Firm Profile > Stek > Amsterdam , Netherlands

Stek
Leidseplein 29
1017 PS Amsterdam
Netherlands

Email firm Visit website 31 20 530 5200 31 20 530 5299

Energy: regulatory Tier 1

Stek's energy practice is considered 'top-notch' throughout – 'this is a firm where you can happily leave a matter in the hands of the associates'. Jan Erik Janssen is 'the best energy regulatory lawyer in the Netherlands' and the team 'knows what is happening in the energy sector and has a good mix of energy, competition, and state-aid expertise'. Counsel Stephanie Dielemans 'has good industry knowledge and is a good choice for procurement law as well'. Martha Brinkman, formerly a counsel with the firm, left for a position with the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy.

Leading individuals

Jan Erik Janssen - Stek

Energy: transactional Tier 2

Stek emergy practice is described as 'highly skilled, responsive, pragmatic, and creative'. Reijnoud Homveld is recommended for transactions; 'he is sensitive to the client's needs and is a very effective dealmaker'. He represents an impressive range of energy companies, financial institutions, and private equity houses. Senior associate Claudia Beele is also recommended, especially for renewables matters. The team continues to act for Stedin in various high-impact transactions, including the sale of Joulz Energy Solutions to Volker Wessels. It also acted for the shareholders of turbine manufacturer Lagerwey in the sale of the company to ENERCON – it subsequently assisted ENERCON/Lagerwey with the execution of the joint venture with Russia’s NovaWind.

Banking and finance: Borrower side Tier 3

Stek fields a ‘great’ and ‘very commercial’ team, which is best known for its work on mid-market corporate lending and acquisition financings. Recent highlights include advising Standard Investment on the financing of its acquisition of Riedel from dairy company Friesland Campina, and acting for Boels, a rental company, on its growth refinancing of €2.8m. The ‘excellent’ Maarten van der Graaf, Herman Wamelink, Frans Haak and Sharon Kaufmann lead the practice.

Banking and finance: lender or arranger side Tier 3

Stek's team is 'pro-active and cooperative' and 'thinks in possibilities'. Core strengths include corporate lending, healthcare financings and project financings. A major client is Rabobank, which the team advised on an acquisition finance transaction for Avedon of its double acquisition of Visions Connected and Viju. Key names include Maarten van der Graaf, Herman Wamelink, Frans Haak and Sharon Kaufmann, who are heads of team.

Dispute resolution: Commercial litigation Tier 3

Stek’s team remains a key name for antitrust litigation across the financial, travel, audit and energy sectors, among others. Co-heads Jan Bart van de Hel and Gerben Smit are acting for an Intertrust Group affiliate, as issuer of notes in a €635m transaction, in litigation against leading US hedge funds. Other clients include Stopanska Banka, Komercijalna Banka and KPMG. The team was bolstered by the arrival of senior associate Max Hetterscheidt from Allen & Overy LLP in February 2018 and Berend Reuder from Houthoff in August 2018.

EU and competition Tier 3

Stek's expertise takes in multi-jurisdictional cartel cases, merger control work and strategic advice on vertical competition law among others. Co-lead Ruben Elkerbout is assisting Wrist Ship Supply Group with securing first-phase clearance of its proposed acquisition of Klevenberg Shipping Center. Berend Reuder joined as a partner in August 2018 from Houthoff, and Linde Bremmer joined in December 2017 from CMS.

Next Generation Partners

Berend Reuder - Stek

Private equity Tier 3

Clients praise Stek for delivering ‘partner attention whenever it’s needed’ and for providing 'a good balance between legal knowledge and business interest'. In recent work, Eelco Bijkerk acted for Rotterdam Port Fund on its investment in Tagpoint and assisted Bencis Capital Partners with the sale of a packaging company to Jindal. Dierik Cras, who is noted for his 'sharp brain', is advising Ponooc on the sale of its wind turbines portfolio company. Maarten van der Graaf and senior associate Malu Dijkstra are other names to note.

Transport Tier 3

Stek is praised for its ‘outstanding aviation practice’. Jeroen Timmermans and senior associate Laetitia Kunst-den Teuling advised TrueNoord Holdings on two aircraft purchases from Castlelake.

Commercial, corporate and M&a Tier 5

Stek's team head Eelco Bijkerk, together with Dierik Cras and Maarten van der Graaf, advise private equity houses, corporates, and financial institutions on M&A and broader corporate law, as well as restructurings. 'The hands-on attention from the partners results in high-quality legal work with the courage to be pragmatic'. The 'proactive' Bijkerk is acknowledged for providing clients 'with the comfort that nothing is left behind which should have been dealt with'. In the renewable energy market, Cras advised the shareholders of Lagerwey, the wind turbines manufacturer, on the sale of their shares to Enercon of Germany.

The firm

Stek is an independent Dutch law firm. The firm was launched in 2005, combining expertise from leading international law firms and high-profile in-house positions. Stek brings this expertise and professionalism together in a leaner, smaller, direct and more approachable package. Stek distinguishes itself through excellent service via a focused, hands-on, personal approach. The firm prides itself in having assembled a top team of lawyers with in-depth legal and sector expertise and commercial awareness with a ‘can-do’ service attitude.

Stek’s partners have ample experience in co-ordinating cross-border projects. The firm has become a trusted partner for referral work of leading foreign law firms. Stek does not belong to any formal network, alliance or association.

Areas of practice

Stek provides legal services in four practice areas: corporate, dispute resolution, finance and competition and regulated markets.

For other specialist areas, Stek offers its clients an integrated, transparent solution by augmenting its own resources with its proven network of external specialists who have been carefully selected to operate at the same level of excellence as its own staff.

Corporate: Stek assists its clients in all types of corporate matters, such as M&A, joint ventures, restructuring, private equity and corporate governance. The firm’s commercial work includes all types of commercial contracts. In addition the firm has a strong niche in aviation and energy, and counsels on Dutch Caribbean law.

Dispute resolution: Stek represents its clients in administrative and civil courts, in arbitration and in alternative dispute resolution proceedings. Its lawyers have considerable experience in devising effective means of dispute resolution and avoidance of litigation.

Finance: Stek represents financial institutions and corporate clients regarding all aspects of domestic and international financial transactions, from syndicated lending to acquisition finance and trade finance transactions, and from structuring investments to providing advice on restructuring and insolvency law transactions and regulatory and compliance issues.

Competition and regulated markets: Stek assists its clients with the full range of European and Dutch competition and regulatory matters. The firm is a market leader in the energy sector, and has strong expertise in other regulated markets, such as agri-food, health care, aviation and water. Its lawyers represent companies before various competition authorities, regulators, policy makers and in court.

Department	Name	Email	Telephone
Aviation	Laetitia Kunst
Aviation	Jeroen Timmermans
Competition and regulated markets	Stephanie Dielemans
Competition and regulated markets	Ruben Elkerbout
Competition and regulated markets	Jan Erik Janssen
Competition and regulated markets	Berend Reuder
Corporate	Eelco Bijkerk
Corporate	Dierik Cras
Corporate	Maarten van der Graaf
Corporate	Reijnoud Homveld
Corporate	Jasper Stek
Corporate	Jeroen Timmermans
Corporate	Ruben Tros
Dispute resolution	Dierik Cras
Dispute resolution	Stephanie Dielemans
Dispute resolution	Ruben Elkerbout
Dispute resolution	Jan Bart van de Hel
Dispute resolution	Jan Erik Janssen
Dispute resolution	Gerben Smit
Dispute resolution	Jasper Stek
Energy and natural resources	Reijnoud Homveld
Energy and natural resources	Jan Erik Janssen
Finance	Maarten van der Graaf
Finance	Frans Haak
Finance	Sharon Kaufmann
Finance	Herman Wamelink
Private equity	Eelco Bijkerk
Private equity	Reijnoud Homveld
Private equity	Ruben Tros
Public law	Stephanie Dielemans
Public law	Jan Erik Janssen

Photo	Name	Position	Profile
	Mr Mattijs Baneke		View Profile
	Mr Merijn Batteram		View Profile
	Ms Claudia Beele		View Profile
	Mr Eelco Bijkerk		View Profile
	Ms Linde Bremmer		View Profile
	Mr Dierik Cras		View Profile
	Ms Stephanie Dielemans		View Profile
	Mrs Malu Dijkstra		View Profile
	Mr Ruben Elkerbout		View Profile
	Mr Frans Haak		View Profile
	Mr Max Hetterscheidt		View Profile
	Mr Reijnoud Homveld		View Profile
	Mr Jan Erik Janssen		View Profile
	Ms Sharon Kaufmann		View Profile
	Mrs Laetitia Kunst		View Profile
	Mr Berend Reuder		View Profile
	Mr Michaël Rijnja		View Profile
	Mr Gerben Smit		View Profile
	Mr Jasper Stek		View Profile
	Mr Jeroen Timmermans		View Profile
	Mr Ruben Tros		View Profile
	Ms Stéphanie Verhelst		View Profile
	Mr Herman Wamelink		View Profile
	Mr Jan Bart van de Hel		View Profile
	Mr Maarten van der Graaf		View Profile