De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek > Amsterdam, Netherlands > Firm Profile

‘Ferdinand Hengst knows his clients very well and is a very good sparring partner for senior management.’

‘I especially appreciate the proactive, forward-looking perspective.’

‘Excellent team, efficient sourcing, great availability, thorough knowledge of the financial industry and clients’ needs.’

‘Mariken van Loopik is knowledgeable and solution oriented, and her advice goes beyond the legal aspects. Her service level is extremely high. She is always available and a wonderful person. Mariken is the go-to partner for GCs and CEOs working in the financial industry.’

‘The team is very knowledgeable, with excellent drafting skills and experienced staff. On top of this, they work fast and deliver according to deadlines and promises.’

‘Mariken van Loopik and Else Rowel are all very professional lawyers – they are discreet, knowledgeable, and courageous enough to provide countervailing power or dissenting opinions and point out vulnerabilities the client may not want to hear or is unaware of.’

‘De Brauw’s capital markets team are one of the best I have worked with in 25 years. They clearly go the extra mile to ensure that they not only understand the legal issues at hand but also understand the commercial side of things.’

‘The team is excellent at combining a deep understanding of the commercial perspective with first-class legal advice.’

‘Jaap Barneveld is a very ambitious partner, who brings a significant amount of legal experience to the team. He is very proactive in addressing legal challenges early so they don’t spin out of control.’

‘Jaap Barneveld is always available, prepared, and hardworking. He is excellent at managing the process side of large complex transactions – this includes providing guidance to all the teams involved.’

‘Jan Willem Hoevers is noteworthy – whatever the legal problem, Jan has seen it all. His breadth of experience is very impressive. Always refers to a precedent when analysing a situation and he is very well-connected. I would not want to do a transaction without him.’

‘An excellent team and great even on an international scale.’

‘Arne Grimme, Klaas de Vries, Lennart Keijzer are each excellent in their own M&A fields; Michael Schouten stands out for governance and the unrivalled Jan Willem Hoevers does for equity capital markets.’

‘Gaby Smeenk and her team are second-to-none. Fantastic to work with, extremely smart and pragmatic negotiators.’

‘De Brauw is a very reputable firm with high-quality partners and teams, consistently providing top-notch advice. While their advice has always been of high quality and based on a sound theoretical understanding, the team is also pragmatic, which truly helps to get M&A transactions done.’

‘Jaap Barneveld combines in-depth knowledge on all relevant legal and other aspects of public-to-privates with a pragmatic mindset and is always focused on finding the best possible solution for the client.’

‘A good multi-disciplinary team that integrates with us seamlessly.’

‘Unparalleled experience in complex multijurisdictional deals. Thoughtful, deal-minded advice coupled with good technical expertise.’

‘Tijmen Klein Bronsvoort is a good lawyer with great technical skills.’

‘A team that provides excellent legal advice considering the issue at hand as well as the bigger picture, which enables that an informed decision can be taken.’

‘Sebastien Davys Brown and Bommel van der Bend who are both sharp analysts with excellent legal knowledge who provide clear advice on the issues at hand and with whom, last but not least, it is a pleasure to work with.’

‘Sebastian Davys-Brown made himself available as required – regardless if he has a filled agenda – as and when useful. ’

‘De Brauw team provides rigorous legal analyses and experienced legal advice on our complex construction project which has been terminated due to the failure of the main contractor. The team of experts undertakes for us thorough and objective assessments and provides the strategic legal advice that helps our management team to mitigate the risks, makes the decisions and enhance our position in the dispute.’

‘Bommel van der Bend and Sebastien Davys-Brown are the experts in the field of construction disputes. Our team values their proactive approach and clear communication lines. With their knowledge and experience in the complex disputes in the construction sector like our case and based on the integrated legal approach, we feel confident in the services provided by them and their team.’

‘We engage de Brauw for advise and preparation of litigation in a large construction contract. De Brauw works with an excellent, partly native English speaking team with extensive experience both in construction and the FIDIC contract types. There input, advise and guidance has been, and still is of great importance for a successful continuation and conclusion of all legal issues.’

‘Sebastien Davys-Brown and Bommel van der Bent are in good coordination in the lead, Sebastien is de FIDIC specialist, Bommel is the lead connection for the Dutch law. Clear discussions, adequate timing in response time and availability.’

‘Knowledgeable in the field of (offshore) construction and creative in making new contract formats.’

‘De Brauw’s data protection team is absolutely the go-to team for larger and complex data protection matters. They master the subject matter and work closely with the litigation and mass claims team and as such they are excellently equipped to advise and litigate on data protection class actions. ’

‘On data protection I’ve mainly worked with Axel Arnbak. He is a seasoned and well known data protection lawyer and an amazing sparring partner. He is not only well aware of the latest trends in his field, he also has excellent in-depth knowledge of legal background, political sensitiveness, historic laws and cases etc. Regardless how complex the subject matter is, Axel masters the skill of explaining this in a super clear manner and quickly spots the sensitive topics.’

‘Due to the portfolio of clients and the legal (court) cases the team is involved in, it has a very good oversight of what is happening in the privacy field.’

‘Axel Arnbak is very knowledgeable with a practical approach.’

‘Time after time, the oral representation in hearings by the De Brauw team is exceptional. Both conceptually and with respect to details, it is clear that De Brauw has a superior understanding and knowledge of the case over the lawyers representing the other side. They have a relentless focus on what really is happening and why – facts still matter at De Brauw.’

‘Matthias Kuscher’s ability to deal with complex cases and consequently reduce that complexity is extraordinary. He is fluent in many languages, which is very effective in hearings.’

‘Marnix Leijten stands out for his curiosity, drilling down to the core and going beyond the legal debate, exceptional motivation and representation time and time again.’

‘Martje Verhoeven-de Vries Lentsch is very experienced, has an excellent ability to look beyond the horizon, as well as an eye for detail and understanding of the essential details, and how these function together. Also excellent availability and communication.’

‘The De Brauw arbitration team is in a league of its own. Their knowledge of the law, team spirit and weight in the Dutch market is simply unparalleled. They have the ability to present difficult and intricate cases in a simple and convincing way while paying attention to the smallest yet most significant details. They deliver clear and actionable advice that is only available to teams with great local insights and connections. They manage cases as all-round projects which highly increases the quality of the final product.’

‘Marnix Leijten is an absolute star and definitely the best disputes lawyer in the Netherlands and one of the best in Europe. His courtroom presentation skills are extraordinary. Judges are mesmerised by his wit, knowledge and level of preparation.’

‘The arbitration team of De Brauw is outstanding. The team we worked with was excellent. Very good dynamics and it was clearly a joint effort to get the best result. Very knowledgeable on all fronts and creative in the approach and argumentation.’

‘Outstanding team with unparalleled knowledge and experience in the field of Dutch arbitration-related litigation. A very diverse team with lawyers from various jurisdictions offering a breadth of experience in and insight into the laws of other countries, which allows the team to deal with very complex international matters with great efficiency. The quality of the work provided by the team is second to none in the Netherlands.’

‘Machteld de Monchy is an exceedingly sharp lawyer with an impressive ability to combine excellence on details with an equally excellent overall strategic view. She is also very resourceful and a pleasure to work with.’

‘What makes this practice unique is their strict and professional internal organisation, while maintaining highly informal and swift access to key partners Machteld de Monchy and Dennis Horeman. In general, great understanding of internal dynamics clients have to deal with in high impact class actions.’

‘A large team that has top notch experience with defending against the most complex collective action claim in the Netherlands. The team has in-depth knowledge of the law and they are able to think creatively and pragmatically about legal problems. ’

‘Machteld de Monchy and Marieke Bredenoord-Spoek are trailblazers in field of collective actions in the Netherlands. They are also empathetic and easy to work with. They spearheaded an initiative to establish a new association for dialogue and exchange about developments in the collective action field in the Netherlands across plaintiff and defence side firms, the academic world and the bench. ’

‘De Brauw has a reputed class action team, defending large companies in mass claims in the Netherlands. Due to their experience, they are amazing in their strategy advise and give practical and to-the-point guidance on next steps. Also, as this is a large team and they work closely with subject matter experts of other teams, the larger and more complex cases are in good hands with them.’

‘The team is a thought leader in class actions. They bring international insights and qualifications to the table which is rare for an independent law firm. The are at the forefront of new cases, including pro bono work in class actions that makes an impact. ’

‘Machteld de Monchy stands out. Fully committed to the client, a creative mind regarding strategy and internationally well regarded. She is building diverse teams and shaping the firms pro bono practice.’

‘This is the best class action team. Class actions require not only good lawyers but also an organization where lawyers allocate tasks appropriately and dozens of people work together as a team. It is this where De Brauw excels. The way they put together their team to deal with mass claims all across Europe is outstanding and unique.’

‘The team has unrivalled experience in the area of mass litigation, financial litigation and other emerging areas, such as cartel cases. They can rely on vast experience acquired through past cases that few – if any – other Dutch law firm has. They recognise their limits and know it is best to involve economists early in these matters as they help shape legal reasonings but also potential settlements.’

‘Jeroen van der Schrieck is outstanding in his ability to focus on the key important issues of the case and manage the case such that team focus on these points and are not distracted by the white noise surrounding a large disputes with thousands of documents and numerous issues.’

‘De Brauw have been outstanding in this field for decades. Their technical capabilities are simply outstanding. They get to the core of complex matters very swiftly. They are very good at identifying what matters and at instructing their client what to focus on and what to disregard, thus achieving a high level of efficiency for them and their client. This year, De Brauw hugely impressed us with round-the-clock work from partners on various continents in a highly time-sensitive matter. Absolutely outstanding in quality and client care.’

‘Jan-Willem Meijer knows the law like no other, but also has a keen idea of how to strategically employ the law.’

‘An outstanding team with unparalleled knowledge and experience in the field of Dutch arbitration-related litigation. A very diverse team with lawyers from various jurisdictions offering a breadth of experience from and insight into the laws of other countries, which allows the team to deal with very complex international matters with great efficiency. The quality of the work provided by the team is second to none in the Netherlands.’

‘Eelco Meerdink is an outstanding lawyer and litigator with an incredible ability to deal with the most complex legal and factual issues. Eelco is a very strong team leader who delivers timely and focused advice, tailored to the client’s needs.’

‘De Brauw’s litigation team has unique capabilities. They handle our truly complex cases when we need technical knowledge and multi-disciplinary expertise. They are able to lay out complex issues in a clear manner which helped our case tremendously. Their mass claims practice and ESG practice really stand out. They are really ahead of the field and they really understand where the law and society are going.’

‘Davine Roessingh is excellent, strategic and convincing in litigation. She thoroughly understands her cases and their dynamics and leads her team in an optimistic and decisive way. She delivers outstanding, innovative and clear advice on climate change and sustainability risks and opportunities and clearly has the more technical aspects of ESG at her fingertips like few others do.’

‘We can always rely on their team of skilled lawyers to provide quick and effective responses.’

‘Barbara Kloppert and Stefan Sagel are able to offer both practical solutions as well as creative ones when the need arises. Stefan’s extensive legal knowledge and Barbara’s ability to navigate difficult situations are most impressive. It is a pleasure to work alongside such talented individuals.’

‘Very experienced, hands on and responsive. They not only provide academic advice but also advise on what to do next.’

‘Stefan Sagel is skilled, knows best practice and knows what we need as a client. Our unique position in the legal landscape makes advising on it challenging. Stefan is not afraid to accept that challenge and guide us through it.’

‘The De Brauw team is able to advise on the preferred legal approaches without losing sight of our business interests from an operational perspective. De Brauw are able to clarify legally complex matters in their presentations to our non-legal stakeholders and also to connect us with legal counsels in the field through an off-site educational program which combines business and fun.’

‘The team are exceptional in adjusting quickly to the client’s way of working, clarifying the legal complexities, and standing their ground when needed. Their knowledge goes beyond the legal issues. They have great experience with all the complexities of operating in a hostile environment and help the client to keep calm when entering a storm. The team is a lot of fun to work with.’

‘Top-of-the-bill employment law advice, both on the merits as well as strategic support. We are working with Stefan Sagel’s team on a large project that requires connecting a lot of legal and strategic dots and the team has shown great understanding of our business, our requirements and the stakes involved. The team is response and diverse.’

‘Stefan Sagel and Irina Timp stand out for their clear thinking in determining strategy, in which they do not lose sight of the larger interests at stake as well as thinking ahead in terms of next steps.’

‘Billing is of good quality.’

‘You won’t find someone more experienced and knowledgeable than Arjan Kleinhout – the best there is!’

‘Very experienced partners with an excellent understanding of the business areas they advise in – very pragmatic.’

‘I have been working with Helen Gornall for several years now and there is no other competition lawyer with a similar level of knowledge of our industry. Her ability to find pragmatic solutions while satisfying the needs of the business is exceptional.’

‘Jolling de Pree is the best competition lawyer I know – an expert in his field who is able to combine his expertise with knowledge of our business and advise us practically.’

‘The team knows everything there is to know about competition law and is able to advise in a practical and applicable way for the business.’

‘The team has an in-depth knowledge of sector-specific regulations and is able to translate complicated legal matters into hands-on advice.’

‘Arjan Kleinhout is an exceptional regulatory lawyer who is easy-going but knows the law.’

‘Bart de Rijke is a very knowledgeable and skilled competition lawyer who translates complex notions of competition law into workable recommendations that we can execute. We would highly recommend working with him.’

‘Helen Gornall is incredibly bright and client friendly.’

‘DBBW has an experienced insurance team with in-depth knowledge of the life insurance business and its products. As a result, the team efficiently delivers excellent, practical advice.’

‘Dennis Horeman is an outstanding lawyer. He is hands-on, readily available and a pleasure to work with.’

‘Highly dedicated, very well experienced, good industry knowledge, hands-on mentality.’

‘De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek’s valuable work in the Netherlands allows us to protect our rights, through contentious and non-contentious matters, thanks to a deep knowledge of geographical indications law and case law.’

‘Tobias Cohen Jehoram is an IP luminary, though very approachable and pragmatic in his advice. His team consists of talented lawyers with the same mindset.’

‘Very good firm, in particular for Supreme Court litigation in these cases. Very strong in high-end matters.’

‘Tobias Cohen Jehoram is really one of the biggest trade mark experts.’

‘For complex trade mark matters, Tobias Cohen Jehoram and his team are the ones to go to. Extremely knowledgeable, pragmatic and highly effective.’

‘Tobias Cohen Jehoram stands out as highly professional. His expertise in trade mark and copyright law is outstanding and quite exceptional. He is detail oriented to a degree that doesn’t allow anything of importance to slip.’

‘De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek has a very strong, intelligent team. They go to the extreme and beyond for their clients and leave nothing to chance. Probably the best firm in the Netherlands for IP matters.’

‘Kees Groffen and Mariska Enzerink have extensive asset and fund management knowledge, regarding both liquid and illiquid investments. Wiebe Dijkstra is excellent for tax matters re asset and fund management.’

‘A pragmatic and knowledgeable team. ’

‘Kees Groffen has lots of experience and is a pragmatic thinker.’

‘De Brauw is excellent in the field of investment funds. It is involved in the highest profile fund raisings.’

‘Kees Groffen and the diverse team oversee the full spectrum of regulated fund business in the Netherlands and have excellent knowledge of legislation and regulation, and outstanding capabilities translating that into practical solutions. Their dedication to the client and the matter at hand is outstanding.’ 

‘Kees Groffen is exceptional; he remains in a league of his own in the regulated investment fund environment. He combines outstanding levels of knowledge of the regulatory framework and and in-depth understanding of the funds business with the ability to give highly practical advice. His diplomatic approach ensures good working relationships with counterparties and regulators.’

‘Mariska Enzerink is excellent and incredibly dedicated to the client, and very strong from a regulatory and legal point of view, with a very practical approach.’

‘Really best in class in handling complex Dutch, European and global issues and simplifying it for the client. ’

‘DeBrauw clearly stands out as the top firm on Dutch mid-market private equity transactions. Lead partners are hands-on and into the details, and think two or three steps ahead.’

‘The team are a strong sparring partner on our deals which allows us to get the maximum result out of our discussions.’

‘The biggest difference to other big firms is the quality of the professionals at levels below partner-level; they are really strong professionals, deep into the file, and very committed.’

‘Lennard Keizer really stands out, we consider him the top legal M&A professional in the market for PE dealmaking in the Netherlands. A real strategic sparring partner on a transaction, into the details with an excellent overview of what’s ahead.’

‘Lennard doesn’t just run a standard playbook, but innovates and takes a bespoke approach to situations. He also spends a lot of time coaching the junior talent in his team.’

‘They meet the highest professional standards, are creative and available. The team is of good quality at all levels and pleasant to work with.’

‘We very much appreciate working with Lennard Keijzer. He is highly collaborative and a good sense of what is needed in which situation, both technically and interpersonally. This allows him to be a little faster and sharper than many others.’

‘Lennard Keijzer and Claudia van Rappard-Priem are both very knowledgeable, thorough, pragmatic and responsive. I would recommend them to anyone.’

‘We have a longstanding relationships with the team.’

‘Ferdinand is creative and solution-minded without losing the interest of his client.’

‘Ferdinand Hengst is great. Really approachable, commercial and diligent.’

‘The go-to practice for international bet-the-company restructurings. Once engaged, they are fully dedicated to bringing restructurings to a good end.’

‘Very capable of dealing with politically sensitive matters. They have strong international capabilities, great effectiveness and provide full-service cooperation – these attributes are unique in the Dutch market.’

‘Ferdinand Hengst is a very bright, business savvy lawyer who is well-versed to take a helicopter view and deal with all aspects of the matter at hand, including issues of a non-legal nature. ’

‘De Brauw’s tax group is a very dedicated team that delivers top quality advice.’

‘Henk van Ravenhorst and Frank Pötgens deliver top quality advice, have excellent communication, negotiation and matter management skills and are always available and responsive.’

‘Team is always responsive and well versed in its specialist area.’

‘Wiebe Dijkstra is very focused, and eager to support and provide advice.’

‘Very knowledgeable team with the ability to simplify complex tax matters.’

‘Henk van Ravenhorst is a very skilled tax and transactions lawyer. He possesses an excellent analytical ability in relation to the most complex legal issues and, at the same time, is very easy and pleasant to work with and very attentive to the client’s needs.’

‘The DeBrauw team excels in understanding its clients needs, and acting proactively to provide practical advice and guidance.’

‘They are a great support. The team communicates clearly and does not overly legalize matters where it’s not necessary. The team works very efficiently and does not waste time on irrelevant items.’

‘The team is composed of a diverse range of high-quality, pleasant to work with individuals.’

‘Bas Boutellier is very engaged and knowledgeable, and provides excellent guidance and hands-on advice. Lisa de Boer is very much on top of things, and solves issues proactively. Both are an absolute joy to work with.’

‘A highly-skilled practice that is capable of advising on debt practice.’

‘The team can adapt swiftly to new changes and preferences of the company and they show high expertise, efficiency and swift communication and engagement along with the company’s preferences.’

‘The team is formed of highly skilled individuals, capable of advising on debt practice in relation to very specific company structures.’

‘Fit-for-purpose advice. The team is able to give excellent legal advice on short notice and are very pleasant to work with.’

‘They provide high standard legal advice, with attention to important details. They are very well-prepared and have broad experience of legal matters that may occur in our business.’

‘The unique strength of De Brauw lies in their personal yet collective approach – while there is an expert lawyer working on our cases, we feel the value of the added colleagues and partners at the firm.’

‘Their expertise and knowledge is top-level and the team is willing to brainstorm on ideas, questions and new insights regarding new legislation and jurisprudence, rather than just sending updates. We can put our heads together and create a think tank to reach valuable, long-term, risk-assessed solutions.’

‘The complexity and number of cases that we handle with De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek is high, yet they never fail to keep a bird’s eye overview and to guide us through various processes with absolute clarity.’

‘We especially value the governmental and administrative sensitivity the lawyers we work with display.’

‘Jasper van Uden has the ability to communicate even the most complex legal cases in an understandable manner.’

‘The lawyers have a down-to-earth approach, good availability, and their creativity and willingness to look for solutions rather than to fight legal battles unnecessarily stands out.’

‘Marnix Somsen is a good communicator. He has excellent strategic views.’

‘The fraud and white-collar crime practice is literally one call or email away. They have an excellent understanding of the law and the way it is applied and interpreted. Their relationship with all stakeholders is very good, meaning that they are able to navigate the enforcement landscape and know what the client can expect.’

‘Marnix Somsen has a deep understanding of the law and the manner in which the law is enforced and interpreted. He has excellent customer relation-skills.’

‘They are great out of the box thinkers, they have a great teamwork spirit, and they deliver what they promise on time within budget.’

‘They really know their clients and their needs. They have a high level of innovative thinking and high moral standards.’

‘High standard, top-of-the-bill IP lawyers. Capable of dealing with large cases.’

‘Anne Marie Verschuur is a very bright and good litigator. Pleasant to work with, never leaving open ends. She is a very good pleader as well.’

‘Anne Marie Verschuur is one of the best European IP litigators, with a core experience in patents. She is one of the top five individuals in the Netherlands and goes the extra mile for her clients!’

‘Top firm with an excellent reputation and a very good patent litigation practice.’

‘They have lots of experience and try to give reasonable advice. They have an excellent team spirit, are pro-customer thinking and always have a cost/risk friendly solution in mind for their customers.’

‘Very pleasant and knowledgeable people. They easily understand the business dynamics we work in. Great to work with.’