AKD > Amsterdam, Netherlands > Firm Profile

AKD
PO BOX 59280
1040 KG AMSTERDAM
Netherlands

Netherlands > Construction Tier 1

AKD offers a strong contentious and non-contentious construction practice, partnered with an experienced real estate team. The cross-practice expertise allows the firm to advise on all aspects of large projects, specifically inner-city developments, as well as logistics, residential and office building spaces, including instructing on real estate transactions, disputes, project finance and PFI, PPP, and M&A. The firm has a unique focus on maritime construction projects, particularly offshore energy including wind, and the team is also experienced in environmental, planning and regulatory issues impacting construction. The practice is led by Marc Wintgens and Sven Billet, the former of whom is experienced in counselling large construction companies and government bodies, and he recently advised on incoming sustainability requirements legislation. Jeanette Luijten is known for her work in high-profile construction disputes.

Practice head(s):

Sven Billet; Marc Wintgens

Other key lawyers:

Jeanette Luijten; Floris van Westrhenen

Testimonials

‘Strong engagement and awareness of each client’s unique context. Able to swiftly mobilise required skills and experience. Prompt reaction.’

‘Very up to date insight in Dutch and European development in the field of tendering and construction. Teams have balanced setting. Good guidance by lead Marc Wintgens.’

‘Expertise, guts, speed.’

‘I greatly appreciate the AKD team. The main attribute of this team is that they understand the issues but are pragmatic in their approach. Great litigators and easy to work with.’

‘Floris van Westrhenen has and continues to be an exceptional legal adviser. He is tactical, smart, self assured and fun to work with. His approach is to achieve the best for his client without burning commercial bridges.’

‘AKD has a thorough knowledge of construction and the construction market. Their expertise and approach is unrivaled.’

‘Practice head Marc Wintgens can deal with any high-level construction case, is easy accessible and an excellent negotiator.’

Key clients

Netflix

Univé

Allianz Real Estate GmbH

InterEst

Port of Rotterdam

Greystar Real Estate Partners

Goodman

Segro

Life Europe

TB3 Investment

Epicenter Stockholm

VolkerWessels

Philips

WDP

Green Real Estate

M&G Real Estate

Kaan Architects

DW Partners

DSV

Development Company Greenport Venlo (DCGV)

Prologis

Crosslane

Flow Real Estate

Profinn

Joint Owners of the Entrada Area

Prorail

Hercuton

Edge Technologies (former OVG Real Estate)

Work highlights

  • Advising longstanding client, VolkerWessels, on the largest development and construction project in The Netherlands, Strijp-S.
  • Advises Maersk on the development contracts and design and build contracts suites and contractor procurement strategy with respect to the Maasvlakte II and the Port of Rotterdam.
  • Advised Zalando on the site acquisition, the procurement, development and construction with respect to their 140,000 sqm’s distribution center in Bleiswijk.

Netherlands > Environment and planning Tier 1

The environmental law team at AKD is led by Jos Van Der Velden in Breda, Gerrit van der Veen in Rotterdam, and Hugo Doornhof in Amsterdam, and advises and acts for a range of public and private-sector clients on issues ranging from permitting to soil and water contamination. Van der Velden has particular expertise in noise regulation; Van der Veen is regarded as ‘efficient and effective‘; and Doornhof is a key contact for issues relating to housing, infrastructure and retail developments. Henk Breeman is also noted, as is Thomas Sanders, whose 'knowledge is outstanding'.

Practice head(s):

Jos van der Velden; Gerrit van der Veen; Hugo Doornhof

Other key lawyers:

Eveline Sillevis Smitt; Thomas Sanders

Testimonials

‘AKD lawyers are always ready to help. They make time and answer quickly and directly.’

‘Knowledge on a high level. Empathy. Swift and correct.’

‘The level of knowledge is very high in this practice. The collaboration with this firm is great. They are innovative in their collaboration with governments.’

‘The team has all the knowledge and skills needed for all legislation.’

‘Gerrit van der Veen is capable of solving all our problems fast and in an efficient and effective way.’

‘Thomas Sanders is very passionate about his work. His knowledge is outstanding and he can get to the essence of a file in no time. Besides that, he is a very pleasant person with a great sense of humour.’

‘Gerrit van der Veen has the quality of thinking outside the box, with the client’s needs in mind. Oversees the scope of the case very well and quickly, and keeps in mind the political interests.’

‘Thomas Sanders is a professional that is outstanding in his legal profession, always accessible, very accurate. He is quick in his answers to questions and helps if a colleague is better in a specific subject. He has a good overview. Whenever he promises a product, he delivers it.’

Key clients

ProRail

Provinces: Friesland, Limburg, Zuid-Holland, Flevoland, Zeeland, Noord-Brabant, Utrecht, Overijssel, Gelderland

Municipalities: Kampen, Alphen aan de Rijn, Uden, Roosendaal, Oosterhout, Lelystad, Almere, Midden-Delfland, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht, Eindhoven, Tilburg, Breda, Delft, Venlo, Meierijstad

Water boards: Brabantse Delta, De Dommel, Rijnland, Rijn en IJssel, Hunze en Aa’s, Limburg,

Uniper Benelux N.V.

Heros Sluiskil

Urenco Netherlands B.V.

Aldi Supermarkets

Havenbedrijf Rotterdam

AMVEST

Blauwhoed

Verbrugge Terminals, ZHD Stevedores

KFC

Wacker Chemie AG

WDP – Warehouses De Pauw

Hunter Douglas Europe

Dutch Parliament

Access World

Dutch State (Ministry of the Interior)

Sif Netherlands B.V.

Work highlights

  • Requested by the Minister of Infrastructure and the Environment to represent the Minister in appeal proceedings at the Council of State for the implementation modification of the railway line near Boxtel, ‘s-Hertogenbosch and Vught.
  • Helping Warehouses De Pauw Nederland to obtain permission from various municipalities to establish new warehouses.
  • Assisting the Central Government Real Estate Agency and the municipality of Katwijk in the building of a high-end residential and business area on land formerly occupied by a marine airbase.

Netherlands > Industry focus: Food Tier 1

Specialist in commercial contracting and litigation Barbara Mutsaers leads AKD‘s food law practice. Mutsaers focuses on recall cases, product liability matters and assists clients with drafting contracts with food suppliers. Huib Berendschot is the key contact for IP representation, advising food manufacturers on brand protection, parallel trade and enforcement litigation. Martin Hemmer and Roderick Chalmers Hoynck van Papendrecht are also key names in the food-related IP team. Administrative food law expert Erik Dans assists food processing companies with complying with food and consumer legislation, defending them in enforcement cases concerning penalties and administrative fines.

Practice head(s):

Barbara Mutsaers; Huib Berendschot

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘AKD has team leaders with specialised knowledge and resources for research.’

‘The team is fine-tuned. They keep each other informed and have experts in many areas that support each other when necessary.’

‘AKD communicates clearly and is familiar in the environment it works in.’

‘AKD has been our partner in the field of legal issues for many years with its wide range of lawyers, short lines of communication and up-to-date knowledge, making them a very suitable partner for us. What is really unique, however, is that this is done in a friendly, yet efficient manner.’

‘The collaboration with Barbara Mutsaers was excellent. Friendly, knowledgeable and always ready for us with a short response time. Not only advising within her own field and knowledge, but also thinking more broadly on the rest of the playing field. She is open, honest and transparent in her responses and advice. In the unlikely event that we once again need legal assistance, there will be no doubt that we will then contact her immediately!’

‘Barbara Mutsaers is fast to respond when we have a crisis situation, and is very good with the details. She is really hands on, and patient.’

‘Barbara Mutsaers is very knowledgeable on the food sector, relevant legislation and is hands on. She provides us timely and excellent legal advice. Strong negotiator in court.’

Key clients

Perfetti Van Melle

Nestlé

Herballife

Plukon Food Group

The Greenery

Yili Innovation Center Europe

Hoogwegt International

Van den Borne Aardappelen

Sligro Food Group Nederland

Interfood Holding

Esro Seafood

Greenpower

CBD Consultancy Group

VanRijsingeningrediënts

B&S International

Corbion

Meelunie

Andean Life B.V.

Flink B.V.

Work highlights

  • Represented industry organisation NEPLUVI and its members in court proceedings against the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority.
  • Advising a global market leader in vitamins, enzymes, food additives, flavourings and ingredients, on the interpretation and application of various food legislating in specific cases, including GMOs.
  • Represented an importer and distributor or organic foods in an objection proceeding.

Netherlands > Transport Tier 1

The transport and trade group at AKD has experience of shipping, including specific expertise in ship arrests, judicial sales and charter party disputes, road, aviation and rail matters, particularly in carriage of goods disputes, as well as logistic matters relating to storage and the forwarding of cargo. The team has a strong contentious capacity, with shipping litigation expert Haco van der Houven van Oordt and Jos van der Meché specialising in disputes relating to terminal operations, warehousing and logistics. Annemieke Spijker specialises in multi-modal transport, road networks and warehousing, often litigating in logistics and international transport matters. The practice is led by Jan Kromhout, an experienced transactional transport lawyer who has a focus advising on contracts in relation to shipping.

Practice head(s):

Jan Kromhout

Other key lawyers:

Taco van der Valk; Pieter de Haan; Jos van der Meché; Haco van der Houven van Oordt

Testimonials

‘Immediate response, to the point, showing merits and risks of the matter.’

‘A practice characterised by excellence in expertise and ad hoc advice. A good combination of experienced lawyers with a young ambitious team.’

‘Jos van der Meché has a strategic and often creative approach, always focused on solving the case. Annemieke Spijker has a rapid response time, and is appreciated for her knowledge of the sector and her practical approach.’

‘The team maintains amicable relations with other firms thus avoiding unnecessary juridical escalations.’

‘Fantastic team and impressive clients.’

‘Strong quality team, responsive and good to cooperate with.’

‘Haco van der Oordt is the no.1 go to partner for maritime work at AKD. Very knowledgeable, quick and solution oriented.’

Netherlands > Dispute resolution: Commercial litigation Tier 2

Head of AKD’s dispute resolution practice Patrick Haas is the go-to lawyer for professional class actions funders from around the world seeking legal representation in international collective redress cases. Haas is also a trusted adviser for third party litigation funders investing in cases in the Netherlands. The experienced Eric Koster specialises in cross-border litigation, while Thijs Hekman acts for and against financial institutions in disputes involving bankruptcies, directors’ liability claims and the enforcement of securities. Fouad el Houzi is another key practitioner for insolvency and restructuring disputes.

Practice head(s):

Patrick Haas

Other key lawyers:

Erik Koster; Thijs Hekman; Fouad el Houzi; Jeffrey Kleywegt

Testimonials

‘AKD are both transparent and responsive. As a company, these are the values we live by for our clients, so it was really a match made in heaven to have a law firm on our side that adopts the same strategy towards its clients.’

‘Thijs Hekman in particular was practically always available when called upon, and always provided clear and succinct feedback regarding how our case was progressing.’

‘Patrick Haas is a pleasure to work with and always makes you feel you are in very capable hands. He is exceptionally commercial and brings a perspective to issues that is always welcome.’

‘Thijs Hekman is clever and to-the-point.’

‘The high level of specialisation in the field of insolvency/director’s liability litigation is outstanding.’

‘Thijs Hekman is a bright junior partner. He handles complex insolvency and litigation cases.’

‘This practice is unique because it combines expertise in international and local (Dutch) matters.’

‘AKD provides a streamlined, efficient and complete service to its clients. They are easy to deal with, incredibly reliable and effective. They know their market very well and have a depth of insight into matters.’

Key clients

Yukos Finance B.V.

EndemolShine Group B.V.

Royal Imtech N.V.

Svenska Handelsbanken S.A.

LeasePlan Nederland N.V.

Bankia S.A.

Prorail N.V.

Erasmus Medisch Centrum Rotterdam

Neways Electronics International N.V.

Segulah

TransAtlantis Funding Lux S.a.r.l.

Cerberus Capital Management LP

Beequip B.V.

VIEO

Darling Ingredients

Ortolan

Rotate

Uljee Food Group B.V.

Work highlights

  • Representing SCC in several landmark class action cases against various car manufacturers (VW Group, Renault, Stellantis, Daimler) for their role in the diesel emissions scandal.
  • Representing the bankruptcy trustees of Royal Imtech N.V. in clawback actions against the former financiers of the Imtech group.

Netherlands > Energy: regulatory Tier 2

AKD’s energy team draws on the firm’s strengths in environmental and planning law to provide support on major projects throughout their full life-cycle. Acting for energy companies, developers, investors, and public bodies, the practice advises on the range of renewable projects, including geothermal, solar, and wind energy, as well as sustainable heat. Team lead Marjolein Dieperink has broad regulatory experience, and is also knowledgeable in state aid, subsidy grants, permits, and tendering.

Practice head(s):

Marjolein Dieperink

Other key lawyers:

Jan Kromhout; Julian Versmissen; Lennart Crain

Key clients

Univé

Eneco

Eteck

Prorail

Verbrugge

Inter Provinciaal Overleg (IPO)

Europarcs

Essent

Solora

KIC InnoEnergy

Edge Technologies

Work highlights

  • Assisting Univé in negotiations with contractors, structural engineers, electricity purchasers, and roof owners, in relation to its solar energy portfolio.
  • Acting as counsel to the Dutch parliamentary committee of inquiry into natural gas extraction, researching extractions from the 1950s to the present day.
  • Provided legal assistance to one of the tender parties in the submission of two bids for the construction and exploitation of offshore wind energy farms in the Dutch North Sea (Hollandse Kust West Site VI and VII).

Netherlands > Fraud and white-collar crime Tier 2

The recent arrival of Vincent de Bruijn in November 2021 has led to an impressive expansion of AKD's fraud and white-collar crime practice. Bruijn leads on internal investigations, advising blue-chip companies, directors of high-profile companies and forensic auditors on sanctions, money-laundering, bribery and compliance issues. His non-contentious expertise complements Frits Schneider 's criminal litigation practice, representing international corporates, government organisations and directors in complex and sensitive allegations. New arrival senior associate Isabella van Rijckevorsel provides additional support on complex cases of general corruption and fraud.

Practice head(s):

Frits Schneider; Vincent de Bruijn

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘Frits Schneider is a seasoned criminal defense lawyer with an excellent reputation. Vincent de Bruijn gives a new boost to the fraud and white-collar practice at AKD. At his previous firm Vincent has conducted relevant eDiscovery projects. This specific expertise may offer added value to the more hard-core criminal law practice of Frits.’

‘Our most important contacts were Vincent de Bruijn for the internal investigation and Frits Schneider for the criminal strategic advice and guidance. We are particularly impressed by the analytical qualities of the team of researchers and of Vincent in particular. As a result, it was possible to receive a clear and unambiguous report on the matter under investigation, including recommendations, in a relatively short period of time. Frits has guided us through the process with his expertise, combined with his peace and tranquillity, at important moments.’

We are very satisfied with the work and services of AKD. The strategic advice had great value for us. The internal investigation has provided valuable information and insights. We were able to manage the process well. In addition, the lawyers carried out an excellent detailed analysis in a short period of time and gave concrete advice. We highly value AKD as a highly professional law firm.’

‘Vincent de Bruijn has a sharp analytical mind and has a great eye for detail.’

‘Vincent de Bruijn is one of the smarter lawyers working in the Dutch white-collar practice, he is well versed in many legal areas, he is always interested in the facts underlying the legal abstractions and is often able to come up with innovative solutions to complex problems.’

‘The team is led by Frits Schneider, a highly experienced, amiable and excellent defence lawyer.’

‘AKD’s team has vast experience and combines solid theoretical expertise with a practical, hands-on approach, for instance in the context of internal investigations.’

‘Frits Schneider is very experienced in handling complex fraud cases.’

Netherlands > Industry focus: healthcare and life sciences Tier 2

Amsterdam-based healthcare specialist Joris Rijken and Eindhoven-based life sciences practitioner Barbara Mutsaers lead AKD’s healthcare and life sciences practice. Rijken assists healthcare advisers with care procurements and contracts with various government bodies and provides regulatory advice on medical scientific research. Mutsaers frequently deals with sector specific regulations, including market access and compliance regarding the prohibition of inducements and clinical trials; she also handles various agreements, namely R&D and license agreements. The team frequently works on entry strategies for foreign clients in the life sciences sector.

Practice head(s):

Joris Rijken

Other key lawyers:

Barbara Mutsaers; Maartje de Jong

Testimonials

‘The team has knowledge on a braod area of healthcare and health insurance, acting on behalf of serious players in the field, particularly healthcare institutions’

‘If I need to highlight one of the legal partners, I must mention Barbara Mutsaers. As an entrepreneur, I choose Barbara Mutsaers because she goes the extra mile and is not only a legal partner but also a co-worker.’

‘The team is highly knowledgeable within the health care industry and very well connected to relevant authorities and utilises their connections to improve the quality of their counselling.’

‘High level of analytical thinking and focus on problem solving. The team is very pragmatic and always work with a smile.’

‘For us the team has been centered around Barbara Mutsaers. Our interaction with the team has been very satisfactory because of her.’

‘We do work primarily with Barbara Mutsaers, who has proven to be an outstanding professional. She has been available 24/7, always ready to do the extra effort. She has been able to get to the core of the matter immediately and digests much information rapidly to offer us immediate and very tangible advice. She is very knowledgeable in the Healthcare sector and has outsmarted opposing lawyers in many instances. Her communication style has been sharp, coherent and respectful.’

‘Joris Rijken is dedicated, involved in our care operations, ‘speaks the language’, can relate to our business and is a quick thinker.’

‘Barbara Mutsaers is an exceptional lawyer. What make her stand-out from other lawyers is that she combines her strong expertise in the legislation area with an in-depth understanding of the business needs in the life sciences space.’

Key clients

Stichting Zuyderland Medisch Centrum

Prinses Máxima Centrum voor Kinderoncologie B.V.

Reinier Haga Groep

Dutch Association for Care for People with a Handicap

Dutch Association of Mental Health and Addiction Care

VGZ

Erasmus Medical Center

Alliance Healthcare Nederland B.V.

Biomet 3i Netherlands B.V./Zimmer Dental Inc.

Hestia Cardiovascular Service Center B.V.

Eurocom Healthcare Technology B.V.

Aevitae B.V.

Merz Pharma Benelux B.V.

Vaxxinova International B.V.

Work highlights

  • Advising Stichting Reinier Haga Groep on a demerge
  • Assisting the mental care provider HSK in a successful appeal against a fine by the Dutch Healthcare Authority
  • Advising Nafinco, a buying group for more than 200 pharmacies, on an investment by Freshstream, a British investment firm

Netherlands > Real estate Tier 2

Benelux firm, AKD, leverages its strength in construction to offer expertise in large development and construction projects, incorporating planning, tax, public procurement and corporate law. The firm also has transactional capacity, engaging in several property-related M&A deals. Sven Billet, a civil-law notary, specialising in project development including inner city restructuring, housing associations and industrial complexes; he co-leads the team alongside Marc Wintgens who focuses on advising construction companies, public bodies and hospitals in relation to negotiations and contracting as well as litigating in construction and real estate related disputes. Wouter de Vries, senior associate, is also experienced at the cross-roads of construction and real estate. Frenk Huisman is a key contact in domestic and international real estate transactions and construction projects, while Taco de Lange is recommended for his civil notary services related to real estate. Joost Kil, a senior associate, is focused on transactions, turnkey developments and building contracts.

Practice head(s):

Sven Billet; Marc Wintgens

Testimonials

‘The AKD team continues to deliver top quality services with unparalleled professionalism.’

‘Frenk Huisman is a true partner, responsive, consistent and extraordinarily knowledgeable on real estate matters in the Netherlands. We couldn’t have asked for a better partner over the last several years.’

‘Availability, depth of knowledge, one-stop shopping, “carrier” in order to find the right advisor/lawyer.’

‘AKD has a thorough knowledge of real estate and the real estate market, in addition to the obvious expert knowledge of construction law. Their expertise and approach is unrivalled.’

‘Practice head Marc Wintgens can deal with any high-level real estate case, is easy accessible and an excellent negotiator. Marc is also highly convincing.’

‘AKD has a multidisciplinary team with associated high-quality knowledge and experience and has good knowledge of our business and organization(s) and translates this into good and applicable advice.’

‘High-quality knowledge, expertise, experience and personal involvement.’

Key clients

Netflix

Univé

Allianz Real Estate GmbH

InterEst

Port of Rotterdam

Greystar Real Estate Partners

Goodman

Segro

Life Europe

TB3 Investment

Epicenter Stockholm

VolkerWessels

A large number of Dutch housing companies (incl. Rochdale, Portaal, Staedion, Haag Wonen, Stichting Havensteder, Vestia Groep, Woonbedrijf, Ymere, ’thuis, WonenCentraal and Sint Trudo).

Philips

WDP

Green Real Estate

Several local government agencies|E.g. the municipalities of:|Amsterdam;| ||Utrecht; ||Eindhoven;||Tilburg;||Breda; and||Westland.||And the Provinces of|Limburg; ||Gelderland; and||Zuid|-Holland.

M&G Real Estate

Kaan Architects

DW Partners

DSV

Development Company Greenport Venlo (DCGV)

Prologis

Crosslane

Flow Real Estate

Profinn

Joint Owners of the Entrada Area

Prorail

Hercuton

Edge Technologies (former OVG Real Estate)

Work highlights

  • Advised Panattoni on multiple logistic Real Estate Projects.
  • Advises Edge Real Estate with respect to the development of Royal DSM’s New Global Head Office.
  • Advised EdgeConneX on all data center investment and developments projects in the Netherlands.

Netherlands > Banking and finance: lender or arranger side Tier 3

AKD represents a broad range of lender clients operating through the Benelux region, with a proven track record in handling the Dutch law aspects of real estate finance, acquisition finance and structured finance transactions. Practice head Vincent Bettonville, whose additional expertise covers corporate lending and restructurings, works alongside financial supervision head Jasper Verhoog. Another name to note is Niels Hagelstein.

Practice head(s):

Vincent Bettonville

Other key lawyers:

Jasper Verhoog; Niels Hagelstein; Nadine Platenburg; Remco Bosveld

Testimonials

‘A responsive and diligent team.’

‘Vincent Bettonville and Remco Bosveld are highly recommended.’

‘Responsive, informed and efficient work on secured, multi-jurisdiction financings.’

Key clients

Pine Bridge Benson Elliot

Crédit Agricole Corporate & Investment Bank

JPMorgan

Seaway Heavy Lifting

Sumitomo Corporation

Ralph Lauren

Exide Technologies

Deutsche Private Equity

Braskem

Boskalis

Iron Mountain

Hessing Supervers

Panattoni

Morgan Stanley

Natixis

CSU

Netherlands > Commercial, corporate and M&A Tier 3

Noted for its ‘ability to handle complex cross-border transactions’, independent Benelux firm AKD acts for domestic and foreign clients on distressed M&A, strategic deals and corporate restructurings, in addition to merger control issues and regulatory approvals. Practice head Carlos Pita Cao has demonstrable experience across the transport and logistics, energy, food, manufacturing, technology and leisure sectors, and Nathalie Van Woerkom is praised as a ‘safe pair of hands’ for distressed M&A. Other key contacts in the group include Lennart Crain and new arrival Wouter Kros, who joined from Loyens & Loeff in June 2022.

Practice head(s):

Carlos Pita Cao

Testimonials

‘They maintain a high quality with regard to their drafting, respond swiftly and are also pragmatic.’

‘Nathalie van Woerkom is an experienced partner in M&A and private equity.’

‘Highly knowledgeable, efficient, experienced in cross-border work and a strong client focus.’

‘Nathalie van Woerkom – a very safe pair of hands. Extremely experienced, strong negotiator and very business minded. A pleasure to work with.’

‘They are a fantastic group of people with tons of experience across all types of corporate transactional work.’

‘Very pragmatic and knowledgeable, working for top-tier clients. Can easily stand out against the really big names.’

‘Carlos Pita Cao is a sharp and efficient lawyer.’

‘Good ability to handle complex cross-border transactions.’

Key clients

Neways

Ontwikkelingsmaatschappij Oost Nederland

Perspectieffonds Gelderland B.V.

Rotterdam Port Authority

Remia

De Hoge Dennen Capital

Vitec

Berk Partners

Blackstone

PAI and a portfolio company

Alpha Private Equity / IPCOM

Inkef Capital

Foodmate

Newion

Pax8

Ballymore Group

Brian Beheer

Telrol

CWS

Astek Group

ViCentra

ISA Pharmaceuticals

Westway Group

K3 Business Technology Group Plc.

Total Produce Plc

Sumitomo Corporation

Ralph Lauren

Facilicom Services Group

IOI Corp.

DW Partners

Oranjewoud

PFM

Work highlights

  • Acting for Neways on the defence against a hostile public takeover offer for Neways.
  • Acted for Vitec in the €100m acquisition of SaaS business ABS.
  • Acting for Foodmate on its sale of both its European and its US branch to US-based investment firm Duravant.

Netherlands > Intellectual property: trade marks, copyrights and design rights Tier 3

AKD‘s seasoned IP litigator Huib Berendschot represents a range of clients in trade mark infringement matters, either as a claimant or defence attorney, while Roderick Chalmers works on matters across copyright, trade marks, advertising law and unfair competition, and is sought out by clients for trade name issues. Martin Hemmer routinely works on ICT-related IP matters, such as infringements of database rights and software copyrights. Associate Bram Woltering adds another layer to the practice, experienced in dealing with parallel import issues and coordinating counterfeit matters across Europe for clients.

Practice head(s):

Martin Hemmer

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘AKD has a very deep bench when it comes to IP, unfair competition and design law. They also show a very client-focused strategy that takes into account the business practicalities at issue in a dispute or prosecution matter. In other words, they look at the issues considered from the client’s perspective. This includes offering reasonable fees. I believe they use technology very effectively.’

‘Very responsive and hands on advice. Clients like what they get as there is always a good balance between commercial and legal requirements.’

‘Huib Berendschot is very experienced with exceptional industry insights.’

‘Roderick Chalmers has great experience in the sector, very smart, friendly, practical counsel who understands the need to balance the commercial requirements with the legal ones.’

‘Huib Berendschot is a very experienced partner with a good understanding of how to resolve problems. He has in-house experience which allows him to understand a client’s perspective. He is knowledgeable in the area of IP, unfair competition and design rights and an effective advocate.’

‘Roderick Chalmers is a junior partner with a deep understanding of IP, unfair competition and design law. He is a very effective problem solver.’

‘Bram Woltering is very capable and also understands IP, unfair competition and design law.’

‘Roderick Chalmers and Huib Berenschot are excellent professionals. Experienced and straight to the point. I trust their advice.’

Key clients

Inditex

Geneva Laboratories

AS Watson

Perfetti van Melle

Attema

Starskin

Dopper B.V.

Stella Fietsen

Swiss Sense

President Safety

Ulthera Inc.

Bär Software

Track Innovations

TerStal

WPS

Worldwide Machinery

Zuru

Audax

Belvilla

Prorail

Ma-rell Boats AB

Moooi

Varma

Carnimex

Equimedical

Netherlands > Private equity Tier 3

The ‘pragmatic and knowledgeable’ team at independent Benelux firm AKD acts for domestic private equity funds, family offices and Dutch ventures on mid-market transactions and is often instructed on big-ticket deals. The practice, which increasingly advises private equity clients on sustainable investment and governance matters, is frequently engaged by UK and US firms to assist with the Dutch law aspects of multi-jurisdictional transactions. Praised as an ‘excellent private equity adviser’, practice leader Nathalie Van Woerkom’s client roster includes 17Capital, De Hoge Dennen and Newion Investments. Other key contacts in the group include Carlos Pita Cao, Lennart Crain and Wouter Kros.

Practice head(s):

Nathalie van Woerkom

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘Lennart Crain is very responsive, commercial and solution oriented.’

‘Nathalie van Woerkom has a pleasant personality. She is open minded, creative and always looking for solutions. It is a great pleasure to work with Nathalie.’

‘Rosanne Vlasveld is creative and has a lot of experience. She is accurate and fast in delivering results.’

‘Wouter Kros is good with clients and will work hard to arrive at a solution that is out of the box.’

‘They have strengths across the transactional spectrum, particularly private equity.’

‘Pragmatic and knowledgeable, working for top tier clients.’

‘Carlos Pita Cao is sharp and efficient.’

‘Nathalie van Woerkom is an excellent private equity adviser.’

Key clients

Alpha Private Equity

Apollo

Berk

BioGeneration Ventures

Blackstone

Inkef Capital

De Hoge Dennen Capital

LSP

Newion Investments

PAI Partners

Value Enhancement Partners

Shareholders of Augusta Benelux B.V.

West Frisia Vastgoed B.V.

17Capital

CWS

FB Oranjewoud Participaties

Work highlights

  • Acting for Neways on the defence against a hostile public takeover offer for Neways and on the recommended public offer for Neways by private equity firm Infestos.

Netherlands > Project finance and PFI Tier 3

Benelux firm, AKD, has a strong construction and real estate sector focus, consolidating its project finance and PFI offering with practitioners specialising in the full spectrum of related matters. The firm is active on developments such as healthcare, inner city structurings, and PPPs across several industries. The practice is led by Sven Billet  and Marc Wintgens who is experienced in construction and project development, with an emphasis on PPPs. Taco de Lange is active in project finance, particularly regarding real estate developments and refinancing of portfolio arrangements.

Practice head(s):

Sven Billet; Marc Wintgens

Testimonials

‘Depth of knowledge, strategy, understanding of the business.’

‘Personal attention and widespread connections to key sector players.’

‘Trustworthy, experienced, connected, trusted and professional.’

‘AKD has a thorough knowledge of the project finance and PFI market, in addition to the obvious expert knowledge of construction law. Their expertise and approach is unrivaled.’

‘Practice head Marc Wintgens can deal with any high-level project finance and PFI case, is easy accessible and an excellent negotiator.’

Key clients

Port of Rotterdam

VolkerWessels

DW Partners

Edge Technologies (former OVG)

WDP

DSV

Catella

Green Real estate

Development Company Greenport Venlo (DCGV)

M&G Real Estate

Heijmans

BAM

Crosslane

Philips

Janssen De Jong/Hercuton

Kaan Architects

Prologis

Skala Management Ltd

Work highlights

  • Advised VolkerWessels on the Strijp-S PPP, a large development in The Netherlands.
  • Advised Univé on developing its own solar energy portfolio.
  • Advised RAI Amsterdam on the redevelopment and refinance of their RAI-complex.

Netherlands > Restructuring and insolvency Tier 3

A member of Interlaw, AKD is active in cross-border insolvencies and appointments by the court as trustees and administrators in bankruptcy proceedings. The team advises companies in distressed situations, including reorganisations, recapitalisations and winding up matters, in addition to advising banks in circumstances of recovery. The team, which has demonstrable experience across the real estate and construction, logistics and retail sectors, is led by Barend de Roy van Zuidewijn, who regularly receives appointments as bankruptcy trustee from the courts. Other key contacts in the group include Fouad el Houzi and Thijs Hekman.

Practice head(s):

Baend de Roy van Zuidewijn

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘Fouad el Houzi is a strong and leading individual in his domain. He provides very clear and effective strategies that help safeguard the client’s interest to the best level possible.’

‘The team has the perfect combination of experienced lawyers and young, bright lawyers that can take on any case.’

‘Baend de Roy van Zuidewijn is a very experienced insolvency lawyer and bankruptcy trustee. The combination of these roles gives value to clients. Thijs Hekman is a very bright young partner. He works effectively by directly focusing on the core of the issue at hand.’

Key clients

Bankruptcy trustee of Royal Imtech N.V. and its group companies

Cerberus Capital Management LP

Bankruptcy trustee of De Donge group companies

Bankruptcy of Veldhoven Group No 2 years

Ortolan Nederland Credit OplossingenGmbH

Svenska Handelsbanken AS

Bankruptcy trustee of Atlantic Marine Services B.V.

Bankruptcy of Fortress group companies

Centraal Beheer Achmea

Bankruptcy trustee of E.P. Trade Support

Crowe Horwath

Libyan Foreign Bank

Work highlights

  • Acting as the trustee in the high-profile bankruptcy of Royal Imtech N.V. and several of its subsidiaries.
  • Acting as project manager on behalf of Cerberus regarding a run off of the non-performing loan portfolio Cerberus acquired from Van Lanschot.
  • Assisting as co-counsel for the bankruptcy trustees of Dutch real estate company Fortress in their claw-back action against Rabobank and directors liability claims against the board of directors.

Netherlands > Tax Tier 3

AKD advises a broad range of multinational companies, private equity funds and financial institutions on corporate income and tax advisory matters, with a focus on transfer pricing and tax compliance. The team has a strong portfolio of high-profile clients and acts predominantly in an advisory capacity, though it also has frequently been instructed on a transactional basis. The practice is led by Huub Laauwen, who is an experienced practitioner in restructuring and M&A work, in addition to acting for high-net-worth clients on tax management.

Practice head(s):

Huub Laauwen

Other key lawyers:

René van der Paardt; Ivo Vreman; Eric Vermeulen; Milja Bormann-Bakker; Jan-Willem Beijk; Anton Akimov; Ludo Luijks

Key clients

Braskem

Credit Agricole

Credit Suisse

Santander

Unicredit

AT-PAC

Benson Elliot

Clarins

United Phosphorus

Tate & Lyle

Netherlands > Employment Tier 4

The Rotterdam-based employment team at AKD has experience across the healthcare sector following the pandemic, and has advised companies establishing Dutch bases post-Brexit while also increasing its expertise in transactional matters, including advising on takeovers and divestments of interests of multinational companies. The firm can also draw on its membership of the Interlaw network, an international association of independent law firms in multiple jurisdictions. The team is led by Pieter Huys.

Practice head(s):

Pieter Huys

Other key lawyers:

Henrike van de Laar; Pascal van Schaik

Testimonials

‘Good and quick to response. Professional and prompt in their advice. Feedback is clear and practical.’

‘Henrike van de Laar is accessible and responds quickly to requests for help. Thanks to her strong analytical skills, she quickly gets to the heart of the matter. She is knowledgeable, accurate and acts decisively.’

‘AKD is a professional organisation. In particular, I work with the employment law team. They are all very experienced. The billing process runs smoothly, taking into account our organisation’s processes. Cooperation with the other departments within AKD also runs smoothly and other professionals are called in promptly if necessary. No unnecessary work is done and they clearly anticipate our requirements as a client.’

‘In particular, I work with Henrike van de Laar. She is great to work with. She can be reached quickly and always makes time to provide us with expert advice. She not only looks at the purely legal issues but also thinks ahead pragmatically. She has an eye on the requirements of our organisation and not only looks for the best legal solution but also for the best solution for the organisation. After experience with several lawyers and various offices, she clearly adds extra value.’

‘Delivers promptly in a well-structured way and actively deals with clients’ concerns and possible solutions for them.’

‘Pascal van Schaik and Henrike van de Laar in the Amsterdam office were excellent, helping me deal with a tricky international matter. They stayed very calm in difficult circumstances and helped navigate us to the right outcome.’

‘In my opinion, AKD has a great group of very experienced people working for them, with a broad scope of abilities. In the times I needed expertise from another department at AKD, they would swiftly introduce me to the right person, who was also always very capable, experienced and flexible. I think their level of expertise combined with their flexibility in particular makes AKD unique.’

‘I’d like to praise Pieter Huys specifically. He is a truly very knowledgeable professional, who is highly emotionally intelligent and very flexible. He truly cares about getting the client the best result and, also, about the well being of his client in a way that I had never seen before in a professional relationship.’

Key clients

General Electric

Port of Rotterdam Authority

Boskalis

LG Electronics

Dopper

Korean Airlines

Nielsen Company

Dupont de Nemours

Deloitte

China Southern Airlines

Shinwa

JVCKenwood

Work highlights

  • Supported Vueling with the employment issues related to setting up its new hub in Amsterdam.
  • Supported Sparck Technologies with the employment aspects of its demerger and the sale of the company to a Dutch investor.
  • Advised Siemens Energy on employment issues relating to the sale of its Heat Transfer Technology business division to Balcke Dürr, a subsidiary of a private equity fund.

Netherlands > Energy: transactional Tier 4

AKD's energy team is active on renewables projects and in the growing area of sustainable heat. Marjolein Dieperink heads the practice, with experience in subsidy grants, permits, and state aid. Corporate and M&A partner Lennart Crain provides notable support on transactional matters.

Practice head(s):

Marjolein Dieperink

Other key lawyers:

Lennart Crain

Netherlands > EU and competition Tier 4

AKD has developed particular expertise at the intersection of competition and consumer law, and in the foreign direct investment regulatory framework and private enforcement cases, including cartel follow-on damages claims. Led by Pieter Kuypers and Joost Houdijk, the practice is active in investigations, merger control and state aid, with an emphasis on its integrated Benelux capacity. The firm has experience acting for clients across the transport, healthcare and energy industries and the public sector.

Practice head(s):

Pieter Kuypers; Joost Houdijk

Other key lawyers:

Nikee Groot

Testimonials

‘Skilled and experienced, quickly available upon request.’

‘Joost Houdijk – skillful, to the point, pragmatic.’

‘We required specific expertise in EU Procurement law, for which AKD has a specialised practice. The team, though small, was very knowledgeable in the subject matter at hand and provided the required guidance.’

‘Pieter Kuypers and Nikee Groot were well versed in the practical aspect of EU procurement law. They provided a professional and to-the-point legal strategy, required legal briefs, and legal representation during the course of our engagement.’

‘Joost Houdijk communicated in a way that matched the level of the participants. He showed that a theoretical topic can be conveyed to the audience in a lively and engaging way.’

‘I can recommend Joost Houdijk. Excellent competition lawyer, great knowledge of competition law and fun to work with.’

‘Joost knows our market well by now and finds other point of views or additional arguments that make our case stronger.’

‘Good expertise, very service oriented.’

Key clients

ProRail B.V.

VINCI Energies Netherlands B.V.

De Hoge Dennen Capital SHI

Natuurmonumenten

Achmea

Erasmus Medical Center

Maasstad Medical Center

TransAtlantis

Imagina Media Audiovisual SA

Province of Limburg

Work highlights

  • Representing TransAtlantis Funding Lux Sarl in a private damages action against truck manufacturers that were involved in the truck cartel.
  • Assisting Natuurmonumenten in a procedure before the ECJ regarding its judgment on 3 September 2021, holding that a Commission Decision of 2 September 2015 regarding state aid contained procedural defects.
  • Carried out a successful merger notification procedure to the Dutch Competition Authority with regard to the intended acquisition of Van Dillewijn Holding by Koninklijke Paardekooper Group.

The firm: AKD is one of the largest law firms in the Benelux. With a team of approximately 270 committed lawyers, civil law notaries and tax lawyers, AKD delivers high quality legal services and tax matters in nearly all legal fields, based on a full-service approach. The firm’s client base varies from large multinational companies (whether stock-listed entities or family owned businesses) to high net worth individuals, from financial institutions to municipalities and hospitals.

Main areas of practice
Banking and finance: AKD advises a wide range of clients, including national and international corporate clients, banks and other financial institutions, private equity and venture capital investors, and hedge funds, on banking, finance, company law, national and international structuring and restructuring, and legal opinions.

Civil law notaries: AKD is a reliable and extremely experienced partner for clients requiring notarial services. At AKD, we have over thirty civil-law notaries, who cooperate closely with our lawyers wherever necessary.​​ This means that you can rely on us to provide you with a wide range of notarial services and solutions to your legal problems.

Commercial contracting: AKD’s expertise covers the international sale of goods and services, encompassing the structuring and optimisation of international commercial transactions: advising, contracting and dispute resolution.

Compliance and integrity: AKD’s Compliance & Integrity team regularly deals with a wide range of complex and occasionally sensitive compliance issues. Our advice and representation encompasses risk assessment, compliance assessment, compliance programmes, investigations, criminal, civil and enforcement matters, all in legal fields where the rules are subject to constant change.

Construction: AKD boasts one of the largest construction and real estate teams in the Netherlands. Its sheer size enables us to deploy lawyers to tackle every issue that affects your business. Through our considerable expertise and deep knowledge of the market, the team consistently provides assistance at the highest level.

Corporate/M&A: Our small and flexible teams in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg work successfully for domestic and foreign companies on strategic transactions, private equity deals, venture capital investments, restructurings and distressed M&A. Our team’s expertise extends to other areas of law and supervisory regulations relating to mergers and acquisitions, such as employee co-determination, transfer of undertaking, financing, security and ancillary restrictions.

Corporate criminal law: AKD’s criminal lawyers are skillful at handling a wide range of complex and sensitive criminal law cases involving large business and personal interests. They focus on offering a high level of reputation and risk management. They also conduct internal investigations and offer advice on criminal compliance issues.

Data protection and privacy: Enforcement powers available to privacy authorities in the Benelux are being expanded. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) pertains to all processing of personal data by data controllers and imposes strict conditions on the processing, transfer and security of personal data. AKD’s Data Protection & Privacy team is happy to advise you as to whether your company’s data processing is privacy compliant.

Employment and pensions: AKD’s Employment & Pensions practice group encompasses a team of committed lawyers boasting comprehensive knowledge and experience. Our lawyers advise on and litigate cases involving employment contracts, dismissals, competition, confidentiality, collective labour agreements and employee participation, special employment relationships, transfer of undertaking, equal treatment, secondment, working hours, working conditions, minimum wage and other types of remuneration, holiday and leave, and more.

Government liability: Government liability is a complex field, a convergence of administrative law and compensation law. AKD sets itself apart through its unique combination of thorough knowledge of administrative law and special expertise in the field of (civil) compensation law.

Insurance: Our Insurance team’s thorough knowledge of the market enables it to assist insurance companies, brokers and policyholders alike, in the Benelux countries and elsewhere. AKD has proven a particularly reliable partner for taking on cases involving transportation-related insurance law, liability, and policy and coverage disputes.

Intellectual property and IT: AKD’s Intellectual Property, ICT & Privacy team is one of the largest and most specialised IP and IT teams in the Netherlands and Belgium. Our lawyers enjoy an excellent reputation both nationally and internationally. They litigate complex infringement disputes before national courts and all the way up to the European Court of Justice. AKD also boasts a dedicated trademark and design registration team whose sole aim is to look after your IP portfolio.

Investment management: Our Investment Management team can help you with legal advice on investment structures and guidance on investment institutions. These cover ‘umbrella funds’, private equity/venture capital funds, property funds, hedge funds, feeder funds and fund-of-funds. We specialise in setting up innovative investment structures and providing guidance through the authorisation processes with the relevant authorities for the financial markets.

Litigation: AKD boasts an extensive team comprising dozens of lawyers who excel at resolving business disputes. AKD advises and litigates on every possible dispute involving corporate law, including shareholders’ disputes, disputes between joint venture partners, inquiry procedures, corporate governance and participation disputes, group liability and directors’ and officers’ liability issues.

Private equity: AKD’s Private Equity team enjoys a strong reputation in the mid-market segment and counts various private equity funds, venture capital funds and large single-family offices among its clients, advising them on investments, exits, management participations and W&I aspects.

Private wealth: We provide advise to wealthy families, establish and manage family offices for the creation and management of their holding and operational companies and their charitable entities. We assist them for the taking of tailor-made and strategic decisions in close cooperation with their other specialist advisors in Belgium and abroad. This includes complex securities portfolios, art and real estate.

Projects and infrastructure: AKD’s Project & Infrastructure team consists of a multi-disciplinary team of lawyers, civil-law notaries and tax advisers, well equipped to deal with projects across multiple sectors in all key jurisdictions. Our integrated global network provides full-service capabilities to clients in key markets and can advise on the regulatory, corporate, financing, public law, tax, arbitration and commercial litigation aspects of both domestic and cross-border projects.

Public law: AKD boasts one of the largest administrative law teams in the Benelux. We advise and litigate on behalf of the public sector and semi-public institutions as well as on behalf of companies. A full-service firm, AKD is able to muster all the expertise needed to tackle every administrative dispute imaginable, ranging from local and provincial government law to water authorities legislation, from tax law and administrative fines to obligations to tolerate, and from orders subject to penalties and administrative coercion to municipal measures in the social domain.

Public procurement: From our Brussels office, we have been advising and litigating on all facets of procurement law for 20 years. Our clients are the central government and decentralised public authorities, public law institutions and medium and large enterprises.

Real estate: Boasting one of the largest Real Estate teams in the Netherlands and a solid Real Estate team in Belgium, AKD is able to deploy specialist lawyers to address all key aspects of your business. You can trust AKD’s experts to be up to speed with all innovations in your market and aware of any legal and contractual implications.

Restructuring and insolvency: AKD’s Restructuring & Insolvency team has time and again proven a reliable and experienced partner in complex situations. We have been involved in nearly all major insolvencies in the Netherlands, either as trustees (in the bankruptcy of Imtech, for example) or as advisors. The firm is equipped to assist companies in financial distress with restructuring and refinancing issues, issues related to selling off secured assets as well as cases of post-bankruptcy D&O liability.

Supreme Court litigation: Conducting Supreme Court litigation calls for specific expertise. Having amassed dozens of years of expertise handling litigation in the lower courts, AKD’s specialists will now ply their trade in the Dutch Supreme Court as well. They will litigate matters spanning the full breadth of civil law and civil procedural law, including matters involving local, regional or national government authorities.

Tax: From our Benelux offices, AKD’s tax lawyers are faced with the job of ensuring that tax regulation changes have the least possible adverse impact on the commercial activities and asset management of their clients, businesses and high net worth individuals alike. We accomplish this by developing in-depth knowledge of all tax matters, be it corporate tax, dividends tax, income and PAYE taxes or transfer tax.

Transport and trade: AKD’s Transport & Trade team enjoys an excellent reputation worldwide for its risk management expertise and ability to come up with legal solutions. Our specialists have a clear understanding of opportunity versus risk and have been involved in many ground-breaking cases.

International work: with offices in the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg, AKD offers integrated, independent and international legal and tax services in stable jurisdictions. Business arrangements, financial structures and digitalisation readily transcend international boundaries. The firm’s specialists look across borders and beyond the confines of their own disciplines in order to ensure seamless end-to-end service. AKD is the exclusive member firm in the Netherlands for Interlaw, the premium international association of independent law firms with lawyers in nearly 80 jurisdictions and more than 130 cities worldwide (www.interlaw.org). AKD also has an Asia Desk, German Desk, Turkish Desk and USA Desk, all of which form fully integrated teams that assist its clients in their global activities from start to finish.

Department Name Email Telephone
Banking and finance Vincent Bettonville vbettonville@akd.eu +31 88 253 5210
Civil law notaries Monique Verkuilen mverkuilen@akd.eu +31 88 253 5542
Corporate criminal law Vincent de Bruijn vdebruijn@akd.eu +31 88 253 5248
Corporate/M&A Carlos Pita Cao cpitacao@akd.eu +31 88 253 5575
Data protection & Privacy / IP & IT Martin Hemmer mhemmer@akd.eu +31 88 253 5916
Employment & Pensions Pieter Huys phuys@akd.eu +31 88 253 5511
Environmental law Jos van der Velden jvandervelden@akd.eu +31 88 253 5963
Healthcare Joris Rijken jrijken@akd.eu +31 88 253 5115
Litigation Patrick Haas phaas@akd.eu +31 88 253 5587
Private equity Nathalie van Woerkom nvanwoerkom@akd.eu +31 88 253 5573
Project finance and PFI Marc Wintgens mwintgens@akd.eu +31 88 253 5759
Public law Gerrit van der Veen gvanderveen@akd.eu +31 88 253 5556
Public procurement Pieter Kuypers pkuypers@akd.eu +32 2 629 4283
Real estate and Construction Marc Wintgens mwintgens@akd.eu +31 88 253 5759
Restructuring & Insolvency Barend de Roy van Zuidewijn BdeRoyvanZuidewijn@akd.eu +31 88 253 5102
Tax Huub Laauwen hlaauwen@akd.eu +31 88 253 5197
Transport & Trade Jos van der Meché jvandermeche@akd.eu +31 88 253 5395
Transport & Trade Haco van der Houven van Oordt hvanoordt@akd.eu +31 88 253 5392
Photo Name Position Profile
Anton Akimov photo Mr Anton Akimov Tax advisor
Jan-Willem Beijk photo Mr Jan-Willem Beijk Partner
Huib Berendschot photo Mr Huib Berendschot Partner
Vincent Bettonville photo Mr Vincent Bettonville Partner
Sven Billet photo Mr Sven Billet Partner, Civil law notary
Milja Bormann-Bakker photo Mrs Milja Bormann-Bakker Partner
Remco Bosveld photo Mr Remco Bosveld Partner
Henk Breeman photo Mr Henk Breeman Partner
Roderick Chalmers Hoynck van Papendrecht photo Mr Roderick Chalmers Hoynck van Papendrecht Partner
Lennart Crain photo Mr Lennart Crain Partner
Erik Dans photo Mr Erik Dans Lawyer
Taco De Lange photo Mr Taco De Lange Partner
François Defaix photo Mr François Defaix Partner
Pieter Den Haan photo Mr Pieter Den Haan Partner
Marjolein Dieperink photo Mrs Marjolein Dieperink Partner
Hugo Doornhof photo Mr Hugo Doornhof Partner
Sander Engels photo Mr Sander Engels Partner
Marc Goethals photo Mr Marc Goethals Lawyer
Erik Gramberg photo Mr Erik Gramberg Partner
Patrick Haas MBA photo Mr Patrick Haas MBA Partner
Niels Hagelstein photo Mr Niels Hagelstein Partner
Niels Hagelstein photo Mr Niels Hagelstein Partner
Thijs Hekman photo Mr Thijs Hekman Partner
Martin Hemmer photo Mr Martin Hemmer Partner
Frenk Huisman photo Mr Frenk Huisman Partner
Pieter Huys photo Mr Pieter Huys Partner
Jan Kromhout photo Mr Jan Kromhout Partner, Board member
Huub Laauwen photo Mr Huub Laauwen Partner
Ludo Luijks photo Mr Ludo Luijks Partner
Jeanette Luijten photo Ms Jeanette Luijten Partner
Klaas Meersma photo Mr Klaas Meersma Partner
Sebastiaan Moolenaar photo Mr Sebastiaan Moolenaar Partner
Barbara Mutsaers photo Ms Barbara Mutsaers Lawyer
Paul Peters photo Mr Paul Peters Partner
Carlos Pita Cao photo Mr Carlos Pita Cao Managing Partner
Jeroen Pop photo Mr Jeroen Pop Partner
Erwin Rademakers photo Mr Erwin Rademakers Partner
Andre Reznitchenko photo Mr Andre Reznitchenko Partner
Joris Rijken photo Mr Joris Rijken Partner
Bart Roozendaal photo Mr Bart Roozendaal Partner
Thomas Sanders photo Mr Thomas Sanders Partner
Frits Schneider photo Mr Frits Schneider Partner
Eveline Sillevis Smitt photo Mrs Eveline Sillevis Smitt Partner
Conny Staudt photo Mrs Conny Staudt Partner
Nathalie Van Woerkom photo Mrs Nathalie Van Woerkom Partner
Guido Vergouwen photo Mr Guido Vergouwen Partner
Monique Verkuilen photo Mrs Monique Verkuilen Partner
Eric Vermeulen photo Mr Eric Vermeulen Partner
Julian Versmissen photo Mr Julian Versmissen Partner
Ivo Vreman photo Mr Ivo Vreman Partner
Paul Welten photo Mr Paul Welten Partner
Vincent Wibaut photo Mr Vincent Wibaut Partner
Marc Wintgens photo Mr Marc Wintgens Partner
Bram Woltering photo Mr Bram Woltering Lawyer
Vincent de Bruijn photo Mr Vincent de Bruijn Partner
Egbert de Groot photo Mr Egbert de Groot Partner
Laura de Jong photo Ms Laura de Jong Partner
Barend de Roy van Zuidewijn photo Mr Barend de Roy van Zuidewijn Partner
Guido de Vos photo Mr Guido de Vos Lawyer
Frans de Vries Lentsch photo Mr Frans de Vries Lentsch Of counsel
Fouad el Houzi photo Mr Fouad el Houzi Partner
Nick van Dijk photo Mr Nick van Dijk Partner
Aukje van Griensven photo Mrs Aukje van Griensven Assigned civil law notary
Philip van Hilten photo Mr Philip van Hilten Partner
Hans van Mens photo Mr Hans van Mens Partner
Pascal van Schaik photo Mr Pascal van Schaik Partner
Dennis van Tilborg photo Mr Dennis van Tilborg Partner
Floris van Westrhenen photo Mr Floris van Westrhenen Partner
Mariëlle van Winden-Spaans photo Mrs Mariëlle van Winden-Spaans Partner
Nathalie van Woerkom MBA photo Mrs Nathalie van Woerkom MBA Partner
Henrike van de Laar photo Mrs Henrike van de Laar Lawyer
Joyce van den Nouwland photo Mrs Joyce van den Nouwland Partner
Haco van der Houven van Oordt photo Mr Haco van der Houven van Oordt Partner
Jos van der Meché photo Mr Jos van der Meché Partner
René van der Paardt photo Mr René van der Paardt Partner
Taco van der Valk photo Mr Taco van der Valk Partner
Gerrit van der Veen photo Mr Gerrit van der Veen Partner
Jos van der Velden photo Mr Jos van der Velden Partner
Chinese
Dutch
English
French
German
Italian
Japanese
Korean
Norwegian
Portuguese
Russian
Spanish
Swedish
Managing partner : Carlos Pita Cao (cpitacao@akd.eu)
Board member : Marc Wintgens (mwintgens@akd.eu)
Board member : Jan Kromhout (jkromhout@akd.eu)
Board member : Mark Kater (mkater@akd.eu)

AKD strengthens its energy practice with the arrival of Thomas Chellingsworth, Christine Delagaye and Laura Pellens

AKD has recruited a leading energy team to strengthen its energy practice. Hiring this team, consisting of partner Thomas Chellingsworth, counsel Christine Delagaye and associate Laura Pellens, underscores AKD's focus on the energy and climate transition and its commitment to supporting energy players in the challenges they will face over the decades ahead.

AKD elects new board

AKD has elected a new board. Carlos Pita Cao and Jan Kromhout have joined the board, with Carlos succeeding Erwin Rademakers as the firm's managing partner.

AKD expands tax practice in Belgium with the appointment of Frédéricq Jacquet as partner

AKD has taken on Frédéricq Jacquet for its tax practice as of 3 July 2023.

AKD welcomes five new partners

AKD has announced the appointment of five new partners in its Dutch and Luxembourg offices. Managing partner Erwin Rademakers: "We are immensely proud to have witnessed the strong growth of these new partners over the past few years.

AKD expands Belgian Banking & Finance capabilities with lateral partner Antoine De Raeve

AKD announces that Antoine De Raeve has joined the firm’s Belgian Banking & Finance team on 1 May 2023.

AKD further strengthens its Corporate & M&A practice with the hire of Wouter Kros as a partner

Leading law firm AKD Benelux Lawyers welcomes Wouter Kros as partner into its Corporate / M&A practice as of 1 June 2022. Wouter joins AKD from Loyens & Loeff, where he worked for 14 years covering M&A work for public and private companies. He has a strong track record of domestic and cross-border transactions where he has acted for clients including financial sponsors and corporates.

Ludo Luijks joins AKD’s M&A Tax team

AKD Benelux Lawyers has announced the appointment of Ludo Luijks as a partner in its growing international M&A Tax team. Ludo will join the team on 1 November.

Benelux firm AKD appoints partners: Passing the baton to the next generation

AKD Benelux lawyers has appointed five new partners, four of them "home-grown”, managing partner Erwin Rademakers clarifies. “It gives immense pleasure to see colleagues developing and, as next-generation partners, contributing to building the future of our firm.” 

AKD continues to expand in Brussels: Julien Hick appointed employment law partner

AKD Benelux lawyers is delighted to announce the appointment of Julien Hick as partner in Brussels.

Yann Hilpert appointed partner at AKD in Luxembourg

AKD Benelux lawyers is delighted to announce the appointment of Yann Hilpert as partner in Luxembourg.

Conny Staudt takes on partnership at AKD Benelux lawyers, “back to her roots”

Pieter Huys, who leads the team, comments: “We are thrilled to welcome Conny at AKD. Coming at a time where flexible employment has become a hot topic, her expertise in this field neatly complements our own expertise. Earlier this year, the Balanced Labour Market Act (Wet Arbeidsmarkt in Balans) came into force, the purpose of which Act is to make flexible employment less flexible and steady employment less steady. We find that this new legislation has given rise to many questions from our clients, duly aggravated by the uncertainties thrown up by the Covid-19 crisis. Conny's expertise and experience add real value to our team”.

AKD adds six new partners to Benelux footprint

AKD has appointed six new partners in Belgium and the Netherlands. Following the appointment of three new partners in Luxembourg earlier this year, AKD thus further increases its Benelux footprint.


Benelux law firm AKD expands with McGuireWoods’ Brussels team

Benelux law firm AKD expands its Brussels office by adding McGuireWoods’ Brussels team, following AKD’s strategy to be the first choice full-service legal and tax services provider in the Benelux. The incoming team consists of partners Hubert André-Dumont, Paul van den Bulck, Timothy Speelman, Steven Ongena, counsel Pol Cools, and four associates.