Firm Profile > Clifford Chance > Amsterdam, Netherlands

Banking and finance: asset finance and structured finance Tier 1

Clifford Chance provides highly specialised services across both asset finance and structured finance, with Hein Tonnaer the key name for the former while Pieter van Welzen heads up the latter offering. Key sectors for the asset finance team include aviation and energy, along with other aspects of transport and logistics such as shipping and data centres. On the structured finance side recent work has included both commercial and residential-backed securities transactions.

Banking and finance: lender or arranger side Tier 1

The 'balanced group of lawyers' which make up Clifford Chance's sizeable team bring together expertise across different types of finance and industry sectors, as well as qualifications in both English and Dutch law. Mark Huddlestone has considerable experience advising on all aspects of bank lending, including acquisition and project finance, structured trade and commodity finance, and general syndicated lending and restructurings. The firm also undertakes project funding work in industries including offshore and onshore wind, battery storage, and oil and gas. Titus de Vries is another key contact, along with Angela McEwan and Jelle Hofland.

Capital markets: debt Tier 1

Jurgen Van Der Meer leads the practice at Clifford Chance, which acts for a wide range of prominent international businesses and financial institutions, including Siemens, Goldman Sachs, and Credit Suisse. The team advises clients across the full spectrum of debt-based capital markets work, including medium-term notes, benchmark trades, private placements, stand-alone transactions, and sustainable bond issues, including several high-value securities issues. Notably, the firm advised an underwriting consortium that included ABN Amro on the first issuance of green bonds by a residential fund. Senior counsel Tineke Kothe and associate Hugo van der Molen are also noted.

Dispute resolution: Mediation Tier 1

Dirk-Jan Duynstee leads the practice at Clifford Chance, mediating cases involving high-profile clients in a range of business disputes. The team has experience across multiple jurisdictions and differing mediation cultures.

Lender or arranger side

Private equity Tier 1

Project finance and PFI Tier 1

The practice at Clifford Chance is very active in renewable energy developments and acts for lender and borrower clients on major solar, offshore and onshore wind projects. The group is also in demand for international mandates as lead and local counsel, and provides in-house English law advice though the expertise of Angela McEwan. Hein Tonnaer and counsel Liesbeth Buiter co-head the team, while senior counsel Jaap Koster is also recommended.

Transport Tier 1

Clifford Chance's financial markets group and corporate team assists major companies in the aviation industry, counting Air-France-KLM among its clients. Headed by Hein Tonnaer, Angela McEwan and Hans Beerlage, the department is particularly strong in financing, and in 2019 advised multiple aviation companies on over 20 aircraft deals. Tonnaer is recognised for his deep expertise in the aviation industry. He was instrumental in the assistance given to Goshawk Aviation with a $300m financing matter. Beerlage advised major client Air France-KLM on a new transatlantic joint venture with Delta Airlines and Virgin Atlantic Airways, and the acquisition of a 31% interest in Virgin Atlantic Airways

Banking and finance: Borrower side Tier 2

Clifford Chance's borrower-side practice covers a wide range of clients and sectors, including acquisition financing for funds and corporations, real estate financing, export finance, and leveraged finance, alongside general corporate lending work for large domestic and international clients. The sizeable team is headed by Titus de Vries, while leveraged finance expert Jelle Hofland is another key name to note, along with Folko De Vries.

Banking and finance: Financial services regulatory Tier 2

A wide variety of national and global financial institutions, including banks, investment firms, asset and investment managers, and payments service providers, make up the client base at Clifford Chance. Clients benefit from the team's extensive experience of working on multi-jurisdictional regulatory matters, addressing all types of issues arising with new regulation such as Payment Services Directive (PSD2) and MiFID II. Frank Graaf is the key contact for advice on market infrastructure. Other notable team members are practice head Jurgen van der Meer, Bas Boris Visser, whose specialities include advising supervisory authorities on the implementation and execution of recovery and resolution frameworks, and senior counsel Marian Scheele.

Capital markets: equity Tier 2

Clifford Chance acts across the full range of equity-related transactions, primarily advising clients on IPOs and follow-ons, public listings, and private placements, alongside acting as transaction counsel on the sale of shares by shareholders. Clients include financial institutions, asset managers, and their associated companies. The practice is led by Hans Beerlage and counsel Han Teerink, specialists in equity transactions and corporate financing.

Commercial, corporate and M&a Tier 2

The Clifford Chance practice combines an M&A and corporate team that advises domestic and global clients and has an especially impressive roster of private equity clients. It also offers experts with distinct sector knowledge. The team frequently works within its global network whereby it deals with complex cross border M&A, for example, advising Partners Group on the parallel acquisitions of Ammeraal Beltech and Megadyne in two separate auctions conducted almost simultaneously which involving teams in Amsterdam, Milan, London, and elsewhere. Hans Beerlage heads a team that includes key partners Thijs Alexander and Gregory Crookes.

Dispute resolution: Commercial litigation Tier 2

Clifford Chance's a strong litigation team has a particular focus on cross-border mandates, as well as strong experience across the spectrum of financial and corporate litigation. Practice head Dirk-Jan Duynstee is recommended for his expertise in corporate and securities litigation matters, including post-M&A disputes, public takeover disputes, shareholder disputes and squeeze-out proceedings. Counsel Evert Verwey specialises in insolvency-related litigation and other contentious restructuring work.

Industry focus: telecoms Tier 2

The telecoms team at Clifford Chance is part of the firm's global technology group, which provides multi-practice expertise to its telecoms clients. Gregory Crookes focuses on complex, cross-border M&A and joint ventures between telecoms corporates, while counsel Jaap Tempelman's expertise lies in technology-related commercial contracts, regulatory matters and litigation. The group's work includes advising L2Fiber Rotterdam on the greenfield establishment of fibre optic network operations in Rotterdam.

Investment funds Tier 2

Senior counsel Marian Scheele and counsel Robert Smits head the funds and investment management practice at Clifford Chance, which provides a full service across the sector, including high-level regulatory advice on AIFMD, UCITSD and MiFID licensing, as well as other structuring advice on jurisdictions, operational formats, and governments. The firm also has strong tax structuring capabilities, with head of tax Michiel Sunderman a key name in this area.

Restructuring and insolvency Tier 2

Clifford Chance advises a range of financial institutions on restructuring and insolvency matters. A recent matter highlight for the firm includes advising Hemisphere on the restructuring of its debt of approximately $1bn. This matter is being led by practice head Ilse van Gasteren, who is 'experienced and pragmatic'. Also leading the practice is Jelle Hofland. The firm's client roster includes Rabobank, ING Bank, ABN AMRO.

Employment Tier 3

Clifford Chance is home to an employment team that is particularly adept at working with the firm's corporate team, in relation to the pensions, incentives, and employment aspects of M&A or capital markets transactions, as well as providing a strong joint service in the field of Brexit planning, generally working alongside the firm's London office. Floris van de Bult heads the team and is particularly recommended for remuneration work in the financial sector as well as boardroom advice, while Wijnanda Rutten is a key contact for pension work. Senior associate IJsbrand de Jong joined the team in 2019 from Allen & Overy LLP.

Energy: transactional Tier 3

Providing a full-service offering to clients, from corporate and finance to capital markets and regulatory expertise,  Clifford Chance's focus lies on novel financing arrangements and cross-border M&A activity in the energy sector, particularly on renewable energy acquisitions. Hein Tonnaer and Liesbeth Buiter jointly lead the team.

Fraud and white-collar crime Tier 3

Clifford Chance represents clients in litigation and arbitration relating to ownership and transactions disputes, utilising the firm's global reach to act on cross-border investigations, alongside regulatory matters and enforcement. The practice is led by Dirk-Jan Duynstee.

Real estate Tier 3

Clifford Chance has a core focus on portfolio deals, advising on all aspects including developments, acquisitions, disposals and financing, especially for logistics centres, hotels and residential properties. Jelle Hofland and Jaap Koster led a team which assisted Orange Capital Partners with the acquisition of a portfolio of around 450 residential properties from Rubens Capital Partners in a deal worth €90m. For transactional work covering a wide range of asset classes, Liesbeth Buiter is the key name to note. Also recommended are Titus de Vries are Hein Tonnaer, who specialise in financing matters.

Tax Tier 3

At Clifford Chance, the team stands out for its 'good knowledge, practical approach and good communication with clients'. The practice acts for international and domestic corporates, private equity houses, banks, investment managers and pension funds, among them Morgan Stanley and AccorInvest. 'Leading practitioner' Michiel Sunderman, who is 'very responsive', advises on the full range of tax matters, including those associated with M&A, financial restructurings, fund structuring, corporate, cross-border, and structured finance transactions.

Dispute resolution: arbitration Tier 4

The team at Clifford Chance represents a diverse client base, including national corporations, sovereign states and international organisations. The firm is respected for its 'straightforward practical advice' and for always being 'three or four steps ahead'. Counsel Juliette Luycks, who heads the practice, has experience in commercial arbitration under the Netherlands Arbitration Institute, ICC, Milan Chamber of Arbitration and Uncitral rules. Recent work includes representing an international media company in a dispute regarding an alleged breach of warranties following the sale of its media business, in a matter worth €20m.

EU and competition Tier 4

Clifford Chance's well-rated antitrust practice regularly advises on complex multi-jurisdictional merger control cases. A matter highlight includes advising Spotify on its submissions to the ACM as part of an investigation into mobile app stores. The practice head is Frans Muller, a 'sound, efficient and accessible lawyer'.