Houthoff > Amsterdam, Netherlands > Firm Profile

Houthoff
GUSTAV MAHLERPLEIN 50
1082 MA AMSTERDAM
Netherlands

Netherlands > Capital markets: equity Tier 1

The equity capital markets practice group at Houthoff is regularly involved in some of the largest IPOs in the domestic market. At the same time, cross-border equity-linked offerings are a clear strength of the team, in which Alexander Kaarls is a key contact. Jetty Tukker, whose advisory offering includes securities regulatory compliance and deSPAC transactions, is another name to note. Counsel Willem Liedenbaum and senior associate Emma Schutte are often involved in the practice’s work on IPOs for global corporations.

Practice head(s):

Alexander Kaarls; Jetty Tukker; Jessica Terpstra; André de Neve 

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘The team is capable and has a hands-on style of working which makes it easy for our management team to work with them.’

‘Individuals that are able to get the job done in small teams with understanding of the business through a practical approach.’

‘Super, well-rounded team.’

‘Jetty Tukker has exceptional communication skills.’

Key clients

WeTransfer / The Creative Productivity Group N.V.

Ariston Holding N.V.

Davide Campari-Milano N.V.

Meltwater N.V.

Qell Acquisition Corp.

European Healthcare Acquisition & Growth Company B.V.

GP Bullhound Acquisition I SE

Ally Bridge Group

Ease2Pay N.V.

Goldman Sachs

DP Eurasia N.V.

Citigroup

J.P. Morgan

Thoma Bravo

Work highlights

  • Advised The Creative Productivity Group N.V. (the holding company of the WeTransfer group) and its major shareholder Highland Technology Growth L.P. on the envisaged IPO of WeTransfer on Euronext Amsterdam.
  • Advised Ariston Holding N.V., a global leader in renewable and high efficiency solutions for hot water and space heating, components and burners, on its IPO on Euronext Milan.
  • Advised European Healthcare Acquisition & Growth Company B.V. (EHC) on successfully completing its €200m private placement and listing on Euronext Amsterdam.

Netherlands > Construction Tier 1

The construction team at Houthoff, based in Rotterdam, has gained experience in claim prevention and management on large developments during the execution phase, showing the firm’s contentious capacity alongside transactional matters. The team is led by Michel Klijn, a qualified civil engineer, who demonstrates a wealth of experience across complex project and contract work within the industry. The team is supported by the firm’s full-service structure, and effectively leverages its wider procurement and regulatory expertise. Combining its real estate and construction capabilities, the team is able to offer strategic advice to its broad client base, including key infrastructure institutions. Recent work demonstrating this ability includes advising in relation to the large Westfield redevelopment in Leidsenhage. Counsel Sander van den Boogaart specialises in construction law, projects and project financing and PPPs.

Practice head(s):

Michel Klijn

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘Houthoff combines in-depth knowledge and great dedication to provide their clients with high quality and yet very practical advice – absolutely the best in the Dutch construction market.’

‘Sander van den Boogaart – his practice is hands-on and dedicated to the job and the client. He is good at listening and good at coming up with solutions.  He often knows our key contracts better than we know them ourselves.’

‘Team is not only knowledgeable on legal matters but has hands-on experience in the building and construction industry. This gives them an edge.’

‘Michel Klijn – outstanding. Hands-on experience, sharp. His education as a civil engineer and lawyer is very valuable in our conflicts with the contractors.’

‘Working on a uniquely large and complex project which required highly specialised knowledge. Houthoff has proven time and time again to master all facets.’

‘They are eager to understand their client’s business, trying to seek for creative solutions that are not so obvious.’

‘Personal commitment and open minded attitude. Michel Klijn had an extremely positive contribution. Being a civil engineer, he was able to understand the very relevant technical factors of our case.’

‘The strength of Houthoff is that you deal with a one-stop office. The total range of legal fields is covered.’

Key clients

Bol.com

Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield

Schiphol Airport

Bysteel S.A., Portuguese firm part of DST Group

Greystar

Attero

HagaZiekenhuis

Nederlandse Spoorwegen

Zadelhoff

Siza

FCC

VolkerWessels

ARUP

Work highlights

  • Represents Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield in the redevelopment of the Leidsenhage shopping mall in Leidschendam-Voorburg, the Netherlands, including representation in court in various major legal proceedings.
  • Acting as the legal counsel of FCC, the EPCM contractor of the A9 Badhoevedorp, a major motorway PFI project.
  • Representing OPCW in all development, procurement, construction and zoning and planning-related matters of its new Centre for Chemistry and Technology, to be located near The Hague.

Netherlands > Dispute resolution: arbitration Tier 1

As ‘one of the best practices for international arbitration in the Netherlands’, Houthoff represents investors and states in large and complex international arbitration cases, including investment arbitration, as well as high-value arbitration-related litigation for enforcement and annulment of arbitral awards. Dirk Knottenbelt heads the arbitration team, specialising in corporate and commercial arbitration. ‘Excellent arbitration counsel’ and ‘standout lawyer’ Thomas Stouten represents an array of clients in commercial and corporate disputes before the ICC, UNCITRAL, ICSD, DIAC, LCIA, SIAC and NAI. Key member of the both the litigation and arbitration teams Remme Verkerk, who has been recently promoted to partner, is involved in landmark cases before the Supreme Court. Counsel Isabelle van den Nieuwendijk supports the team in investment arbitration matters. Since research concluded, Glenn Hoek left the firm.

Practice head(s):

Dirk Knottenbelt; Thomas Stouten

Other key lawyers:

Remme Verkerk; Isabelle van den Niewendijk

Testimonials

‘One of the best practices for international arbitration in the Netherlands, in particular for arbitration-related court proceedings’

‘Dirk Knottenbelt, Thomas Stouten and Isabella van den Nieuwendijk are the key players.’

‘Fantastic team, well connected, always on top of trends and developments.’

‘Houthoff has a very strategic view and gives us support beyond pure legal advice. The firm always has the commercial side of the matter in mind as well. Houthoff is not concerned with merely winning in court, but with making the right decisions for us in the long term.’

‘Houthoff appears to be able to attract the brightest minds to their arbitration team. Their strategic advice is top-notch. They are worth the high rate that they charge, value for money!’

‘Thomas Stouten is a leading individual in the arbitration society. He is likeable and easy to work with, while his expertise on arbitration law is unparalleled. He clearly is the lawyer you want on your side. Dirk Knottenbelt ‘owns’ the court room. He is extremely convincing, and his advocacy skills are truly exceptional.’

‘The Houthoff arbitration group is top-notch, providing capable, thorough, smart representation of clients. They are also perfect co-counsel.’

‘Isabelle van den Nieuwendijk has excellent procedural knowledge and strategic instincts. She is a safe pair of hands.’

Key clients

Petrobras Brasileo

Eni

Surpass Commercial Corp. Ltd.

Wells Ultimate Service LLC

Heidelberg Cement

Work highlights

  • Representing Eni, a leading Italian listed energy company, in the defence against an application by GasTerra, a leading Dutch gas company for the annulment of an arbitral award on gas price reviews.
  • Acting as a lead counsel for several clients in three different ICC arbitrations in the Netherlands and the USA, as well as court proceedings in the Netherlands and Portugal, in pursuit of claims based on commercial contracts with Bariven, a subsidiary of PDVSA, the national oil company of Venezuela.
  • Representing Heidelberg Cement in setting aside proceedings concerning the validity of an (amended) arbitral award before the Dutch Supreme Court.

Netherlands > Dispute resolution: Commercial litigation Tier 1

Houthoff consistently works on multi-jurisdictional complex cases, including corporate, insolvency, financial, insurance and semi-public sector litigation at all court levels including the Supreme Court. The experienced Albert Knigge acts in multiparty cross-border disputes, defending international clients against securities class actions and commencing proceedings for the restructuring and recovery of losses. Corporate litigator Jan Willem de Groot is another name to note for post-arbitral litigation as well as post-M&A disputes. Supreme Court specialist Bart van der Wiel represents international clients in the energy and entertainment industries in finance, insolvency and liability claims. Competition litigator Rick Cornelissen focuses on follow-on cartel damages claims, while David Heems is the go-to name for representation in directors’ and officers’ liability disputes. Recently promoted partners Paul Sluijter and Marjolein Heuten also contribute significantly to the practice.

Practice head(s):

Albert Knigge; Bart van der Wiel

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘The Houthoff team is our go to team for Supreme Court cases.’

‘Albert Knigge is that rare mix of being an excellent black letter lawyer but also very commercial. He is very user-friendly and a pleasure to work with.’

‘I consider Rick Cornelissen the best lawyer I have ever worked with. He is knowledgeable, responsive, very friendly and a great communicator.’

‘Jan Willem de Groot is leading his team by example. He is very knowledgeable, and a strategic thinker.’

‘Jan Willem de Groot and Marjolein Heuten are exceptional.’

‘David Heems is the star! His personal efforts are beyond comparison to others. He is also a good leader in orchestrating his team.’

‘Bart van der Wiel is one of the most well-known Supreme Court litigators in the Netherlands. He stands out from the crowd by combining exceptional expertise in procedural law with solid business acumen. Bart is definitely the go-to Supreme Court litigator in the Netherlands.’

‘Albert Knigge is a master tactician with a deep understanding and knowledge of law who ensures all points are covered.’

Key clients

Achmea

AIG

Allianz

Asr

Audi AG

Avery Dennison

Capgemini

Cargolux Airlines International S.A.

CBRE

Centerbridge Partners

Dommo Netherlands

Elliott Management

Eni

Huntington Ingalls Industries

ING Group

NatWest

InsingerGilissen

LG Electronics

Liander

Nationale-Nederlanden

Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS)

Nexans S.A.,

Novamedia

Owens-Illinois, Inc.

Petrobras

Russian Federation

Stellantis

TOTAL

Trafigura

Vitra

Volvo Trucks

Renault Trucks

Sligro Food Group

Kroonenberg Group

Work highlights

  • Defending Petrobras in a securities class action submitted by the mass claims vehicle Stichting Petrobras Compensation Foundation, which represents a worldwide class of holders of securities (US investors excluded) who claim to have suffered financial loss as a result of alleged fraud within the Petrobras group during 2004 – 2014.
  • Represented Volvo Trucks/Renault Trucks in its defence strategy against pending and upcoming cartel damages cases, following on from European Commission fines for the exchange of information on gross prices for 14 years and the passing-on of costs of compliance with stricter emission rules.
  • Represented bondholders Brigade Capital and Davidson Kempner before the Supreme Court in indemnification proceedings awarding €804m of compensation to bondholders for the expropriation by the Dutch State in respect of SNS Bank and SNS Reaal.

Netherlands > Environment and planning Tier 1

Zoning matters and ESG advice are key areas for Houthoff, where Marloes Brans leads the ‘experienced and knowledgeable‘ environment and planning team. The practice is also strong in litigation and transactional due diligence, and Brans also heads the climate change practice, with particular expertise in issues relating to decarbonisation. Marry de Gaay Fortman co-heads the public law department, and counsel Monica Sonderegger is recommended in planning. Jan Frans de Groot left the firm in January 2023 for a position in the administrative law division of the Council of State.

Practice head(s):

Marloes Brans

Other key lawyers:

Marry de Gaay Foortman; Monica Sonderegger

Testimonials

‘Up-to-date, very knowledgable, strong listeners, good communicators.’

‘Marloes Brans and Monica Sonderegger stand out.’

‘The team has very strong capabilities, consisting of niche experts who are among the most experienced and knowledgeable in their field.’

‘For all different work streams, Houthoff appears to always have just the right expert for the job.’

‘Marloes Brans is quick to respond with thorough and detailed analyses.’

Key clients

Royal VolkerWessels

PPG

Huntsman

Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield

Tata Steel

Arup

Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy

Municipality of Amersfoort; Municipality of Utrecht; Municipality of Hilversum

Robert Bosch B.V.

ParkBee

Royal Dutch Schiphol

G&S Vastgoed

VDL Nedcar

Nederlandse Spoorwegen N.V.

CBRE

Work highlights

  • Advising the Dutch Waste Management Association regarding meeting the Supreme Court Urgenda judgment, forcing the Dutch State to reach a 25% reduction of CO2 levels in 2020 in comparison to 1990 levels.
  • Representing a consortium of large real estate undertakings in a major development in Utrecht, located in the Merwedekanaalzone.
  • Acting as lead counsel to the private owner of the Duchess Hedwige polder against the Dutch government regarding a planned project to submerge the privately owned polder (more than 300 hectares of cultivated land) and turn it into estuarine nature.

Netherlands > Insurance Tier 1

Houthoff is active across insurance-related transactions, regulatory, and contentious matters. The firm has a core regulatory focus on prudential insurance and conduct of business advice, including issues connected to non-consolidated shareholders and supervisory authorities. In its non-contentious advisory capacity, the firm focuses on corporate matters, regularly acting for boards of directors of insurance companies as well as being increasingly active in M&A transactions in the insurance sector, leveraging close connections with the wider firm including corporate, restructuring, and employment. The team is also experienced in product development and entry into the Dutch market, with an emphasis on marketing new distribution channels and regulations. The firm’s contentious practice includes acting on professional indemnity and D&O liability matters and reinsurance disputes. The team is led by Berry van Wijk, based in Rotterdam, and Hans Londonck Sluijk, based in Amsterdam. Roel Theissen left the firm for NautaDutilh in April 2023.

Practice head(s):

Berry van Wijk; Hans Londonck Sluijk

Other key lawyers:

Gijs Hamelijnck

Testimonials

‘Fast response time, structured coordination of requests in consideration of the given deadlines. Reliable expertise, needs-based work and flexible.’

‘Market knowledge. Longstanding relationship with partner dedication.’

‘Very approachable team with deep insurance knowledge. We needed support on the draft of a cooperation agreement and the team helped us mitigating legal risks to set up a new partnership in the Netherlands.’

‘Expertise of insurance law in innovative and international contexts.’

‘The team are knowledgeable and responsive, and were able to provide an important bridge to the regulator.’

‘Very good advice and service were provided by the Houthoff team by Berry van Wijk and Gijs Hamelijnck.’

‘Legal expertise; able to apply this in innovative and international contexts. High level advice, risk-oriented, able to analyse and solve legal problems in a quick and practical manner with an eye for business needs.’

‘Houthoff’s team focuses on the more complex cases, the importance of which justifies the costs. When dealing with such matters, the team not only has a clear added value legally, but also strategically. Attention is not only paid to the legal position, but also to achieving solutions.’

Work highlights

  • Advised Nationale Nederlanden (NN Group) in the preliminary proceeding in the Supreme Court in several ongoing class actions suits, including strategic advice.
  • Acting as defense counsel to AIG and its insured Lincoln Electric BV, a multinational steel welding manufacturer, relating to various litigation proceedings – and threatening class action proceedings.
  • Acting for FM Insurance Europe S.A. in a coverage dispute with its insured, The Lubrizol Corporation, following claims for loss and damages and third-party liability under the policy arising from a fire which occurred in 2019 in Lubrizol’s factory in France.

Netherlands > Real estate Tier 1

Houthoff handles a range of real estate matters, leveraging expertise in financial restructuring, tax, corporate, environmental law and investment management, for its institutional real estate clients. The practice is engaged with developments in the property field, publishing on topics such as circular building, sustainability and climate change. The practice is led by Herman Lohman who is sought after for his experience in multi-jurisdictional real estate transactions, including M&A, financing and restructuring. Jan Cees Kuiken and Lucas Louwerier advise banks, pension funds and investors on transactions, as well as financings and (re)developments. Anna Wijnans, who was recently promoted to partner, has a broad focus on corporate real estate transactions and commercial tenancy law.

Practice head(s):

Herman Lohman

Other key lawyers:

Jan Frans de Groot; Jan Cees Kuiken; Wychand Kraaij; Dolf de Jong; Anna Wijnans; Lucas Louwerier

Testimonials

‘Deep relevant knowledge. Client and process focused.’

‘Dolf de Jong and Jan Frans de Groot. Recommended.’

‘The team is very accessible, professional, has in-depth knowledge and experience in real estate and development transactions.’

‘Jan Cees Kuiken is our go-to person with regard to real estate transactions. Down to earth, practical and with exceptional knowledge.’

‘Wychand Kraaij is upcoming in the field; very pleasant to work with, great knowledge and practical.’

Key clients

CBRE Global Investors

Unibail-Rodamco

Nuveen Real Estate

ASR Real Estate

Amvest

LCN Capital Partners

UBS

Gramercy Property Europe

Syntrus Achmea Real Estate & Finance

Delta Lloyd / Nationale Nederlanden

VolkerWessels

Wereldhave

NSI

PATRIZIA

Commerz Real Investmentgesellschaft

Heimstaden

Greystar

CTP

EDGE

Work highlights

  • Advised Egeria Real Estate Development with the incorporation of a new acquisition and development fund including the management participation structure.
  • Assisting Amsterdam Stock Exchange-listed CTP on its first two projects in the Netherlands: CTPark Rotterdam (23,000 m2) and acquiring a 580,000 m2 land bank in Waalwijk.
  • Advising Greystar in connection with the acquisition of the residential project Brainpark in Rotterdam consisting of approximately 590 units and commercial space.

Netherlands > Restructuring and insolvency Tier 1

Advising both creditors and debtors, Houthoff’s practice is active across all elements of distressed situations, including large debt-for-equity restructurings and court proceedings in relation to restructuring and contentious insolvency work, with demonstrable experience before the Supreme Court. Noted for its track record in administrations and court-appointments, the team is highly specialised in this regard and has previously been involved in major receiverships. Christiaan Zijderveld leads the practice, representing foreign and Dutch banks when borrowers face distressed situations, as well as debtor companies, often involving a cross-border element. Frédéric Verhoeven acts on both the debtor and creditor side, and is regularly involved in restructuring acquisition transactions, while David Heems is noted for his capability in insolvency litigation.

Practice head(s):

Christiaan Zijderveld

Other key lawyers:

Frédéric Verhoeven; Karien van Boekel; David Heems; Joost den Hollander

Testimonials

‘Houthoff has a very strong team. They bring carefully considered and creative solutions to complex problems to the table. This is an innovative team that delivers high quality solutions.’

‘Frédéric Verhoeven and Christiaan Zijderveld are both exceptional restructuring specialists. They have an excellent grasp of commercial issues and an exceptional ability to craft innovative solutions to complex problems.’

‘The practice is unique because the team solves problems efficiently. Knowledge, billing, technology and diversity is up to standard and the people collaborate in a pleasant way.’

‘They are very well-regarded in the market and work on most complex international restructurings and administrations. They are very commercial and well-connected.’

‘Christiaan Zijderveld and Frédéric Verhoeven are very commercial, knowledgeable and well-connected. They are able to align parties in difficult situations.

‘Houthoff’s team has excellent technical capabilities in the R&I field. They heavily invest in the insolvency training of their team members, which shows in their knowledge across all experience levels. They also have excellent acumen for commercial considerations in international transactions. Lastly, they are noted for being extremely responsive towards clients and ability to give short and level-headed advice.’

‘Frédéric Verhoeven is noted for his vast experience as bankruptcy trustee and administrator. He has almost unparalleled experience in the practical workings of large insolvency proceedings, giving him an undeniable edge to advise on R&I situations. Christiaan Zijderveld is noted for his outstanding technical knowledge about insolvency law. He is also a very friendly person, making it a breeze to work with. David Heems is a stand-out insolvency litigator; he is extremely quick in delivering output, has a sensible attitude on when to push for litigation (and when not to) and has the ability to get to the heart of a case quickly. Lastly, Karien van Boekel is an outstanding associate in the team.’

‘Christiaan Zijderveld is a very good lawyer and strategist, and Joost den Hollander is a sharp lawyer and good communicator.’

Key clients

Steinhoff International Holdings N.V.

Fortenova Group (continuation of Agrokor)

Dümmen Orange

DSB Bank

Lehman Brothers

Goldman Sachs

ING Bank

CBRE Global Investors

Attestor

Redwood Capital Management

Solarnow (Shell / Novastar JV)

AIG

Imtech N.V.

Sogestran Shipping

Indofin

Amvest

Time Bio Ventures

ABNAMRO

Work highlights

  • Advising South African-based retailer Steinhoff International Holdings N.V. (SIHNV) on a large restructuring.
  • Advising The Fortenova Group, which is the continuation of what was previously called Agrokor, an Eastern European food retailer that went through a restructuring process in 2017-2019.
  • Acting as liquidator of Lehman Brothers Treasury Co B.V. in which over $13bn has been paid out to creditors by the administrators.

Netherlands > Banking and finance: Financial services regulatory Tier 2

Berry van Wijk is the head of financial markets regulation at Houthoff. The team is well-placed to handle both advisory and transactional mandates, as well as litigation, for Dutch and foreign banks, e-money/payment institutions, insurance companies and cryptocurrency providers, among other clients. Van Wijk is an expert in dealings that involve the DNB and AFM, and she also advises clients on market entry and the regulatory aspects of corporate transactions. Senior associate Lisanne Haarman, who has extensive experience with integrity-related issues in the context of anti-money laundering, is also recommended. Counsel Juan Vervuurt joined the team from ABN Amro in May 2022. Roel Theissen left for NautaDutilh in April 2023.

Practice head(s):

Berry van Wijk

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘The team has an exquisite knowledge of financial services in the Netherlands and in particular the insurance industry.’

‘Berry van Wijk has outstanding experience in the insurance industry. She is a very professional partner with a down to earth approach.’

‘The team offers fast and expert advice, and always makes an effort to get to know the business of the client.’

‘They are very thorough, while having the skills to deliver concise and practical advice. Their assessment derives from an understanding of the client’s perspective. This approach provides sound advice that can be applied.’

‘Lisanne Haarman was responsive, thorough, and very helpful. She understood the operational model of the client, a complex and novel platform for which there is little regulatory guidance. She clearly outlined potential regulatory treatment of a securities platform that did not fit neatly into existing regulatory regimes.’

‘Deep knowledge of the relevant market.’

‘Easy to contact, friendly, and managed to find solutions that fit our interests.’

Key clients

Corporation Service Company

Credit Agricole Consumer Finance

Yarden

eToro

DSB N.V.

AZL

NN

ASR

MediaMarkt

Heimstaden

ZEGO

AIG

Swiss Re

Work highlights

  • Advised Corporation Service Company on its recommended public offer for all shares of Intertrust N.V. for €20 (cum dividend) in cash per share. The offer represents a total consideration of approximately EUR 1.8 billion. The firm assisted with all regulatory approvals in the Netherlands, including the screening of directors and obtaining a DNO for the payment institution.
  • Assisted CA CF NL with the application for a DNO for a large-scale reorganisation, both in relation to the supervisory authorities involved as well as the intermediaries.
  • Assisted Yarden and its two shareholders (the Vereniging Yarden and the Stichting Yarden) in the envisaged rescue sale of Yarden to DELA.

Netherlands > Banking and finance: lender or arranger side Tier 2

Loet Venrooy heads the financial markets practice at Houthoff, drawing on almost 30 years of experience in the financial services sector. The group is renowned for structuring complex cross-border finance transactions on the lender side, with it generating a significant number of mandates through international (particularly US) law firms. Real estate finance transactions and real estate loan transfer transactions are major areas of strength for the team, whose additional expertise includes project finance, acquisition finance, structured finance, syndicated and bilateral loans, and restructurings. Another key individual is Jessica Terpstra, who divides her time between the firm's London and Amsterdam offices.

Practice head(s):

Loet Venrooy

Other key lawyers:

Jessica Terpstra; Jan Veeningen; Jeroen Vossenberg; Roel Theissen; Juan Vervuurt

Testimonials

‘An outstanding firm with strong market knowledge and specialised teams for matters involving structured finance, restructurings, corporate loans and regulatory compliance. They are responsive, knowledgeable and commercially minded.’

‘Jessica Terpstra provides accurate legal advice in an efficient and pragmatic way. Her broad sectoral knowledge makes her one of the most remarkable practitioners within the Dutch banking and finance arena.’

‘Very pragmatic team that know exactly how their clients prefer to structure transactions.’

‘Easy-going and always available, offering help even if they’re not involved in a transaction.’

‘They delivered high quality work under significant time pressure. Where needed they coordinated with other teams within the firm.’

‘Very professional and knowledgeable team that were pleasant to cooperate with.’

Key clients

Corporation Service Company

Credit Agricole Consumer Finance

Yarden

eToro

DSB N.V.

AZL

NN

ASR

MediaMarkt

Heimstaden

Work highlights

  • Advising a subsidiary of Indofin as the largest shareholder of Royal IHC in relation to its financial restructuring.
  • Assisted CA CF NL with the application for a DNO for a large-scale reorganisation, both in relation to the supervisory authorities involved as well as in relation to the intermediaries.
  • Advising the lenders to the PMC project, BNG Bank and Rabobank, on amendments and waivers relating to PMC metal purifying project in the Netherlands.

Netherlands > Commercial, corporate and M&a Tier 2

Commended as ‘smart and practical, with a great understanding of cross-border transactions’, the corporate practice at Houthoff acts for domestic and multinational companies on high-end M&A and joint venture mandates. Alexander Kaarls regularly advises on deals involving IT companies, while practice leader Bram Caudri focuses on corporate takeovers, joint ventures and M&A transactions with an international angle. The practice, which includes key contact Willem de Nijs Bik, saw the partner promotions of Guillette van Grinsven, Richard Witvliet and Philip van der Eijk in January 2022. Michiel Wesseling retired in December 2021 and Maurits de Haan left the firm in December 2022.

Practice head(s):

Bram Caudri

Testimonials

‘Bram Caudri has worked with us on all our transactions, and successfully so. He is pragmatic and constructive, with a focus on bridging potential gaps between our international approach and the local needs.’

‘The Houthoff team are smart and practical, with a great understanding of cross-border transactions. They invest time, effort and energy into learning our business, which better enables them to advise our company.’

‘Alexander Kaarls is an incredibly talented lawyer. He is measured, pragmatic and knowledgeable of the issues that affect our company.’

‘The core Houthoff M&A team consists of driven, pragmatic, and diverse individuals. Great availability, coordination skills and a pragmatic approach are some of the team’s strengths and key capabilities.’

‘Bram Caudri is very pleasant to work with. He is knowledgeable, hands on and quick in his responses. He stands out in understanding the business and the various requirements for the different transactions.’

‘Margriet Kros is knowledgeable and has great coordination and analytical capabilities required for complex M&A processes with challenging timelines. She is very accessible and has a pragmatic approach.’

‘Bram Caudri and Margriet Kros are highly qualified M&A lawyers. They are always accessible, have a critical view, are open and transparent, all in the best interest of the client.’

‘Great professionals and client centric.’

Key clients

Siemens

Royal IHC

Van Oord

DSB

Sligro

Barentz

Royal IHC

Vitol Group

Exact Group

Eurofiber

T-Mobile

NIBC

Hearst

Renewi

(Robert) Bosch

Geopost

Ottobock

Northern Data

SCG Packaging

Work highlights

  • Advising Corporation Service Company in its merger agreement with Intertrust and engaged in the due diligence for Intertrust together with Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP.
  • Advised Siemens as lead counsel on its acquisition of Sqills, a provider of cloud-based inventory management, reservation, and ticketing software to public transport operators globally.
  • Advised Thailand-based packaging provider SCG Packaging PCL, in acquiring Peute Recycling B.V. (Peute).

Netherlands > Employment Tier 2

Houthoff offers a full-service employment practice, but with a focus on boardroom advisory work, strategic issues and high-profile litigation, as well as the dismissal of senior staff. The firm also has a strong pensions capacity and has developed extensive market experience in the healthcare sector. The practice is led by Edward de Bock and Jet Stolk, who was recently promoted to partner. De Bock is sought after for his experience in the employment and pensions aspects of M&A and joint venture transactions and has expertise in board remuneration and board member dismissals. Stolk has a focus on corporate employment, reorganisations and advising board members.

Practice head(s):

Edward de Bock; Jet Stolk

Other key lawyers:

Naomi Dempsey

Testimonials

‘Great knowledge. Practical, to-the-point solutions, not lengthy advice. Business understanding. A stable team without too many changes.’

‘High level of knowledge, but with business understanding and practical solutions.’

‘The team is very knowledgeable and consists of people with different expertise (e.g. in litigation, reorganisations, dealing with disgruntled employees, etc.). Compared to other firms the expertise and client focus stands out.’

‘Jet Stolk has excellent knowledge and business understanding and it is also a pleasure to work with her.’

‘Naomi Dempsey has great litigation experience.’

‘Jet Stolk has a strong grasp of a wide variety of employment law matters. She excels in the quality and useability of her advice and is easy to work with. Jet goes the extra mile for the client which is much appreciated. Maybe her best quality is the way she translates legal problems into practical solutions.’

Key clients

Hearst Netherlands

Danone/Nutricia

Landal GreenParks

Tata Steel Nederland

Renewi

Royal IHC

Stellantis

PSA

Ford

Honda

KIA

Tesla

Renault

Volvo

Unibail Rodamco Westfield

HEMA

Samsung Electronics Airconditioning

InsingerGilissen

DAS Rechtsbijstand

PGB

Pension Fund for Road Transport

Work highlights

  • Advising TATA Steel Netherlands on the harmonisation of the employment conditions of senior management, issues with the Dutch central works council, issues with trade unions and strikes regarding a new collective labour agreement, and dismissal cases of senior management throughout the intended division of the UK and Dutch business.
  • Advising Danone in relation to all the employment law aspects of its ‘Local First’ project in the Netherlands.
  • Acting for Pensioenfonds PGB, a pension fund, which is claiming more than €500m from Booking.com as a consequence of the Supreme Court ruling under which Booking.com was formally defined a travel agency, instead of an IT platform.

Netherlands > Energy: regulatory Tier 2

Houthoff provides an integrated energy offering covering transactions, contracting, and regulatory advice, with clients including domestic and international energy companies and public authorities. Team lead Kirsten Berger is especially well regarded for her knowledge of regulatory matters concerning offshore wind, gas, and mining. Marc Van Beuge is ‘conscientious and detail-oriented‘, with a broad practice covering both traditional and renewable energy. The firm is also competent in litigation.

Practice head(s):

Kirsten Berger

Other key lawyers:

Marc van Beuge

Testimonials

‘The energy sector in the Netherlands is a complex area of law. Houthoff truly is an expert. Marc van Beuge understands the clients and delivers exceptional work.’

‘Marc van Beuge is kind, practical, and pleasant to work with.’

‘Excellent team with first-rate industry knowledge.’

‘Marc van Beuge is incredibly conscientious and detail-oriented. He also has an excellent strategic sense.’

Key clients

Porthos (EBN, Gasunie, Port of Rotterdam)

ENGIE

Corre Energy

Petrogas

Huntsman

Plastic Energy

NOGEPA, VEN, VGN, VLNG

Twence

Van Oord

TotalEnergies

Varo

DCC

Vitol

Work highlights

  • Acting for the Energy-Netherlands Association (VEN), the Netherlands Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Association (NOGEPA), the Gas Storage Netherlands Association (VGN) and the LNG Shippers Netherlands Association (VLNG), in appeal proceedings before the Trade and Industry Appeals Tribunal against the ACM’s so-called ‘GTS Method Decision 2022-2026’ which forms the basis for the gas transmission tariff regulation of GTS, the Dutch TSO for gas.
  • Advising Corre Energy (jointly with Arthur Cox) on the development of the first large scale electricity storage facility.
  • Acting for VDL Nedcar in a dispute with TenneT (the Dutch TSO for electricity) and Enexis (a regional power grid operator) regarding VDL Nedcar’s claim for the restitution of unduly paid system services tariffs.

Netherlands > Energy: transactional Tier 2

Clients including domestic and multinational energy companies, project developers, and financiers seek out Houthoff for advice and support on the full spectrum of transactional matters. The team handles renewable energy work, in particular offshore wind, alongside innovative projects including carbon capture and storage. M&A and joint ventures are also areas of strength, with team lead Kirsten Berger especially well regarded here. Jacques Kröner is another key name, particularly in the waste-to-energy space.

Practice head(s):

Kirsten Berger

Other key lawyers:

Jacques Kröner; Marc van Beuge

Testimonials

Extensive experience in the sector and high knowledge of the market.’

‘Very clear in their suggestions and explanations. Quick and clear answers. Very detailed revisions and recommendations. High collaboration and involved with the teams and project.’

Key clients

Porthos

ENGIE

Corre Energy

Huntsman

Plastic Energy

NOGEPA, VEN, VGN, VLNG

Twence

Van Oord

TotalEnergies

Varo

DCC

Vitol

Work highlights

  • Acting as project counsel to Porthos Development, which aims to construct and operate the first large-scale, commercial, open access offshore carbon capture and storage (CCS) facility in the Netherlands.
  • Advising global fertiliser giant Yara regarding the construction and operation of a 100MW electrolysis facility for hydrogen production in a joint venture with Ørsted at Yara’s plant in the Netherlands.
  • Advising Corre Energy (jointly with Arthur Cox) on the development of the first large-scale electricity storage facility.

Netherlands > EU and competition Tier 2

With a broad EU and competition practice covering merger control procedures, cartel investigations and defence, state aid and FDI, Houthoff is often involved in an array of matters for major clients, such as Volvo/Renault, TotalEnergies ad Singapore Airlines, particularly as defence counsel in the increasing number of private enforcement cases in follow-on damages from cartel or abuse of dominance findings. The practice is led by Weyer VerLoren van Themaat, who specialises in cartel defence litigation and merger control work, acting predominantly for international clients. Rick Cornelissen, an expert in competition and commercial litigation, has a focus on private enforcement and vertical restraints.

Practice head(s):

Weyer VerLoren van Themaat

Other key lawyers:

Rick Cornelissen; Gerrit Oosterhuis; Greetje van Heezik; Eline Groen

Testimonials

‘Houthoff can handle all kind of cases with an exceptionally high level of quality.’

‘Gerrit Oosterhuis and Weyer VerLoren Van Themaat are experienced and outstanding antitrust lawers, highly specialised, quick thinking and pragmatic.’

‘The strength of the team lies in the fact they are knowledgeable about the transport sector and are therefore able to give practical advice.’

‘Greetje van Heezik makes sure she has a thorough understanding of the client’s wishes and is therefore able to give the best practical, hands-on advice.’

‘I consider Rick Cornelissen’s team one of the best teams I have ever worked with. The team is knowledgeable, responsive, always available and delivers in the court room but also out of court, i.e. their advice is useful and practical.’

‘Rick Cornelissen is simply the best and the only lawyer I could actually be friends with. He is smart and outstanding on a professional level, but – and just as important if not more – he is friendly and funny which make it a pleasure to work with him.’

Key clients

LG Electronics

Singapore Airlines

TotalEnergies

Volvo Trucks / Renault Trucks

EY

Imperial Brands

Nexans S.A.

Bergman Clinics

Aramis Consortium: Shell, TotalEnergies, EBN and Gasunie

Porthos Group

Equipe Zorgbedrijven

Work highlights

  • Advises and represents LG Electronics in its defence against several cartel damages claims from Turkish and Brazilian purchasers of cathode ray tubes.
  • Representing Singapore Airlines in numerous Dutch private enforcement proceedings before Amsterdam and EU Courts following the EC Decision in the air cargo case.
  • Advising TotalEnergies on cartel damages proceedings initiated by the State of the Netherlands after the cartel damages proceedings initiated by the Van Gelder Group against Shell Nederland Verkoopmaatschappij and Kuwait Petroleum (Nederland) were withdrawn.

Netherlands > Fraud and white-collar crime Tier 2

Conducting corporate investigations on matters relating to fraud in the finance sector and advising clients on the energy-related contentious compliance issues are routine work for Houthoff‘s fraud and white-collar crime team. Vincent Affourtit leads international sanctions and cross-border investigations regarding alleged market abuse by listed companies. Founding member of the corporate investigations practice Hans Londonck Sluijk works on investigations concerning directors’ and officers’ liability. Associates Marianne Bloos, Frank Mattheijer and Tom Hendriks are other key contacts in the team.

Practice head(s):

Vincent Affourtit; Hans Londonck Sluijk

Key clients

Vestia

Bovemij

Royal FloraHolland

Crédit Agricole Consumer Finance

Minister of Justice

Work highlights

  • Advising Vestia on various matters relating to the unwinding of its EUR20 billion derivatives portfolio. This included a corporate investigation process, which led to Vestia initiating proceedings against and negotiations with several parties involved, such as banks and auditors.
  • Advising the Supervisory Board of Dutch insurance company Bovemij after conducting a substantial investigation following a whistleblower’s report addressing compliance issues directly involving the institution’s Executive Board.
  • Performed an investigation and advised the Minister of Justice on the work performed by this civil-law notary in the past five years for the Dutch Central Government in relation to large-scale fraud.

Netherlands > Industry focus: healthcare and life sciences Tier 2

Houthoff‘s strength in the healthcare space is evident in its advice to providers, including hospitals and private clinics, on a full range of mandates. Weyer VerLoren van Themaat handles high-profile and complex mergers involving large private health clinics, which require extensive regulatory knowledge. Litigator Huib Lebbing frequently undertakes cases concerning contractual liability within the healthcare sector, where he acts as defence counsel. Freeke Heijne focuses on healthcare laws and regulation compliance. EU and competition law specialist Greetje van Heezik assists clients with regulations concerning both medicinal products and medical devices. Senior associate Murat Duman advises clients on investigations by the Dutch competition authority and the Dutch healthcare authority as well as merger control proceedings before such authorities. The team also advises investment companies on investments in healthcare companies.

Practice head(s):

Weyer VerLoren van Themaat; Huib Lebbing

Key clients

Amsterdam UMC

Bergman Clinics

Equipe Zorgbedrijven

ZKN

GIMV

Leger des Heils

First Dutch Innovations

Total Care

PlusDental / Sunshine Smile

ONVZ

Frazier Lifesciences Acquisition Corporation

 

Work highlights

  • Representing Radbound UMC Hospital and its PI insurer Achmea in ongoing litigation concerning liability of medical practitioners and hospitals for use of defective medical implants.
  • Assist Bea Zorg on various legal proceedings against the largest healthcare insurer in the Netherlands, Zilveren Kruis
  • Advised FMS on a report prepared concerning the possibility of ending the independent status of medical specialists who work in hospitals without a labour agreement.

Netherlands > Industry focus: Information technology Tier 2

At Houthoff, TMT and data privacy and protection practice head Thomas De Weerd leads on matters concerning outsourcing, e-business and technology-related transactions as well as commercial contracts. Experienced senior associate Jurre Reus, who previously spent time as in-house counsel at a global media company, specialises in privacy law, advising clients in the e-commerce space on data protection and IT contracting. International clients in the automotive sector often seek out the practice for regulatory compliance and data protection assistance.

Practice head(s):

Thomas de Weerd

Other key lawyers:

Key clients

Marktplaats.nl

2dehands.be

Hyundai Motor Netherlands

Jaarbeurs

SOOPS

XPeng Motors

ParkBee

Kia Nederland

Tesla

Finqus

Stellantis

Ford Nederland and Ford of Europe

Shell EV Charging

eBay International

Miro

Work highlights

  • Advising  Marktplaats and 2dehands.be on a range of matters, including strategic partnerships, data protection, the implementation of new laws, commercial contracting and disputes.
  • Assisted Hyundai with a variety of matters, such as setting up its e-commerce platform, assisting in its partnership with We Drive Solar and advising on a data sharing partnership with the Dutch government
  • Advised ParkBee on day-to-day matters regarding technology and contracting, and regarding its further expansion into Europe.

Netherlands > Intellectual property: trade marks, copyrights and design rights Tier 2

Drawing on the expertise of Supreme Court litigator Thijs Van Aerde and national and community plant variety rights specialist Fleur Tuinzing-Westerhuis, Houthoff is a first port of call for clients from a range of industries for trade mark, copyright and licensing matters. The IP practice is headed by Thomas De Weerd, an expert in technology-related transactions, outsourcing transactions and technology contracts.

Practice head(s):

Thomas de Weerd

Other key lawyers:

Thijs van Aerde; Fleur Tuinzing-Westerhuis; Nicole Bilderbeek

Testimonials

‘Thijs van Aerde is our preferred Supreme Court lawyer.’

‘Very good cassation team.’

‘Thijs van Aerde is a clever lawyer who works efficiently.’

‘Thijs van Aerde is smart and knowledgable.’

Key clients

DPG Media

Airwair International

Notino

Fresenius Kabi

Netherlands Vehicle Authority

Spinnin’ Records

HP

Brein

Work highlights

  • Representing Spinnin’ Records against a famous DJ in copyright contracting litigation before the Supreme Court.
  • Representing the Notino Benelux online perfume store in trade mark proceedings before The Hague Court of Appeal against Silk Cosmetics, an exclusive licensee for luxury brand perfumes.
  • Representing Mr Bourik in UDRP proceedings against Instagram.

Netherlands > Investment funds Tier 2

The full-service investment fund practice at Houthoff is equipped to advise on fund formation, structuring and management of a range of fund types, including private equity, hedge funds, real estate and funds-of-funds, and has experience advising both institutional investors and asset/fund managers. The investment group is led by Oscar van Angeren; he focuses on the structuring and formation of different funds, advising asset managers, pension funds and other institutional investors on discretionary and fiduciary asset management. Sylvia Dikmans is specialised in tax matters relating to fund structuring. Associate Marthe Bollen recently re-joined the firm following her time at a Dutch asset management firm; she advises on a variety of investment funds, specifically pension funds.

Practice head(s):

Oscar van Angeren

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘Oscar van Angeren has a good knowledge of laws and regulations and of our business.’

‘The diversity within the team ensures there is a great fit for each problem. Regardless of if you need a pitbull or someone who brings parties closer together.’

‘Oscar van Angeren is an excellent match for our current case. He is very well-informed on all the ins and outs of the case. He is very good at reading people and he senses when to speak up and when to let the client do the talking.’

‘Marthe Bollen not only has tremendous added value, in this case, but she is also the lawyer a pension fund would benefit from working with, in every situation. Her experience at the other side of the table helps align the interest of the client and the firm seamlessly.’

We asked Houthoff to provide legal advice and notarial services with regard to asset management services and investment funds. The work was particularly difficult and complex and Houthoff provided a very good service. They outperform other Dutch law firms with regard to their knowledge on investment funds/entities.

Key clients

Man Group

CBRE Global Investors

Volt Investments

A.S.R.

GLP Pte Ltd

Transport Industry Pension Fund

ABP (APG)

InsingerGilissen

MSMEDA

Architects Pension Fund

Pension Fund Smurfit Kappa

Pension Fund Atos

Painters Industry Pension Fund

Pension Fund Smurfit Kappa

Pension fund Huntsman

Retail Industry Pension Fund

Work highlights

  • Advising A.S.R. on a continuous basis on their Dutch real estate fund called A.S.R. Dutch Science Park Fund, set up as a Dutch fund for joint account and investing in properties on science parks in the Netherlands.
  • Advising Man Group on their Dutch flagship fund, Man AHL Diversified Markets EU, in particular the impact of the EU Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (“SFDR”) and Taxonomy Regulation on their Dutch Fund and the various disclosure requirements pertaining to it.
  • Advised A.S.R. RE on the formation of a Dutch real estate fund, A.S.R. Dutch Farmland Fund, which will be formed as a Dutch fund for joint account, investing in farmland related real estate in the Netherlands.

Netherlands > Private equity Tier 2

Commended for its ‘pragmatism and constructive approach’, Houthoff’s private equity practice sits within the firm’s wider corporate group and continues to build on its presence in the Asian market, particularly in Tokyo and Singapore. The team, which is noted for its expertise in the technology sector, is led by Bram Caudri, who is ‘knowledgeable, hands on and quick in his responses’ when acting for domestic and international private equity houses on cross-border transactions. Michiel Pannekoek advises on management buy-outs and deals with restructuring elements, while Guillette van Grinsven, who was promoted to partner in January 2022, handles private equity investments. Alexander Kaarls remains a key contact in the group.

Practice head(s):

Bram Caudri

Testimonials

‘The practice is unique in the pragmatism and constructive approach (both with us and the counter-party) in transactions.’

‘Bram Caudri is the driving force behind our local legal understanding. Bram has worked with us on all our transactions, and successfully so. Bram is pragmatic and constructive, with a focus on bridging potential gaps between our international approach and the local needs.’

‘The Houthoff PE team are excellent legal advisers, helping us manage the legal and commercial aspects of our acquisitions. They understand the peculiar needs and interests of PE-backed companies and have great international experience with all aspects of transactions, whether on the buy-side or the sell-side. They are exceptional transaction lawyers.’

‘Alexander Kaarls is an incredibly talented lawyer, with a good measure of legal and commercial perspective for all our deals. He understands the needs of PE-backed companies from both a sponsor and company perspective.’

‘Bram Caudri is very pleasant to work with. He is knowledgeable, hands on and quick in his responses. He stands out in understanding the business and the various requirements for the different transactions.’

‘Always directly available both senior and junior, fast and qualitative turnarounds. Very transparent about costs.’

‘It is a pleasure to work with Bram Caudri and Guillette van Grinsven. As partners, they are involved in the whole transaction.’

‘Very good professionals, dedicated, available and precise in their advice.’

Key clients

Apollo Global Management

BC Partners

Waterland

Navitas Capital

Equity Europe B.V.

Torqx Capital Partners B.V.

H2 Trading B.V.

Prime Ventures

Accel

Argos Wityu

Work highlights

  • Advised and represented Argos Wityu on the acquisition of Schenk Tanktransport.
  • Assisted Thoma Bravo, a private equity investment firm focused on the software and technology-enabled services sectors, in its €2bn+ public offer for all shares in Talend SA.
  • Advised and represented Egeria on the sale of Dutch Bakery Group B.V. to investment manager 3i Group PLC.

Netherlands > Tax Tier 2

Houthoff‘s ‘tax team is top-notch in the Dutch market’, with demonstrable capability in international restructurings, M&A, real estate, tax litigation, transfer pricing and investment management. Counsel Chantal Presilli focuses on tax disputes, while Alexander van der Voort Maarschalk left the firm in November 2022 to join the tax division of the Supreme Court. The practice is led by Jeroen van Mourik, who is sought after for his expertise in tax treaties and BEPS, with a focus on Asia and US companies. Sylvia Dikmans advises multinationals, financial institutions and private equity firms on a multitude of corporate transactional tax issues, specialising in both Dutch and Luxembourg tax laws. One client highlights that Rezan Öktenstands out as one of the best transfer pricing professionals in the industry’.

Practice head(s):

Testimonials

‘Houthoff’s multidisciplinary tax team is top-notch in the Dutch market.’

‘Sylvia Dikmans is technically outstanding, very responsive and pleasant to work with.’

‘The team is very professional and creative. They understand the business, which makes their advice very pragmatic.’

‘Rezan Ökten stands out as one of the best transfer pricing professionals in the industry. He is very knowledgeable, anticipates the trends well, combines his vast knowledge with excellent business orientation and very creative. His service level is at the highest level and he genuinely cares about his clients.’

‘In-depth knowledge of the specific highly regulated sector we operate in.’

‘Chantal Presilli is very good at acting in the sensitive environment with our shareholders, even if our interest are conflicting.’

Key clients

Apollo Global Management

Volker Wessels

Attestor Capital

ASR

Heimstaden

BC Capital/Dummen Orange

Argos Wityu

Work highlights

  • Assisted Swedish resident real estate company, Heimstaden, with its first acquisition of 10,000 residential units thereby becoming one of the largest private residential investors in the Netherlands.
  • Advising Apollo on its investment in $2.2bn (Endemol Shinesale) and other recent Dutch acquisitions.
  • Advising listed company, Crystal Cruises, on all legal and tax aspects of the operational support company for the luxury river cruise business in Europe.

Netherlands > Banking and finance: Borrower side Tier 3

Loet Venrooy heads the banking and finance practice at Houthoff. The team has a varied workload for borrower clients, and is frequently engaged by international law firms on a number of these mandates. Real estate finance transactions and real estate loan transfer transactions generate a significant amount of work for the firm, which is also renowned for its position in the financing and refinancing of large infrastructure investments (including wind power projects). The group includes project finance head Jessica Terpstra, who splits her time between London and Amsterdam, and corporate and structured finance expert André de Neve.

Practice head(s):

Loet Venrooy

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘Deep industry knowledge and a strong and loyal client base owing to commercial, pragmatic and client-focused partners and individuals.’

‘In the Netherlands, they have few competitors. They are responsive, knowledgeable and have a good breadth of team members below partner level who are responsive, give excellent advice and always meet deadlines.’

‘Loet Venrooy has unique experience advising on the borrower-side of financings. He is a great problem solver who offers his clients an unparalleled degree of specialisation.’

‘Jessica Terpstra’s pragmatic and sharp advice is another key success factor for Houthoff’s finance team.’

Key clients

Corporation Service Company

Credit Agricole Consumer Finance

Yarden

eToro

DSB N.V.

AZL

NN

ASR

MediaMarkt

Heimstaden

Work highlights

  • Advising Tristan Capital Partners on the acquisition of a portfolio of logistical assets.
  • Advised Boart Longyear in connection with its group financing, consisting of a $115m term loan financing made available by HPS Investment Partners, Macquarie US Trading and Blue Torch Capital and the $75m ABL financing made available by PNC Bank.

Netherlands > Data privacy and data protection Tier 3

The data privacy and protection team of Houthoff represents clients in a range of legal proceedings, including those involving the Dutch DPA. Thomas De Weerd leads the IT and data privacy practice groups, focusing on both contentious and non-contentious mandates, with the latter involving the restructuring of international data transfers in light of the Schrems II decision. Weerd also advises on the data protection aspects of M&A transactions in the technology sector. Associate Jurre Reus is a key name to note for compliance advice. The practice advises many clients in the automotive sector on data compliance.

Practice head(s):

Thomas de Weerd

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘The firm provided a professional analysis of the issues that were discussed. In addition, contributed with a strong legal opinion and supportive action items to be taken in order to address issues and save them.’

‘Kind, responsive, professional and patient.’

‘Strong and practical legal advisors.’

‘Jurre Reus gives concise and practical advice.’

‘The employees of Houthoff have a high standard. It’s not only looking towards the law, but also thinks businesswise and how it can contribute to the organization’s needs.’

‘They are pro-active, have a lot of GDPR knowledge and are quite fast in making policy documents.’

Key clients

Adevinta

Kia Nederland

Dealerglass

VolkerWessels

Ford Nederland and Ford of Europe

Hyundai Motors Nederland

Stellantis

Ola Cabs

RDW

Polestar

Exact Software

Rad Power Bikes

Aeronamic

Pensioenfonds Detailhandel

Finqus

Work highlights

  • Represented Ola Netherlands (Ola Cabs) in an appeal against the Amsterdam court’s decision from 2020, in which it had dismissed most of the drivers’ claims for data access and data portability under the GDPR.
  • Representing RDW in a case regarding a complaint lodged with the Dutch Data Protection Authority regarding automated comparisons of vehicle registration databases for over five years.
  • Advising Pensioenfonds Detailhandel on legal frameworks applicable to publishing data online, an outsourcing agreement covering personal data processing and a GDPR access request.

Netherlands > Industry focus: telecoms Tier 3

Thomas de Weerd leads the TMT and data privacy and protection practices at Houthoff, specialising in IT, e-business, outsourcing and other technology-related transactions and commercial contracts. Counsel Freeke Heijne advises clients on new regulations in the telecoms sector and assists with public and private undertakings. Recent work for the team includes representing multinational telecoms providers in transaction disputes and dealing with refinancing and tax structures on a multi-jurisdiction scale for telecoms operators.

Practice head(s):

Thomas de Weerd

Other key lawyers:

Key clients

Wingtech

Tofane

Telia Company

Tele 2 AB

Raga Establishment Ltd.

High Point

Bloomberg L.P.

XPeng

Work highlights

  • Represented several of Altice’s significant minority shareholders in relation to Patrick Drahi’s public offer for all shares in Altice Europe’s capital.
  • Advised Nexperia on the USD1.5 billion underwritten refinancing in connection with the acquisition of Wingtech – the majority interest in the Nexperia group.
  • Advised XPeng inter alia on whether their connected services offering qualifies as electronic communications services under the Dutch Telecommunications Act.

Netherlands > Intellectual property: Patents Tier 3

Thijs van Aerde and Fleur Tuinzing-Westerhuis are influential leaders of Houthoff’s patent team. Van Aerde is an experienced Supreme Court litigator, who represents a variety of clients in precedent-setting patent proceedings, including in summary relief and merit proceedings. Tuinzing-Westerhuis has extensive experience in litigation relating to national and community plant variety rights and is sought out by international clients in the agri-food sector as well as the pharmaceuticals, chemical manufacturing and technology industries for advice on patent infringement.

Practice head(s):

Thijs van Aerde; Fleur Tuinzing-Westerhuis

Testimonials

‘Industry knowledge, quality of the work.

‘Fleur Tuinzing has knowledge of the industry and is kind and fast.’

Key clients

DPG Media

Airwair International

Notino

Fresenius Kabi

Netherlands Vehicle Authority

Spinnin’ Records

HP

Brein

Work highlights

  • Representing the RDW, the holder of the Dutch vehicle registration register, in patent invalidity proceedings at the Dutch Court of The Hague.
  • Representing HP in litigation proceedings against a class action claim vehicle founded by Digital Revolution before the Supreme Court.
  • Represented Fresenius Kabi in Supreme Court precedent-setting patent proceedings against Eli Lilly concerning pemetrexed or ALIMTA.

Netherlands > Project finance and PFI Tier 3

Houthoff has specific experience in the financing and refinancing of infrastructure investments, including wind power projects, motorways, bridges and government buildings. The project finance practice is led by Jessica Terpstra, based primarily in London, alongside Loet Venrooy. Michel Klijn specialises in project financing matters, and Sander van den Boogaart, a counsel, focuses on PPPs as well as construction law and projects, including DBFM(O), D&C and project alliance contracts.

Practice head(s):

Loet Venrooy; Jessica Terpstra

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘Provided strong and consistent support on a complex PF transaction over many months. The team provides high quality advice on cross border transactions.’

‘Jessica Terpstra- a responsive and hands on senior partner who ensures the team delivers on time.’

‘Anneke Verbeek – excellent support on a demanding transaction.’

Key clients

Begro Holding B.V.

Asbeter Holding B.V.

Work highlights

  • Advised Nexperia on the $1.5bn underwritten refinancing in connection with the acquisition by Wingtech of the majority interest in the Nexperia group.
  • Advising the lenders, BNG Bank and Rabobank, to the PMC project on amendments and waivers relating to PMC metal purifying project in the Netherlands.

Netherlands > Industry focus: Media and entertainment Tier 4

Supreme Court litigator Thijs Van Aerde leads Houthoff's media and entertainment team. TV channels, film distributors and ICT critical systems companies entrust Van Aerde and Thomas De Weerd with various media-related disputes, including copyright infringements, data protection, licensing and freedom of speech proceedings.

Practice head(s):

Thomas de Weerd; Thijs van Aerde

Key clients

Marktplaats.nl and 2dehands.be

Hyundai Motor Netherlands

DSM Grup

Ola Cabs

XPeng Motors

ParkBee

Kia Nederland

VolkerWessels

RDW

Hearst Netherlands

Pensioenfonds Detailhandel

Stichting BREIN

Shell EV Charging

eBay International

Work highlights

  • Representing Stichting BREIN in Supreme Court litigation against Usenet provider News-Service Europe (NSE).
  • Representing film distributor Dutch Filmworks in litigation proceedings against internet provider Ziggo, Liberty Global/Vodafone concerning whether the internet provider must provide Dutch Filmworks with the personal data of their customers who infringed on the film industry’s copyrights.

The firm:  Houthoff is a leading independent Dutch law firm, with offices in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Brussels, London and New York, as well as representatives in Asia and the United States. At Houthoff, over 300 lawyers work collaboratively to ensure they are there for clients when they need them most.

Houthoff’s work is focused on highly complex transactions and dispute resolution, advising international and domestic corporations, financial institutions, private equity firms and governments on their most strategic and business-critical matters. Whether it is helping to assess the strengths of new opportunities or managing risk, the firm always looks beyond today and finds the long-term solution.

Areas of practice
Corporate/M&A: The firm’s corporate/M&A team assists multinationals, listed companies and other large companies, government bodies and private equity parties. Clients engage the corporate/M&A team for pragmatic advice on matters such as national and international mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and strategic alliances. Houthoff’s specialists have gained an important position within the food, energy and other sectors. The multi-disciplinary corporate/M&A team comprises no less than 89 specialists, they can scale our teams up to any desired size and can work on multiple large transactions at the same time.

Banking and finance: Houthoff’s banking and finance team has comprehensive knowledge of the financial sector, and the laws and regulations that govern it. The experienced banking and finance team provides services to domestic and foreign banks, investors, other financial institutions, large companies and supervisory authorities. Its specialists give advice on a large variety of banking and financial transactions. This can involve high-end acquisitions, real estate, asset or project financing, syndicated or bilateral loans, or restructuring, all of this in the context of complex financial regulations and legislation.

Dispute resolution: The dispute resolution team at Houthoff specialises in complex, mostly international matters, successfully handling several landmark cases in recent years. The firm is also one of the few Dutch law firms to have a renowned corporate and commercial Supreme Court practice. The dispute resolution team provides creative, result-oriented litigation and arbitration counsel in matters ranging from major commercial disputes to sensitive internal, regulatory or criminal investigations by Dutch and EU regulators. It also advises on preventing liabilities in relation to compliance matters and risk management. The team litigates before Dutch, EU and other international courts, and domestic and foreign arbitration tribunals.

Tax: Houthoff’s multi-disciplinary tax team assists in matters ranging from fiscal assistance in high-end corporate and financial transactions to transfer pricing and litigation in national and international tax disputes. The firm’s tax team is one of the few tax teams that litigate before both civil courts and tax courts, and also, if necessary, before the Dutch Supreme Court. The tax team works closely with the other practice and sector teams and has become a market leader in the field of international restructuring, M&A, real estate, finance and investment management.

DepartmentNameEmailTelephone
Managing partner Alexander Kaarls
Managing partner Edward de Bock
Managing partner Lucas Louwerier
PhotoNamePositionProfile
Vincent Affourtit photoMr Vincent AffourtitVincent is head of Houthoff’s Investigations & Public Enforcement practice. He specialises…
Nathalie Amiel photoMrs Nathalie Amiel
Aart Barkey Wolf photoMr Aart Barkey WolfAart advises on notarial security rights, real estate financing, real estate investments…
Kirsten Berger photo Kirsten BergerKirsten specialises in energy law and has extensive experience in the energy…
Marloes Brans photoMrs Marloes BransMarloes specialises in environmental law and spatial planning law. She advises and…
Rick Cornelissen photoMr Rick CornelissenRick specialises in competition litigation (private enforcement) with a specific focus on…
Sylvia Dikmans photoMrs Sylvia DikmansSylvia specialises in corporate tax and dividend tax, and in particular in…
Wouter Ekkelkamp photoMr Wouter EkkelkampWouter works in the Real Estate practice group and specialises in real…
Alexander Kaarls photoMr Alexander KaarlsAlexander Kaarls’ practice focuses on corporate and securities laws, with a particular…
Albert Knigge photoMr Albert KniggeAlbert specialises in handling complex international disputes. He has considerable experience in…
Herman Lohman photoMr Herman LohmanHerman is co-head of the Real Estate practice group. He advises mainly…
Philippe Stille photoMr Philippe StillePhilippe specialises in notarial company law which involves restructuring (of both for-profit…
Jessica Terpstra photoMrs Jessica TerpstraJessica works at both the London and Amsterdam offices and specialises in…
Kyoko Tollenaar photoMrs Kyoko TollenaarKyoko specialises in corporate law, national and international mergers and acquisitions, joint…
Fleur Tuinzing-Westerhuis photoMrs Fleur Tuinzing-WesterhuisFleur Tuinzing-Westerhuis specialises in technology-related intellectual property matters, with a focus on…
Jetty Tukker photoMrs Jetty Tukker
Jan Veeningen photoMr Jan VeeningenJan specialises in corporate finance, structured finance and real estate financing, with…
Loet Venrooy photoMr Loet VenrooyLoet is head of Houthoff’s Banking & Finance practice group and of…
Weyer VerLoren van Themaat photoMr Weyer VerLoren van ThemaatWeyer specialises in competition law and leads Houthoff’s Competition practice group. He…
Frédéric Verhoeven photoMr Frédéric VerhoevenFrédéric specialises in cross-border insolvency law and restructuring. He advises clients involved…
Jeroen Vossenberg photoMr Jeroen VossenbergJeroen specialises in banking and securities law, and in particular in acquisition…
Christiaan Zijderveld photoMr Christiaan ZijderveldHe assists clients that face financial difficulties. He also assists creditors (e.g.…
Edward de Bock photoMr Edward de BockEdward was appointed to Houthoff’s Board of Directors on 1 January 2016,…
Marry de Gaay Fortman photoMrs Marry de Gaay FortmanMarry is involved in public-private regulatory matters, and specialises in public economic…
Jan Willem de Groot photoMr Jan Willem de GrootJan Willem specialises in corporate and commercial litigation, with a focus on…
Willem de Nijs Bik photoMr Willem de Nijs BikWillem specialises in company law, corporate governance, and strategic and cross-border mergers…
Thomas de Weerd photoMr Thomas de WeerdThomas specialises in IT, privacy, outsourcing and intellectual property. His daily work…
Thijs van Aerde photo Thijs van Aerde
Oscar van Angeren photoMr Oscar van AngerenOscar heads Houthoff’s Investment Management practice group and works at both the…
Walter van Overbeek photoMr Walter van OverbeekWalter has a general commercial practice and specialises in contract law, litigation…
Sander van den Boogaart photo Sander van den Boogaart
Frauke van der Beek photoMrs Frauke van der BeekFrauke specialises in insolvency law and restructuring. Her work involves the settlement…
Alexander van der Voort Maarschalk photoMr Alexander van der Voort MaarschalkAlexander specialises in corporate litigation, with a special focus on accounting law…
Bart van der Wiel photoMr Bart van der WielAs a Supreme Court specialist, Bart has been involved in numerous landmark…
Number of lawyers : 310
Dutch
Chinese
English
French
German
Italian
Portuguese
Spanish
Lex Mundi
Other offices : Brussels
Other offices : London
Other offices : New York
Other offices : Rotterdam

The firm: Houthoff is a leading independent Dutch law firm, with offices in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Brussels, London and New York, as well as representatives in Asia and the United States. At Houthoff, over 300 lawyers work collaboratively to ensure they are there for clients when they need them most.

Houthoff’s work is focused on highly complex transactions and dispute resolution, advising international and domestic corporations, financial institutions, private equity firms and governments on their most strategic and business-critical matters. Whether it is helping to assess the strengths of new opportunities or managing risk, the firm always looks beyond today and finds the long-term solution.

Areas of practice
Corporate/M&A: The firm’s corporate/M&A team assists multinationals, listed companies and other large companies, government bodies and private equity parties. Clients engage the corporate/M&A team for pragmatic advice on matters such as national and international mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and strategic alliances. Houthoff’s specialists have gained an important position within the food, energy and other sectors. Their multi-disciplinary corporate/M&A team comprises no less than 89 specialists, they can scale our teams up to any desired size and can work on multiple large transactions at the same time.

Banking and finance: Houthoff’s banking and finance team has comprehensive knowledge of the financial sector, and the laws and regulations that govern it. The experienced banking and finance team provides services to domestic and foreign banks, investors, other financial institutions, large companies and supervisory authorities. Its specialists give advice on a large variety of banking and financial transactions. This can involve high-end acquisitions, real estate, asset or project financing, syndicated or bilateral loans, or restructuring, all of this in the context of complex financial regulations and legislation.

Dispute resolution: The dispute resolution team at Houthoff specialises in complex, mostly international matters, successfully handling several landmark cases in recent years. The firm is also one of the few Dutch law firms to have a renowned corporate and commercial Supreme Court practice. The dispute resolution team provides creative, result-oriented litigation and arbitration counsel in matters ranging from major commercial disputes to sensitive internal, regulatory or criminal investigations by Dutch and EU regulators. It also advises on preventing liabilities in relation to compliance matters and risk management. The team litigates before Dutch, EU and other international courts, and domestic and foreign arbitration tribunals.

Tax: Houthoff’s multi-disciplinary tax team assists in matters ranging from fiscal assistance in high-end corporate and financial transactions to transfer pricing and litigation in national and international tax disputes. The firm’s tax team is one of the few tax teams that litigates before both civil courts and tax courts, and also, if necessary, before the Dutch Supreme Court. The tax team works closely with the other practice and sector teams and has become a market leader in the field of international restructuring, M&A, real estate, finance and investment management.

DepartmentNameEmailTelephone
Managing partner Alexander Kaarls
Managing partner Edward de Bock
Managing partner Lucas Louwerier
Number of lawyers : 310
Dutch
Chinese
English
French
German
Italian
Portuguese
Spanish
Lex Mundi
Other offices : Amsterdam
Other offices : Brussels
Other offices : London
Other offices : New York

Diversity

At Houthoff, we believe diversity goes beyond respect for everyone’s background. Diverse teams, teams with a large mix of backgrounds, cultures, preferences and ideas are more productive and more creative and, consequently, better teams. That is why striving for diversity is not only the right thing to do, it’s also the smart thing to do.

Over the years, Houthoff has launched multiple initiatives to promote diversity within the firm and throughout the legal profession:

Declaration of Intent regarding Diversity

Houthoff was the first law firm in the Netherlands to sign the Netherlands Bar Association’s Declaration of Intent regarding Diversity (Diversiteit binnen de advocatuur).

Talent to the Top Charter

For the past 10 years Houthoff has committed to this charter: a transparent commitment among a large number of Dutch top companies for equality between men and women in the workplace.

FORWARD Foundation

We are one of the founding law firms of the FORWARD Foundation. A foundation for legal professionals that organises meetings and networking drinks with the goal of increasing the diversity of affiliated organisations, creating a network for LGBT legal professionals and exchanging experiences and best practices.

Personal HR track

All our colleagues have a personal HR track that strongly emphasises their own strengths, talents and characteristics. Cultural backgrounds play an important part in defining personal development goals, since these backgrounds are so vital to the individual.

Global Corporate Ladies Event

The Global Corporate Ladies Event is a yearly event, organised for women leaders from different sectors. The event covers a specific topic with a cultural activity and the opportunity to meet like-minded colleagues. The event was first organised in 2015.

In 2018, we had this event – for the first time – at each of Houthoff’s six locations worldwide in their respective time zones.

Houthoff is involved in several social organisations and projects, including:

  • Johan Cruyff Foundation

The Johan Cruyff Foundation helps children move up by being active. Sport and play help children grow and develop, keep them fit and healthy, and teach them to hold their own in a complex society. Houthoff sponsors the Johan Cruyff Foundation in the form of legal advice. The firm’s advice focuses mainly on sponsorship contracts and further developing the organisation.

  • Stedelijk Museum

The Stedelijk Museum enriches people’s lives with modern and contemporary art and design. The firm supports the Stedelijk Museum through a variety of legal services.

  • JINC

JINC helps socially and economically disadvantaged young people aged between 8 and 16 gain a foothold in the employment market. Houthoff supports this initiative by providing different types of job application training and short traineeships each year.

  • The Cookie Project

This Houthoff initiative supports iambe, a bakery which acts as a training and activity centre for intellectually disabled young people in Amsterdam. Each day, our meeting centres are supplied with freshly baked cookies, made by participants in the programme at their city centre bakery.