

They bring in the firm’s other expertise when needed with ease and without additional burden to client.

Bernard Spoor is highly experienced.

Bernard Spoor has a gentle and determined style.

Bernard Spoor is focussed on making the transaction a success all the time.

Key clients

Gasunie

Port of Rotterdam

Porthos (consortium of Port of Rotterdam, Gasunie and EBN)

TenneT

Royal Dutch Shell

GasTerra

Ørsted Wind Power

Impax Asset Management

Nexstep

Westermeerwind Wind Farm

Drentse Monden Wind Farm

Delfzijl Wind Farm

NAM

The Dutch State

Cofra

Gate Terminal

Royal Vopak

Stichting Voorbereiding PALLAS reactor

NEA / Gemeenschappelijke Kernenergiecentrale Nederland (GKN)

Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy

Vestas Wind System

Cooperative Rabobank

Varo Energy Netherlands

Work highlights

  • Acting as project counsel to Gasunie and Port of Rotterdam on the development of the HyTransPort.
  • Acting as project counsel to Gasunie, EBN and Port of Rotterdam on the development of the Porthos CCS project, the first large CCS project in the Netherlands.
  • Assisted Danish developer Ørsted with its €1.38bn divestment of a 50% interest in the Borssele 1 and 2 offshore wind farms to NIBM.

Netherlands > Environment and planning Tier 1

The planning and environment team at De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek has ‘deep knowledge of current legislation relating to spatial planning, environmental and nature conservation issues’. Under the leadership of seasoned litigator Nicolien Van Den Biggelaar, the practice continues to act in a range of administrative and civil court proceedings, as well as negotiations with regulatory authorities and public bodies. Counsel Arjan Kleinhout is a public law specialist, who is recommended for energy and environment, state aid, market regulation, and public enforcement issues, while senior associate Claire Van Der Hoeven handles energy and infrastructure matters.

Practice head(s):

Nicolien van den Biggelaar

Other key lawyers:

Arjan Kleinhout; Claire van der Hoeven

Testimonials

Highly skilled team, easily accessible, transparent billing and cost efficient.

Arjan Kleinhout is a smart, reliable and trustworthy sparring partner.

De Brauw’s team has leading expertise in the fields of legislation and case law in the field of spatial development, environment and nature protection.

The team has outstanding capabilities in understanding the client’s project initiative and delivering added value in planning and licensing that project.

De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek B.V. is an outstanding, high-profile firm operating at the very top in the Netherlands.

Their attorneys guarantee a combination of high legal quality, due care and a focus on solutions.

If you are a client, and you really want high-end treatment of a case involving environment and planning, De Brauw is an excellent choice.

De Brauw’s attorneys are easy to talk to and pleasant to work with.

Key clients

Schiphol Airport

Chemelot/Sitech

Royal Dutch Shell

Gasunie

Port of Rotterdam

GasTerra

Drentse

Monden

TenneT

Porthos (Port of Rotterdam, EBN and Gasunie consortium)

Varo Energy Netherlands

NAM (Shell and Exxon joint venture)

Theo Pouw Groep

Ronald McDonald House

Ørsted Wind Power

OPEN (E-wast e )

Afvalfonds Verpakkingen

Work highlights

  • Advising on two challenging new and unique projects concerning hydrogen: the H2 Backbone (Gasunie) and HyTransPort.RTM (Gasunie & Port of Rotterdam) in relation to environmental, regulatory, procedural, M&A, financial and strategic matters.
  • Advising Royal Schiphol Group on the impact of the landmark 2019 ruling of the Council of State regarding Dutch nitrogen policy under the Nature Conservation Act.
  • Advising the Consortium of Port of Rotterdam, Gasunie and EBN (Porthos CCS Project) regarding the public law and planning/environmental aspects, the regulatory regime (including EU ETS impact), transactional matters (such as establishment of the joint venture) and commercial contracting.

Netherlands > EU and competition Tier 1

De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek‘s heavyweight team is widely acknowledged to be a market leader for competition law, with international clients turning to the firm for advice on their most complex, strategic and reputationally-sensitive matters. Jolling de Pree leads the group, which operates on an integrated basis between the Amsterdam and Brussels offices. Its strengths span all the key areas of competition, including merger control and foreign direct investment control, cartel investigations, consumer protection and data protection and state aid and international competition litigation. de Pree and newly-promoted partner Stephanie The are representing British Airways in multiple follow-on actions in the Netherlands relating to the alleged air cargo cartel. Also notable is that, on the transactional side, Bart de Rijke recently led the advice to Royal Philips on the competition aspects (including global merger control filings) of the sale of its domestic appliances business to Hillhouse Capital. In addition, The and others assisted Royal DSM with obtaining clearances across multiple jurisdictions for its €980m acquisition of the Erber Group. Also recommended in the team are Helen Gornall and international litigation expert Machteld de Monchy. Counsel Marieke Bredenoord-Spoek joined the firm in 2022.

Practice head(s):

Jolling de Pree

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘One of the top-notch competition law firms. Always available and quick to respond with excellent advice.’

‘Jolling de Pree is one of the best professionals in this field. His knowledge and experience in competition law are abundant. I especially value his clear and pragmatic way of advising. He knows his clients well, therefore he is even better at giving pragmatic advice and taking into account the business priorities.’

‘Helen has broad experience both as an external lawyer as well as an in-house lawyer. She fully understands the position and needs of her corporate clients and can offer very pragmatic and ready-to-use advice. In particular, in an area like competition law, it is very important that you find an adviser who offers a clear and well-reasoned position.’

‘Excellent team on all fronts, superb handling of cross-jurisdictional litigation cases, including the manner of client communication.’

‘De Brauw’s EU and Competition team are exceptional. They have a very large team that operates seamlessly and to a very high standard, with an appropriate mix of seniorities involved. Their partners are accessible, strategic and practical, and the more junior lawyers, are all very bright and hungry to achieve client goals.’

‘Jolling de Pree is smart, able to give pragmatic advice in complex matters and is always available.’

‘Best independent Dutch law firm. Great team of partners and associates to work with. Competition practice stands out with a large diverse team of highly skilled practitioners.’

‘Highly qualified, experienced and nice to work with. Stephanie The is a great recent addition to the partnership.’

Key clients

AkzoNobel

AholdDelhaize

Unilever

Booking.com

ASML

Philips

PACCAR/DAF Trucks

Royal DSM

SHV Group / Nutreco

NN Group

DS Smith

British Airways

Work highlights

  • Represented GrandVision as co-lead counsel in the global merger filing processes concerning the acquisition by EssilorLuxottica of HAL Investments’ 76.72% interest in GrandVision. This transaction has been conditionally approved after a Phase II merger filing process in the EU, Chile and Turkey. This transaction gave rise to both horizontal and vertical overlaps and is, according to the European Commission, the biggest retail merger it has ever handled.
  • Acting for PACCAR/DAF as lead counsel in all of the 20 jurisdictions that are involved in one of the most complex mass claims ever made. The European Commission imposed fines totalling €2.93bn on five truck manufacturers, including DAF Trucks. After this decision, massive follow-on litigation was initiated, with hundreds of proceedings in multiple European and non-European jurisdictions.
  • Acting for Illumina on the takeover of GRAIL. This is the first case in which the European Commission seeks to increase its jurisdiction regarding takeovers of start-ups on the basis of art. 22 EUMR. The firm assisted Illumina with suing the Dutch State to prohibit a referral to the Commission.

Netherlands > Fraud and white-collar crime Tier 1

De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek fields ‘a very knowledgeable team that is always available and delivers quality advice’. Offering experience in internal investigations, the practice also handles criminal investigations and given its international network, with offices in Brussels, London, Shanghai and Singapore, is well placed to handle cross-border work. Marnix Somsen focuses on regulatory and criminal enforcement matters, acting for corporations and financial institutions, while Patrick Ploeger specialises in criminal defence and litigation. Roan Lamp is a name to note for anti-bribery and fraud matters.

Practice head(s):

Marnix Somsen; Patrick Ploeger; Roan Lamp

Other key lawyers:

Geert Potjewijd; Marlies Heemskerk-De Waard; Angelique Groen-Boon

Testimonials

‘DBBW is very much open to set up collaboration with in-house legal, forensic departments and other disciplines without becoming dogmatic’.

‘The team is diverse in terms of seniority, gender and ethnicity’.

‘Marnix Somsen and Patrick Ploeger are very seasoned partners who are capable of dealing with the authorities and gaining trust from all related parties’.

‘There is no doubt that the client’s interests always comes’.

‘Marnix Somsen offers very solid and hands-on advice, with a pleasant personality’.

‘Marnix Somsen is fully engaged, has very relevant experience, and communicates clearly’.

‘Marlies Heemskerk-de Waard has provided very clear advice, is always available, and is very strong in her field’.

‘Capable of organising a stand out team in no time’.

Work highlights

  • Counsel to ABN Amro in the criminal investigation and subsequent settlement with ABN Amro over anti-money laundering issues.
  • Assisting Philips with an internal investigation in Brazil in relation to the so-called Car Wash bribery investigation.
  • Representation of Uber in connection with regulatory and criminal investigations regarding its P2P taxi services in the Netherlands.

Netherlands > Insurance Tier 1

De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek has an outstanding reputation in international insurance matters, with its multidisciplinary team covering the full spectrum of work, such as M&A, capital raises, restructurings and the resolution of high-stakes disputes. On the regulatory side, the group has extensive expertise advising insurance companies on a myriad of issues applicable to their businesses, such as the developing legislation on ESG, as well as governance, solvency and liquidity. Practice head Dennis Horeman and counsel Eva Schram are among the advisers to Athora Netherlands on all litigation relating to the alleged mis-selling of investment-linked insurance products. Also noted for their dispute resolution expertise are Eelco Meerdink (who acts for companies and management teams in industries such as pharmaceuticals, manufacturing and technology, among others) and senior associate Gertjan Harryvan. Mariken van Loopik leads the financial markets regulation practice.

Practice head(s):

Dennis Horeman

Testimonials

‘In-depth knowledge of the legislation, processes and products in the sector. Excellent strategic sparring partner. Readily available. High standard throughout the whole team.’

‘Dennis Horeman has a high standard of integrity, is very thoughtful, accessible and a brilliant lawyer.’

‘DBBW is one of the top practices in the Netherlands because of their high-quality standards, with a broad range of expertise, client-oriented and service-oriented mindset. But, on the other hand, they do have and preach their own practice values. And that’s good.’

‘De Brauw’s insurance team is pleasant to work with, experienced and thinks along with its clients.’

‘Dennis Horeman is a dedicated lawyer who serves his clients very efficiently and effectively. Dennis is a strategic thinker who dares to make decisions.’

Key clients

Nationale Nederlanden N.V.

SRLEV (and Athora Netherlands)

AkzoNobel

Nielsen

Rabobank

Central Bank of Curacao and St Martin (re. ENNIA Caribe)

Katara

JustEat Takeway

Achmea

Work highlights

  • Advised Central Bank on emergency regulation for ENNIA Caribe.
  • Representing AkzoNobel in a wide range of insurance work.
  • Handling a wide range of work for Athora Netherlands, including defence of claims for alleged mis-selling of investment-linked insurance products.

Netherlands > Intellectual property: trade marks, copyrights and design rights Tier 1

De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek offers a full service to clients with complex international IP disputes which includes corporate, competition, regulatory and tax law – in combination with its IT/tech expertise. Litigator Gertjan Kuipers and Tobias Cohen Jehoram who is a ‘go-to‘ for IP litigation, both cross-border and up to the Supreme Court, and provides ‘truly outstanding value for money‘ jointly head the group. Selmer Bergsma and Roos Van Der Poel were recently promoted to counsel; together with senior associate Bertrand Ter Woort they collectively provide deep experience in all aspects of IP protection from disputes to IP-heavy transactions, related agreements and corporate matters. The firm offers clients numerous platforms designed to assist with areas such as costs control (its electronic costs centre) and is part of the Pink Elephant initiative (an LGBT+ network) as part of its focus on gender and international diversity.

Practice head(s):

Gertjan Kuipers; Tobias Cohen Jehoram

Other key lawyers:

Selmer Bergsma; Bertrand ter Woort; Roos van der Pole; Irenah Klink; Daan Beenders

Testimonials

‘Tobias Cohen is excellent. He is knowledgeable, creative, practical and cost effective. He has solved many tricky trade mark conflicts for us. I recommend him highly.’

‘We have engaged De Brauw in the field of copyright only once and we found them to be quite innovative on how to approach the issue from a legal perspective and assess under what legal theories certain specific designs/works may be protected by copyright, showing strong legal and technical commands.’

‘Tobias Cohen Jehoram and Selmer Bergsma have strong legal knowledge in the field of copyright/design rights complemented with strong technical commands.’

‘Tobias Cohen Jehoram is our go-to partner for high-stake trade mark matters. His knowledge and level of expertise is unrivalled. He is extremely pragmatic, business savvy and a lot of fun to work with. In addition, he is highly effective and efficient, leading to truly outstanding value for money. He is very accessible, with a fantastic sense of humour. Always a pleasure to work with!’ 

‘Bertrand ter Woort is a highly talented and effective senior associate, who always is able to reduce complex matters to its core with seemingly little effort.’

‘The team is very skilled and well versed in the intricacies of the Entertainment industry.’

‘Daan Beenders and Tobias Cohen Jehoram are both extremely valuable business partners and great fun as well.’

Key clients

Unilever

Impossible Foods Inc

P&G

Philips

JDE

NXP

PVH Europe

Nolet Group

Disney

LVMH

AkzoNobel

Shell

adidas

Pepsico

FrieslandCampina

Gazelle

Danone

Work highlights

  • Successfully represented Impossible Foods in obtaining a preliminary pan-European injunction invoking Impossible Foods’ trade mark against Nestlé’s use of “Incredible Burger”.
  • Successfully represented NXP in trade mark infringement proceedings against Infineon Technologies regarding NXP’s MIFARE trade marks for Near Field Communication ICs.
  • Advising Anne Frank Stichting in its constant (and highly publicised) battles to research Anne Frank’s works and publish the results, against the Swiss AFF that holds copyrights to parts of the works.

Netherlands > Investment funds Tier 1

Noted for its expertise in both highly-regulated and private equity-type fund structures, De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek‘s cross-practice team in Amsterdam acts for a sizeable number of the largest and most active asset managers in the Dutch investment funds market. In 2020, practice head Kees Groffen and recently promoted partner Mariska Enzerink were among the advisers to Waterland Private Equity Investments on the launch of its eighth institutional fund, Waterland Private Equity Fund VIII, which reached a final close at €2.5bn. Elsewhere, beyond handling the structuring and formation of funds, the group has expertise in the gamut of other corporate, tax and regulatory issues impacting funds and their managers. Wiebe Dijkstra and senior associate Martin Reuling are also recommended. René Maatman and Minke Hoekstra departed for Keijser Van der Velden advocaten in early 2021.

Practice head(s):

Kees Groffen

Testimonials

‘The investment funds practice at De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek is in line with what one would expect from this firm: absolutely top tier in the Netherlands. They combine exceptional legal quality in the regulatory and civil law fields with in-depth knowledge of the market and a very practical, efficient and hands on-approach. When necessary this is supported by excellent foreign firms from their network, coordinated by De Brauw as if one is advised by one single firm. Excellent value for money.’

‘Stand-out partner Kees Groffen is of truly exceptional quality. In the regulatory arena, he is practically in a league of his own: absolutely top tier. His wealth of legal and technical knowledge and skills together with in depth knowledge of the market are translated into very clear and concise advice, and a very efficient and practical approach of matters.’

‘De Brauw has a very thorough knowledge of the PE and VC industry and the internal workings of a fund or GP.’

‘The very best knowledge and experience in the Dutch market money can buy. In addition to that, super smart practice members. They see and know what the future is bringing and they fully understand the business drivers. If you have an issue, they need little time to to understand the problem. Second to none in NL.’

‘Kees Groffen, the absolute top individual. If Kees doesn’t have the solution, there just isn’t one. Mariska Enzerink is also very knowledgeable.’

Key clients

DIF Management B.V.

Waterland Private Equity Investments

Bouwinvest

Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. (RIAM)

APG Asset Management

NN Investment Partners

Achmea Investment Management

Aegon Investment Management

ACTIAM

Van Lanschot Kempen

Allianz

ASN

CBRE

Cofra

HAL

PGGM

Prime Ventures

Redevco

Russell Investments

Triodos

Lifetri

Work highlights

  • Drafting and negotiating fund (governance) documents for newly-established (private equity, infrastructure, real estate etc) investment funds for both licensed and sub-threshold managers, including the highly reputable private equity boutiques Waterland and DIF Management.

Netherlands > Private equity Tier 1

De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek fields a private equity team which is able to draw on the firm’s wider prowess in acquisition finance, corporate advisory, tax, capital markets, fund structuring, competition and financial regulatory. Practice head Lennard Keijzer handles buy and sell-side transactions, W&I insurance, management participation schemes, shareholder arrangements and minority investments; his team includes Arne Grimme whose core strengths include both public and private transactions, as well as leveraged buy-outs. The practice has noted a significant uptick in its inbound work for US and UK-based private equity firms over recent years, particularly within the technology, FIG and healthcare sectors.

Practice head(s):

Lennard Keijzer

Other key lawyers:

Arne Grimme; Klaas de Vries; Pete Lawley

Testimonials

The team members continue to be the same which is great as they understand our business.

Availability (almost 24/7), hands on, knowledgeable and take a legally compliant though pragmatic approach.

Key clients

Advent International

Amber Infrastructure Group

Apax Partners

BC Partners

Bridgepoint

Egeria

Gilde Buy Out Partners

HEMA

Kloosterboer Family

Shareholders of Kusters Beheer

Mollie

Nordian Capital Partners

Otrium

Parcom

TPG

Triton

Waterland Private Equity

Advent International

Amber Infrastructure Group

Apax Partners

BC Partners

Bridgepoint

Egeria

Gilde Buy Out Partners

HEMA

Kloosterboer Family

Shareholders of Kusters Beheer

Mollie

Nordian Capital Partners

Otrium

Parcom

TPG

Triton

Waterland Private Equity

Work highlights

  • Advised Parcom on several private equity transactions.
  • Advised Gilde Buy Out Partners on the acquisition of a majority of the shares in EDCO and Muon, a portfolio company of Gilde Buy Out Partners on the acquisition of LouwersHanique.
  • Advised Advent International and its (former) portfolio company Unit4 on several private equity and M&A transactions.

Netherlands > Restructuring and insolvency Tier 1

With ‘high standards of knowledge and advisory skills’, De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek acts on a range of cross-border restructuring and insolvency mandates. The practice has recently been assisting clients with the Wet Homologatie Onderhands Akkoord (WHOA) act, which came into effect at the start of 2021. Experienced litigator Reinout Vriesendorp co-heads the team and is a name to note for corporate restructurings. Ferdinand Hengst also co-heads the team and is recommended for finance matters and debt restructurings. Menno Stoffer acts for corporates, financial institutions and private equity investors on distressed finance matters.

Practice head(s):

Ferdinand Hengst; Reinout Vriesendorp

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘A perfect combination of pragmatism and in-depth knowledge of the law’.

‘All lawyers are pleasant to deal with and easy going characters’.

‘I selected Reinout Vriesendorp to assist me in a difficult engagement three years ago because of his reputation as one of the leading Dutch practitioners in this field (he is also a stellar litigator)’.

‘As a cross-border legal business adviser and counsellor, I engage legal teams worldwide to assist me and my clients; Reinout Vriesendorp is my go-to lawyer for The Netherlands’.

‘They are experts in their field’.

‘You can be certain of the best advice’.

‘Ferdinand Hengst is an absolute expert in his field’.

‘Ferdinand Hengst is a quick thinker with thorough knowledge’.

Key clients

Hema B.V.

Centerbridge Partners Europe LLP

Hertz Corporation

Nederlandsche Algemeene Maatschappij van Levensverzekering “Conservatrix” N.V.

Premier Oil Plc

DeepOcean Group Holding B.V.

Beter Bed Holding N.V.

Jet Airways (India) Limited

AMP Management

ING Bank N.V., ABN AMRO Bank N.V. and Coöperatieve Rabobank U.A.

Work highlights

  • Acted as global lead counsel on the comprehensive financial restructuring to deliver and recapitalise the HEMA Group.
  • Assisted Centerbridge with the global restructuring of the Steinhoff group.
  • Advised Hertz in relation to all restructuring steps, including several amendments (through consent solicitations) of the bonds documentation, the preparation for a scheme of arrangement, consensual negotiations on new money facilities and extensive legal advice for the use of the new Dutch Scheme.

Netherlands > Tax Tier 1

De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek is a leading name for advice on Dutch and cross-border tax issues associated with M&A, corporate restructurings, investment funds, finance transactions and energy projects. Tax disputes are also a notable driver of work for the team, which is jointly led by Maarten van der Weijden and Paul Sleurink. In addition, it is able to advise on transfer pricing matters. In 2020, a team comprising of Sleurink, van der Weijden, and senior associates Klaas Versteeg and Joppe de Bruijn, advised Unilever on all relevant Dutch tax issues associated with the unification of the dual-headed Unilever group into a UK-based parent company by way of a cross-border merger. In a more recent highlight, Henk van Ravenhorst assisted Royal Philips with the tax issues related to the separation and sale of its domestic appliances business to global investment company Hillhouse Capital.

Practice head(s):

Maarten van der Weijden; Paul Sleurink

Testimonials

‘Eye for the needs of the customer, high fiscal knowledge, challenging and creative thinking together with the client.’

‘Wiebe Dijkstra: Informal approach, quick responses, creative thinking, eye for the specific position of the customer, flexibility, committed and engaged with the client.’

‘Trusted business partners who combine technical skills with exceptional transactions experience.’

Key clients

Royal Dutch Shell

Unilever

Royal Philips

Altice Europe

Just Eat Takeaway

Qiagen

Inter Ikea

Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

eBay Inc.

NN Group

Deutsche Telekom/T-Mobile Netherlands

Orsted

L&G

Royal BAM Group

Port of Rotterdam

Fugro

Parcom

Bunge

Cofra Holding AG

HEMA

Advent

Work highlights

  • Advising Unilever on all relevant Dutch tax issues associated with the unification of the dual-headed Unilever group into a UK-based parent company by way of a cross-border merger.
  • Advised HEMA on the implementation of a high-profile, complex and multi-jurisdictional debt restructuring and re-capitalisation process and its subsequent sale to a 50/50 consortium of Parcom and Mississippi Ventures (investment vehicle of the Van Eerd family).
  • Advised Just Eat Takeaway.com on its acquisition of 100% of the shares in Grubhub in an all-stock transaction to create the world’s largest online food delivery company outside of China.

Netherlands > Industry focus: healthcare and life sciences Tier 2

The ‘pragmatic, business-focused, and solutions-drivenDe Brauw Blackstone Westbroek advises clients on high-end disputes, transactions and regulatory enforcement matters, and coordinates advice from across its international network of offices. Gertjan Kuipers focuses on patent litigation and also handles licensing, IP strategy and IP structuring issues, while Tobias Cohen Jehoram is experienced in representing clients in Supreme Court litigation. Reinier Kleipool and Lennard Keijzer are recommended for corporate and M&A work in the health care and life sciences sectors. Oscar Lamme left for Simmons & Simmons.

Practice head(s):

Gertjan Kuipers; Tobias Cohen Jehoram; Reinier Kleipool; Lennard Keijzer

Testimonials

‘De Brauw are able to offer sound legal advice across the full spectrum of issues in life sciences’.

‘Gertjan Kuipers is a shrewd and experienced practitioner’.

‘The uniqueness of this firm resides inter alia in their understanding of the bigger strategic picture that is important to our company, and not just of the case at hand’.

‘Gertjan Kuipers certainly stands out, being a stellar litigator and strategist..

‘Gertjan Kuipers’ extremely sharp intellect and immediate grasp of issues is an asset to any case and any company’.

‘A class act when it comes to patent litigation in the life sciences sector’.

‘Gertjan Kuijpers is a class act’.

‘Gertjan Kuijpers is a clear and compelling advocate, there are few as good before the Dutch patent courts’.

Key clients

Synthon Holding B.V.

Eli Lilly

Biogen

Coloplast A/S

Ferring

Arya Sciences Acquisition Corp

Bayer AG

Pfizer Inc.

Qiagen

Zimmer Biomet

Affimed N.V.

Sandoz B.V.

Amgen

IlluminaForbion

IGEA Pharma NV

AstraZeneca

GSK

MSD

Bureau Clara Wichmann

Triton Investment Management Limited (target BergmanClinics)

Work highlights

  • Advised and assisted Triton in its acquisition of Bergman Clinics, one of the leading chains of independent clinics in the Netherlands, Germany and Scandinavia.
  • Representing pharmaceutical multinational Eli Lilly in high-stakes Dutch Supreme Court patent proceedings against Fresenius Kabi.
  • Representing Bureau Clara Wichmann in its fight for a fair policy on contraceptives.

Netherlands > Industry focus: telecoms Tier 2

Particularly strong in litigation and regulation, De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek is ‘on all levels very committed and focused and has in-depth knowledge of the telecoms sector in the Netherlands’. The multidisciplinary team advises on competition, intellectual property, administrative law, commercial contracting, alternative dispute resolution, finance, corporate and M&A matters. Gertjan Kuipers ‘really knows the industry and how to use that to its advantage in telecoms disputes’. He co-heads the practice with Tobias Cohen Jehoram, Lennard Keijzer and Jolling de Pree.

Practice head(s):

Gertjan Kuipers; Tobias Cohen Jehoram; Lennard Keijzer; Jolling de Pree

Testimonials

‘The team is on all levels (partner, counsel, senior associate, associate) very committed and focused and has in-depth knowledge of the telecoms sector in the Netherlands.’

‘How the IP team is embedded in the broader litigation practice and firm practice. Especially for multidisciplinary (IP) disputes or transactional matters, De Brauw is one of the best firms in the Netherlands to go to.’

‘Gertjan Kuipers has unparalleled analytical skills and is strategy wise always three steps ahead. He has been handling telecoms cases for almost two decades now, has been involved in the AIPPI working group on Standard Essential Patents, and that shows. He really knows the industry and how to use that to its advantage in telecoms disputes.’

Key clients

Sisvel

Deutsche Telekom Netherlands

T-mobile

KPN

Fortino Capital Partners

Everynet BV

CM.com

Be-In Mediagroup

NXP Semiconductors

Sharp

Access Advance & GE Video Compression

Altice

Verizon

Disney

NOS

EQT Fund Management

TomTom

Work highlights

  • Represented Sisvel in its enforcement campaign of standard essential patents in the Netherlands. Sisvel is a well-known leader in the management of IP and identifies, evaluates and maximises the value of IP assets for its partners around the world, such as Mitsubishi Electric, Orange, Airbus, Toshiba, Sony and many others.
  • Adviser for Deutsche Telekom in the Netherlands. The firm recently advised the client on a merger with Cellnex resulting in the largest independent cell mobile tower company in the Netherlands.
  • Trusted adviser for T-Mobile in the Netherlands. The firm recently advised the client on an auction process for the roll-out of fibre infrastructure in the Netherlands and their acquisition of Sim-only provider Simpel.

Netherlands > Intellectual property: Patents Tier 2

De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek is in demand not only for its technical expertise but also for being able to ‘see the bigger strategic picture‘. Team co-head Gertjan Kuipers is considered to be a ‘megastar‘ in IP circles. With a science background, he is skilled in areas of chemical, electrical, mechanical, computer and pharmaceutical technology combined with well honed litigation and strategy expertise. Co-head, Tobias Cohen Jehoram covers a range of IP litigation appearing in all courts from the EUIPO to the EU Court of Justice and is known for patent cases brought to the Supreme Court. FRAND and biosimilars are two additional areas of particular focus. The team also works closely with a substantial litigation group that often work on heavyweight, cross border patent litigation. Recently promoted counsel Roos Van Der Poel and senior associates Bertrand ter Woort and Carlos van Staveren provide additional support. The firm continues to innovate in the areas of client care (for example its electronic cost centre (ECC) to control and predict costs in multi-jurisdictional cases) and on the diversity front (an example is the creation of an LGBT network called Pink Elephant).

Practice head(s):

Gertjan Kuipers; Tobias Cohen Jehoram

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘The patent litigation team led by Gertjan Kuipers has very high quality. The team is diverse, also regarding nationalities and it attracts international clients that (normally) go to bigger forums for litigation (Germany, UK). The cooperation works very well.’

‘The uniqueness of this firm resides inter alia in their understanding of the bigger strategic picture important to our company, and not just of the case at hand.’

‘Gertjan Kuipers certainly stands out, being a stellar litigator and strategist. His extremely sharp intellect and immediate grasp of issues is an asset to any case and any company. Gertjan is most definitely a megastar in the IP community.’

‘De Brauw’s patent litigation team is the best one. They are very experience litigators with a good sense of strategy.’

‘Extremely effective and efficient team, with a thorough understanding of our commercial interests and industry.’

‘Maarten Jorissen is a highly talented associate, with whom it is always a pleasure to work.’

‘Excellent! A great team. Very reliable and you are happy to have them on your side!’

‘Gertjan Kuijpers is a class act. A clear and compelling advocate, there are few as good before the Dutch patent court. His advice is well-considered and his judgment sound. In addition to all that he is a real pleasure to work with.’

Key clients

Sharp

Biogen

Ferring

Bayer Pharma

Bolton Adhesives

Sonos

Eli Lilly

GSK

JDE

KPN

Sisvel

Välinge

Pon

Work highlights

  • Represented Sisvel in its campaign enforcing standard essential patents in the Netherlands.
  • Assists Jacobs Douwe Egberts (JDE Peet’s) in defending and expanding its top market position in the coffee field, including through multiple jurisdiction enforcement and opposition proceedings relating to patents for coffee capsules.
  • Represents Sonos’ before the Dutch courts in pan-European patent proceedings relating to its smart speaker eco-system.

Netherlands > Project finance and PFI Tier 3

Active in PPP and energy transactions, De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek also handles disputes and regulatory enforcement matters related to projects and project financing work. The firm’s experience ranges from obtaining financing for projects (including wind parks and energy facilities), to constructing major roads, tunnels and buildings. Practice head Menno Stoffer specialises in financings and projects, with substantial expertise in international energy and infrastructure projects.

Practice head(s):

Menno Stoffer

Other key lawyers:

Bommel van der Bend

Key clients

Royal Vopak

Royal BAM

Royal Schiphol

VTTI

Port of Rotterdam

TenneT Holding

N.V. Nederlandse Gasunie

PALLAS nuclear reactor

Volker Wessels

TBI

Porthos (consortium of Port of Rotterdam, Gasunie and EBN)

Ørsted Wind Power A/S

Impax Asset Management (AIFM) Ltd

Cofra

Work highlights

  • Advising the Foundation Preparation Pallas reactor on the development of the state-of-the-art nuclear power plant in Petten.
  • Advised Ørsted on its €1.375bn sale of 50% of its ownership share of the 752MW Borssele 1 and 2 offshore wind farms to Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM).
  • Advising investors on the onshore Windpark Zeewolde.

The firm: De Brauw is a law firm with a global reach, a robust corporate practice, a centre of excellence in litigation and with an unparalleled team of regulatory experts. Big matters, big risks and big arenas require multidisciplinary and multinational teams composed of strong strategic thinkers willing to dig deep. De Brauw believes it is possible to strike a balance between rigour and pragmatism, especially when the stakes are high.

De Brauw puts business in a legal context, not the other way around. So the needs of the clients come first, legal expertise second. That’s why it goes out of its way to recruit graduates and hire people with a variety of interests, experience and nationalities. It takes the long view, leaving no stone unturned along the way. De Brauw practises the art and science of collaboration – across all disciplines and national borders – with both internal and external legal experts, with in-house counsel and with other specialists.

Headquartered in Amsterdam, De Brauw also has offices in Brussels, Frankfurt, London, Shanghai and Singapore. The Best Friends network – composed of premier European law firms – and their system of informal contacts around the world mean De Brauw can always draw on the best local expertise as and when required.

Areas of practice: The firm’s practice covers a broad range of Dutch and EU law. This includes corporate, mergers and acquisitions, private equity, banking, equity and debt capital markets, asset and structured finance, project finance, financial markets regulatory, regulatory and criminal enforcement, corporate recovery and insolvency, restructuring, investment management, tax, corporate and commercial litigation, arbitration and mediation, EU/competition, intellectual property, information technology and communication, public law, insurance, real estate, employment and employee benefits. The firm has cross-practice groups for, among others, energy, telecoms, financial institutions, private equity, public-private partnerships and transport.

DepartmentNameEmailTelephone
Corporate, M&A Arne Grimme
Corporate, M&A Klaas de Vries
Corporate governance Reiner Kleipool
Corporate governance Martin van Olffen
Corporate litigation Jan de Bie Leuveling Tjeenk
Corporate litigation Jeroen van der Schrieck
Banking and capital markets Niek Biegman
Banking and capital markets Jan Willem Hoevers
Asset and structured finance Menno Stoffer
Corporate restructuring and insolvency Ferdinand Hengst
Corporate restructuring and insolvency Ruud Hermans
Investment management Kees Groffen
Tax Maarten van der Weijden
Tax Paul Sleurink
Employment and employee benefits Stefan Sagel
Employment and employee benefits Barbara van Duren-Kloppert
Information technology Richard van Staden ten Brink
Intellectual property Tobias Cohen Jehoram
Intellectual property Gertjan Kuipers
Real estate Mark Rebergen
Energy Anja Mutsaers
Energy Marnix Leijten
Competition and EU law Jolling de Pree
Competition and EU law Martijn Snoep
Private equity Lennard Keijzer
Arbitration Marnix Leijten
Arbitration Bregje Korthals Altes-van Dijk
Healthcare and life sciences Gertjan Kuipers
PhotoNamePositionProfile
Arne  Grimme photo Arne GrimmePartner
Nicolien van den Biggelaar photo Nicolien van den BiggelaarNicolien van den Biggelaar is an experienced litigator and expert in public…
Number of lawyers : 350
at this office : 325
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Other offices : Brussels
Other offices : Frankfurt
Other offices : London
Other offices : Shanghai
Other offices : Singapore

Our purpose is to stand besides our clients, the world over – this is what defines De Brauw. We know that a diverse and inclusive workforce is sharper, and more insightful. This allows us to see our clients’ challenges and opportunities through different lenses, and adds value and builds trust for and with clients.

We recruit our people from a diverse range of experience, interests, and nationalities, and collaborate across all disciplines and geographical borders with our own and other legal experts, industry specialists and in-house counsel.

Trained leadership, D&I experts, and diversity committees all help to shape our business priorities, inform decision-making and continually develop best practices. We partner with our clients and other organisations to identify potential and provide equal opportunity for all.

We recognise that we are not there yet. But we are committed to pursuing and realising our aspirations for diversity and inclusion, for the benefit of our employees, and for our clients.