Firm Profile > Clifford Chance > Amsterdam, Netherlands

Banking and finance: asset finance and structured finance Tier 1

Clifford Chance’s group head Pieter van Welzen is praised for his ‘extensive knowledge and experience’. Fellow co-lead Hein Tonnaer is advising a group of banks on the re-financing of two EdgeConneX data centres in Amsterdam and Dublin. He is also assisting Blue Elephant Energy with financing two solar park installations in the Netherlands. Esther Griffioen is also noted.

Banking and finance: lender or arranger side Tier 1

Clifford Chance’s group is a popular choice for outbound transactions. The team recently advised the lenders on the amendment and restatement of a $300m corporate facility agreement provided to Seplat Petroleum Development Co, a Nigerian independent oil and gas company. Titus de Vries leads the practice. Angela McEwan, Mark Huddlestone  and Jelle Hofland are other names to note.

Capital markets: debt Tier 1

Jurgen van Der Meer leads the team at Clifford Chance, and has a key focus on bank and insurance regulatory capital markets issues and securities regulatory work. He advised PostNL on its listing on Euronext Amsterdam and the issuance of €400m fixed-rate notes; senior counsel Tineke Kothe and senior associate Hugo van der Molen were also part of the team.

Lender or arranger side Tier 1

Private equity Tier 1

Clifford Chance acted for longstanding client APG Asset Management on its acquisition of a 75% stake in Open Tower Company, from Rabo Bouwfonds Communication Infrastructure Fund; group lead Hans Beerlage and Mark Jan Arends led on the matter. Arends is working with Gregory Crookes in advising 3i on its acquisition of a personal care brand from Egeria. Thijs Alexander, Jeroen Thijssen and counsel Line Poliquin are other names to note.

Project finance and PFI Tier 1

Well known for its banking and finance abilities, Clifford Chance offers top-flight project finance and related skills to sponsors, lenders, ECAs, and investors. Hein Tonnaer, Nanette Rutgers, and Liesbeth Buiter are advising Blauwwind, acting as sponsor and project counsel on the €900m offshore wind farm. Leading lawyer Jaap Koster advises on high-value project financing in the energy and transportation sectors. Rabobank, ABN AMRO, and Dura Vermeer are among its client list.

Transport Tier 1

Clifford Chance fields a dedicated asset finance team for aviation and shipping, with Hein Tonnaer at the helm. The team advised Unicredit Bank on the corporate financing for TUI Cruises involving use of second ranking security structures, including mortgages, across the existing financed TUI fleet. Angela McEwan and senior associate Cora Zeeman are other key names.

Dispute resolution: Commercial litigation Tier 2

Clifford Chance's team is praised for its ‘deep knowledge’ and handles large and complex litigation and contentious regulatory mandates. Dirk-Jan Duynstee is representing the Dutch Ministry of Finance in a damages claim filed by a former shareholder of the bankrupt DSB Bank and is also defending Deutsche Bank against an €800m claim filed by Vestia, a Dutch housing corporation, regarding certain derivative transactions. Practice lead and the firm's senior partner Jeroen Ouwehand is acting for the chief executive of Unitel in defending damages claims filed by PT Ventures.

Fraud and white-collar crime Tier 2

Clifford Chance’s team is able to leverage the firm's network to handle cross-border investigations, and is also a key name for regulatory matters and enforcement. The team is acting for VR Capital as purchaser of shares in the Dutch company Yukos Finance out of the bankruptcy of Yukos Oil for over €300m; the validity of the client's ownership rights is disputed. Managing partner Jeroen Ouwehand is a key name.

Industry focus: telecoms Tier 2

The Clifford Chance team is 'very hands-on and provides out of the box ideas'. It assists clients with the full range of expertise including IT, outsourcing, cyber security and data protection. It can also call on experts in  corporate M&A, tax and finance. Alvin Khodabaks, Mark Jan Arends and Hans Beerlage are some of the key team members and counsel Jaap Tempelman 'is clearly very knowledgeable in the telecoms sector and was willing to go the extra mile to come up with new standards that would still be acceptable to all parties'. The team advised L2Fiber Holding on the greenfield set up of fiber optic network operations in Rotterdam, as part of a wider program to roll out fiber-to-the-home networks throughout the Netherlands.

Investment funds Tier 2

At Clifford Chance, the team acted for EQT on the establishment of the carried interest schemes in relation to EQT funds. Mark-Jan Arends and counsels Robert Smits and Marian Scheeleis are noted.

Restructuring and insolvency Tier 2

Clifford Chance has a 'practical approach aimed at getting a deal done' and is noted for being able to handle 'multi-lender negotiations, steer the process and manage dissenting parties'. Jelle Hofland, who is 'deal driven and creates a vibe aimed at finding solutions', co-heads the group with Ilse van Gasteren; they advised the shareholders and secured lenders on the consequences of the second bankruptcy of the international clothing retail company McGregor Fashion Group Holding.

Banking and finance: Borrower side Tier 3

The ‘committed and efficient’ team at Clifford Chance is led by Titus de Vries. He advised The Student Hotel on a financing package linked to achieving environmental sustainability, or ‘green financing’. The well-regarded Mark Huddlestone assisted Varo Energy with the refinancing of existing credit facilities valued at over $1.7bn. In other work, Angela McEwan advised OHI Finance on an €87m facility agreement. Jelle Hofland is another name to note.

Banking and finance: Financial services regulatory Tier 3

At Clifford Chance, practice head Jurgen Van Der Meer advised LeasePlan on impact and implementation issues concerning MiFIDII and capital markets disclosure compliance issues. The team also includes senior counsel Marian Scheele, Frank Graaf and Bas Boris Visser. Other clients include private equity houses, corporates and Dutch and international banks.

Capital markets: equity Tier 3

Clifford Chance's work in the ECM space includes advising on IPOs, private placements and institutional offerings. In a recent highlight, practice head Hans Beerlage and counsel Han Teerink advised on global payment platform Adyen’s IPO and listing of its shares on Euronext Amsterdam, valued at €7.1bn.

Commercial, corporate and M&a Tier 3

The Clifford Chance practice advises corporates, private equity houses, and financial institutions on the gamut of acquisitions, disposals, and joint ventures in combination with its renowned banking and finance expertise. Hans Beerlage heads the corporate and private equity practices and led the advice to Air France-KLM on its proposed investment in Virgin Atlantic; a new joint venture with Virgin Atlantic and Delta Airlines; and on its increased commercial cooperation with China Eastern Airlines. Mark Jan Arends and Thijs Alexander are other noted partners.

Construction Tier 3

Clifford Chance is well known for its project financing capabilities, which it combines with corporate and construction expertise. Hein Tonnaer and Liesbeth Buiter led a team that was sponsor and project counsel advising Blauwwind on an offshore wind farm project. The team also advised Encavis on the purchase of two solar parks which included the construction, off-take, and operation of the parks.

Real estate Tier 3

Real estate funds, investments, financings, and related tax are core specialisms of Clifford Chance's real estate practice. Highlight work includes advising ING Bank on the financing of a mixed student and residential housing development in the former Oudenrijn hospital building in Utrecht which had been acquired by KKR and Round Hill Capital through a joint venture. With a value of €33m, Liesbeth Buiter advised Credit Suisse on the acquisition of two properties from the Atrium Group. Jaap Koster and financing expert Hein Tonnaer are also core team members.

Tax Tier 3

Clifford Chance’s tax team is led by Michiel Sunderman, who advised Connected Capital on the structuring of its debut fund, supported by notary Serkan Özel. Sunderman also assisted 3i with its €200m investment in Hans Anders.

Dispute resolution: arbitration Tier 4

Clifford Chance's team handles numerous international arbitration matters. The practice is led by the firm's senior partner Jeroen Ouwehand, who also heads the firm's litigation and dispute resolution group in Amsterdam and continental Europe, and well-regarded of counsel Juliette Luycks, who divides her time between the firm’s Amsterdam and Madrid offices. The group has recent experience in ICC arbitration.

Employment Tier 4

Highlighted for its 'great collaboration' abilities, Clifford Chance advises international and local clients on areas ranging from works council negotiations to board room advice, corporate restructurings, redundancies, and remunerations – many of which have cross-border complications. In one matter it advised ABN AMRO on the complex, cross-border restructuring of some of its businesses. Floris van de Bult, Wijnanda Rutten, and Sara Schermerhorn are the core team members.

Energy: transactional Tier 4

In addition to its leading financing expertise, Clifford Chance offers extensive transactional skills led by Jaap Koster and counsel Liesbeth Buiter. Finance expert Hein Tonnaer is a key advisor with extensive energy expertise; he led a team which advised Shell, Diamond Generating Europe (a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corporation), and Eneco as sellers on the sale of a 45% stake in the offshore wind farm project Borssele III/IV to Partners Group funds. He also assisted Blue Elephant with acquisitions and project financings on a number of solar parks.

EU and competition Tier 4

Clifford Chance’s practice is headed by senior associate Frans Muller, who specialises in cartel investigations, behavioural antitrust issues and compliance as well as multi-jurisdictional merger control matters. He is advising Tele2 on the proposed merger of its Dutch operation Tele2 Netherlands with T-Mobile Netherlands, the Dutch subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom. EQT is another major client. Joachim Schütze is a notable senior partner.

Advice From Women Lawyers

Advice To My Younger Self: Reflections of Successful Women Lawyers

Women lawyers open up about their careers and defining choices

Advice To My Younger Self: Reflections of Successful Women Lawyers is published by The Legal 500‘s GC Magazine in collaboration with Clifford Chance. Now in its second release, the book is a practical resource for anyone interested in charting a successful career path at a law firm or by moving in-house. It features interviews with 20 women partners, alumnae and in-house counsel, with additional contributions from members of Clifford Chance’s senior management and US-based recruiting team. Visit our website to learn more about practical tips for building your career.

http://www.legal500.com/clifford-chance/advice-to-my-younger-self

RISING LAWYERS open up about their priorities and strategies for success

Their Voices: Insights from Today’s Rising Lawyers by The Legal 500‘s GC Magazine in collaboration with Clifford Chance. Geared primarily for students and junior lawyers, the book is a practical resource for those considering law school or just beginning a legal career. Twenty junior lawyers offer diverse perspectives on what inspires them about the law, and the strategies that are helping them stay in touch with their priorities and define the future of their careers. Their Voices also provides insights for senior lawyers as they mentor the next generation of leaders.

http://www.legal500.com/clifford-chance/their-voices