Mr Willem Heemskerk > Pels Rijcken & Droogleever Fortuijn NV > The Hague, Netherlands > Lawyer Profile

Pels Rijcken & Droogleever Fortuijn NV is unique within the Dutch landscape for representing the State of the Netherlands and other public authorities as well as multinational and international private companies in complex class actions and mass claims. The firm acts mainly as defence counsel for major class actions and is known for its Supreme Court litigation prowess. The team has actively been involved with class actions related to the alleged trucks cartel as well as follow-on proceedings and other cartel damage claims. Willem Heemskerk and Raimond Dufour co-lead the practice from The Hague. Heemskerk is well-known for his specialism in complex class action and group cation disputes, leading on cartel damage claims and follow-on group actions. Dufour focuses on international class actions and mass claims, assisting with the ‘Dieselgate’ class action.

The arbitration practice at Pels Rijcken & Droogleever Fortuijn NV handles all stages of arbitration cases, from interim measures to set-aside proceedings. While the firm is primarily known for its expertise in handling matters for public and governmental entities, it has been growing its commercial client base as well as its international capabilities. Willem Heemskerk chairs the international team and is the go-for for complex liability and compensation disputes before arbitral tribunals. Fellow practice head Mark Birnage is known for his expertise in construction and project work and handles project-related arbitration proceedings. Supreme Court litigator Martijn Scheltema is noted for his knowledge of set-aside proceedings and the enforcement of arbitral awards. Iman Brinkman focuses on energy-related matters, while newly promoted partner Raimond Dufour is the go-to for international arbitration proceedings.

Pels Rijcken & Droogleever Fortuijn NV represents a wide array of clients from multinationals to the Dutch state, major Dutch municipalities, and financial supervisory authorities. The team has a wealth of experience in cases before the Supreme Court, including corporate, commercial and financial litigation. The team is jointly led by dispute resolution specialists Hans van Wijk, Willem Heemskerk, and Wemmeke Wisman. Heemskerk leads on cases with international aspects and acts for largely corporate clients in liability and compensation cases. Van Wijk is a go-to for Supreme Court litigation related to corporate, public sector, and liability disputes. Leading litigator Wisman is often instructed on high-stakes civil proceedings. Sikke Kingma assists public authorities and listed and non-listed companies in Supreme Court cases alongside Gijsbrecht Nieuwland, who regularly acts for the Dutch state before the highest courts. Peter van Kippersluis focuses on financial sector and professional liability cases. Newly promoted partner Raimond Dufour specialises in cross-border civil disputes and class actions.