HBN Law & Tax

Madeleine Aanstoot

Madelaine is an all-round lawyer with vast experience in commercial litigation and is known as a skilled and driven litigator. Her practice includes construction and maritime disputes. Madelaine started her legal career in 1992 at another firm in Curaçao. In 2006, she joined HBN Law & Tax.

Misha is partner at HBN Law & Tax. His work includes commercial contracts, financing, corporate law, real estate & construction, lease & time share and employment law. He regularly assists in ship auctions on behalf of mortgagees. Among Misha’s clients are financial institutions, construction companies, wholesalers, global shipping corporations and real estate investors. Misha has more than 20 years of experience and joined HBN Law & Tax in 2005. Prior to joining HBN Law & Tax, Misha was active for the law firms Van Diepen Van der Kroef and Loyens & Loeff in Amsterdam.

Robert has been a lawyer since 1993. Robert has a wide range of expertise in (project) financing, syndicated lending, corporate finance, debt securities transactions, restructurings, securities and insolvencies.

Francine Da Costa Gomez

Francine is a Tax & Legal Consultant at HBN Law & Tax where she advises both (inter)national companies and individuals. She has extensive knowledge of Curaçao, Aruba, Sint Maarten and BES-islands tax legislation. Francine’s experience extends to, amongst other things, tax litigation procedures, tax restructurings, acquisitions and general tax-law matters. Francine effectively guides you through all tax formalities that are required on a monthly and yearly basis. Francine is passionate about what she does and open to answer any questions you may have about tax and legal aspects of your business or your private tax situation.

Chris is partner at HBN Law & Tax and specializes in corporate and commercial litigation and arbitration. He also has extensive experience in corporate inquiry proceedings (enquete-procedures). Chris is involved in litigious matters in both the Dutch Caribbean and the Netherlands. His clients include companies in the energy, telecommunications and financial sectors. Clients appreciate Chris because of his strong litigation skills, extensive knowledge and keen intelligence.

Lucas has a broad practice with a focus on matters of corporate, employment and general contract law. Lucas started his legal career at a law firm in the Netherlands where he mainly focused on matters in employment and international transport law and joined HBN Law & Tax in 2018. Lucas is a keen participant in business networks.

Nicole Echobardo

Nicole is an all-around tax specialist who provides tax compliance and advisory services throughout the Dutch Caribbean. She advises national and international companies in the banking, insurance, telecommunication, gaming, retail, construction and hotel industry.

Jeroen Eichhorn

Jeroen is partner at HBN Law & Tax and has vast experience in mergers & acquisitions, banking & finance, investment funds and asset protection & wealth preservation. He advises, and litigates for international and national financial institutions, corporations and high-net individuals and frequently acts as boardroom advisor. Jeroen is also a tax lawyer and involved in tax investigations and related tax litigation.

Nazna is a tax specialist with over 10 years of experience with the Suriname tax practice. She has experience in local as well as international taxes, providing efficient comprehensive tax advice to entities and individuals in various sectors, amongst others the Mining and Oil & Gas. Nazna can guide you through all tax related matters.

Max joined HBN Law & Tax in January 2019. He has a general law practice, with a focus on contract law, corporate law and procurement law.

Jeanise has over fifteen years of experience as a tax professional. Jeanise advises on matters of tax, tax accounting and tax transparency as well as regulatory aspects of mergers and acquisitions to companies in the financial sector and the energy & utilities sector. She has extensive knowledge of Dutch Caribbean taxes and gained experience on transfer pricing implications of intra-group financing and intra-group services. Jeanise has been active across a wide variety of tax jurisdictions, including the Caribbean Netherlands, Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten and Surinam. Jeanise started her career in 2010 at a Big 4 Tax Firm in the Netherlands, where she worked on the Business Tax Advisory practice with a focus on services in the field of Tax Accounting & Reporting, Tax Assurance and Tax Controversy. In this position, she was also a member of the Financial Services Office (tax compliance and tax advisory services for Financial Institutions). Her industry experience extends to Energy & Utilities; Retail Industry; Financial Institutions (Banking and Insurance); Manufacturing; Oil and Gas Industry and Telecommunications.

Jorik is an experienced all-round tax professional, providing tax advisory service across the Dutch Caribbean territories with a particular focus on providing solutions for tax matters in Aruba and the BES territories. His areas of expertise include (international) Mergers & Acquisitions, tax optimization for employees, providing advice on restructuring and (international) tax planning. His portfolio includes and has included clients in the real estate, leisure, tourism, banking and insurance industry.

Harshal Kirpalani

Harshal started her legal career at HBN Law & Tax in 2016 and has a general law practice.

Indrah has over 15 years of experience as an all-round tax practitioner. She specializes in the tax systems of Aruba, the BES Islands, and Suriname. Indrah began her career in 2008 at an accountancy & tax firm in the Netherlands, where she provided tax advisory, compliance, and tax planning services on various tax matters related to individuals as well as corporate and employment tax planning for small and medium-sized businesses. She later gained further experience working for several Big 4 organizations. Her overall experience includes 8 years within the Aruba tax advisory and compliance practice and 2 years within the Suriname tax advisory and compliance practice. Although her main expertise lies in corporate and personal income tax compliance and payroll taxes, including expatriate compensation, she also has broad experience in advisory, compliance, and planning for indirect taxes and general tax law matters. She advises both companies and individuals in Aruba, the BES Islands, and Suriname.

Terrence Matroos

Terrence is partner at HBN Law & Tax. He is an all-round commercial lawyer who advises and litigates on commercial contracts, real estate, telecom, corporate disputes and employment law. He represents governmental bodies, government owned companies, commercial companies, entrepreneurs and high-net worth individuals. Terrence obtained a Masters’ degree in notarial law as well, which enables him to advise on issues with complex notarial aspects. Terrence works from the Curacao office and is also active in Suriname.

Wendell Meriaan

Wendell is tax partner and board member at HBN Law & Tax. Wendell is a reputed and very skilled international tax practitioner who serves the Dutch Caribbean business community, international clients and professional services firms. Wendell has over 30 years of experience. His practice includes on-shore and off-shore banking, insurance, oil & gas, telecommunication and hospitality. Before joining HBN Law & Tax, Wendell was the managing tax partner at KPMG Meijburg & Co Caribbean and DCTL.

Jan is managing partner at HBN Law & Tax. Jan has a broad corporate practice focused on fulfilling the commercial and strategic needs of his clients, often in demanding circumstances. He has over 25 years of experience in mergers & acquisitions, private investments, large scale (PPP) projects and disputes over transactions. Jan is also knowledgeable in director’s & officer’s liability and commercial arbitration. Jan is regularly referred to for Dutch work by European, UK and US firms and enjoys working with other professionals from various disciplines.

Stan Putter is partner at HBN Law & Tax. He moved his dispute resolution practice to HBN in 2022. Stan's practice primarily focuses on international arbitration and State court litigation with international aspects. He is frequently instructed to act as counsel in arbitrations and gained significant experience with arbitrations held under the auspices of the leading arbitration institutes. Stan also frequently sits as and acts in arbitration-related litigation such as recognition and enforcement proceedings, setting aside proceedings and interim relief proceedings. Other court proceedings he deals with frequently relate to provisional measures, freezing orders, enforcement, asset recovery, businesses and human rights, and security rights besides his dispute resolution practice. Stan represents clients from a wide range of industries, which include the offshore, energy, finance, technology, petrochemical, construction and engineering, and M&A industries.

Rejauna Rojer is a tax law & economics professional with a dynamic Dutch Caribbean tax practice servicing (inter)national clients with tax restructuring, advisory and tax compliance matters. Rejauna has a particular affinity in the sectors of insurance, finance, real estate and technology.

Charles is partner at HBN Law & Tax and litigates and advises local and international clients on a wide array of matters, from breach of contract claims to complex trademark infringement disputes. In addition, he is an experienced negotiator and is a skilled draftsman for a wide range of contracts.

Arnout Schennink

Arnout is a litigation lawyer with broad experience in commercial and corporate litigation and arbitration. He did specialistic work in the field of corporate governance, corporate inquiry proceedings, shareholder disputes, directors’ liability and fraud. Arnout worked in various sectors, such as IT, telecommunications, FMCG, transport, healthcare, financial services, real estate and heavy industry.

François Simon

François practices in the tax systems of Curaçao, Bonaire, St. Eustatius, Saba, Aruba and Cuba and has over 10 years of experience as an all-round tax practitioner. He is involved in various projects such as (inter)national group restructuring and reorganizations, consultations on and implementation of (inter)national tax planning and implementation of group structuring and financing arrangements. Francois is also specialized in tax litigation both regarding the assessment and collection of taxes.

Loes is a specialist employment lawyer who joined HBN Law & Tax in 2022. She advices and litigates on all aspects of employment law, including individual and collective dismissals, reorganizations, collective bargaining law and disability. Loes represents both employers and employees. Loes started her career in 2010 and before joining HBN Law & Tax Loes worked as an attorney at several law firms in the Netherlands. Loes also gained experience as legal counsel at an employers’ association where she negotiated on collective bargaining agreements. This experience has proven useful when advising clients.

Nathania has a general law practice with a focus on commercial contract law and corporate and regulatory matters. Before joining HBN Law & Tax in 2012, she worked and interned in the judiciary and the financial sector as well as with several law firms in Amsterdam and Curaçao.

Jonathan Steward

Jonathan is specialized in commercial litigation and dispute resolution. His practice involves contractual matters, corporate and personal insolvency, partnership disputes. Jonathan also advises local and international clients on corporate law, insurance law, employment law and family law. Jonathan started his legal career at another Aruban firm in 2011 and joined HBN Law & Tax in 2015.

Maarten Tervoort

Maarten is a proficient tax lawyer, boasting 16 years of specialized experience in the realms of international tax law and tax litigation. Maarten has a proven track record in providing tailor-made advice, focusing particularly on St. Maarten- and BES tax law. Over the course of his career, Maarten has consistently served as a trusted advisor to multinational corporations, NGO’s, governmental organizations, high-net-worth individuals, SME’s and entities involved in cross-border transactions. He provides strategic insights to mitigate risks, ensures compliance, and optimizes financial outcomes. With a commitment to staying abreast of evolving global tax landscapes, Maarten remains at the forefront of industry developments, bridging Dutch- and Dutch Caribbean tax law.

Chris van Amersfoort

Chris is a partner at HBN Law & Tax, experienced in the field of transactions including mergers & acquisitions, joint ventures and project finance. In recent years he was overseeing of a large number of projects in the hotel and leisure industry and is known for his pragmatic and goal driven approach. Chris enjoys consulting on board room matters and the strategic issues facing his clients.

Caroline van Hees

Caroline specializes in corporate and commercial litigation, complemented by a strong advisory practice. She provides pragmatic and straightforward legal solutions, ensuring that clients receive the help they need without unnecessary complications. Caroline has significant experience in general civil law matters, with further expertise in contract law, construction law, labor law, and corporate law. Caroline is not afraid to fiercely advocate for her clients’ rights, ensuring their interests are always represented. Caroline’s personal approach fosters strong relationships, allowing her to better understand and address her client’s unique needs. This combination of practicality and personalized service ensures that clients receive the support they require when it matters most. Before joining HBN in 2024, Caroline developed her expertise at reputable local law firms in Sint Maarten over 9.5 years.

Stan specializes in advising stakeholders in stressed and distressed businesses focusing on solvent turnarounds or insolvent solutions across a wide range of sectors. He also acts regularly as a bankruptcy receiver in (corporate) insolvencies and is appointed as such by the Courts of First Instance in the Dutch Caribbean (Bonaire, Curaçao and St. Maarten). Stan has over ten years of experience as an attorney and works across the Dutch Caribbean since 2016. In 2020, he joined HBN Law and Tax.

Luigi advises and litigates for governmental bodies and public entities in the Dutch Caribbean. He also assists a wide range of commercial clients who seek his expertise in commercial disputes and contracts. Luigi has been with HBN Law & Tax since 1999 and entered the firm’s partnership in 2008. Over the years he became particularly well-known for his expertise in administrative, public and constitutional law.

Marie advises and litigates in the general law practice with a focus on matters in administrative law. Marie advises, among other things, in regulatory matters and procedures (including permits, exemptions, administrative fines, banking supervision). Marie also advises and assists in the procedures (incl. drafting) for enacting legislation.

Maarten Willems

Maarten is an all-round lawyer who advises and litigates in all areas of civil law, including international banking and finance matters, commercial contracts, corporate law, employment law, insurance law and regulatory matters. Among his clients are companies within the hotel and leisure industry, the casino industry, the development and construction sector and the financial sector. Maarten has been an attorney for over 20 years and joined HBN Law & Tax’ Aruba office in 2014.

Marcha Woudstra

Marcha is partner and board member at HBN Law & Tax. Marcha is an all-round lawyer who advises and litigates in all areas of Constitutional and Administrative Law. Her approach is noted as practical and solution oriented. Her specialist knowledge of Administrative Law, Spatial Planning and Environmental Law allows her to quickly obtain effective results. Marcha’s expertise extends to sustainable energy projects and Aviation Law.