Pels Rijcken handles a broad range of contentious matters, including commercial, corporate and financial litigation; insurance and professional liability disputes; and administrative litigation. The firm is well-regarded for its work with the State of the Netherlands, Dutch municipalities and provinces but it also advises multinational corporations, financial supervisory authorities and professional organisations on contentious matters. The practice is co-led by Sikke Kingma, Willem Heemskerk and Wemmeke Wisman. Heemskerk is a go-to among corporate clients, specialising in liability and compensation cases; Wisman is well-versed in international public and humanitarian law, liability, and contract issues; and Kingma heads the Supreme Court litigation group, handling high stake cases involving civil law issues. Hans van Wijk is a further key part of the Supreme Court litigation team and handles issues involving the public sector and Dutch Caribbean law. Raimond Dufour excels in cross-border disputes and class actions.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- ‘Pels Rijcken stands out due to its specialised focus on public law and serving government and public sector clients. The team combines deep legal expertise with a pragmatic approach, providing solutions that are both legally sound and practically feasible.'
- ‘Deep expertise in public law and strong commitment to public sector clients. The team collaborates closely, is solution-oriented, and has a solid understanding of complex legal issues. Wemmeke Wisman, Paul Tanja, and Arnoud Boorsma, who consistently deliver high-quality work and maintain strong client relationships.'
- ‘I consider Hans van Wijk to be a top Supreme Court litigator in company law cases. He combines rare familiarity with the specifics of both company law and Supreme Court litigation. He is also very accessible for clients and very committed to their case.’
- ‘The practice is highly experienced in Dutch collective actions, particularly in complex cross-border disputes. It stands out for developing innovative arguments in international public law and for its collaborative approach.’
- ‘Willem Heemskerk for his accessibility and collaborative style in a case requiring complex interaction with multiple parties, and Wemmeke Wisman for her outstanding expertise in international public law and creative arguments. I also commend Raimond Dufour for being well-organised, hands-on, and approachable.’
- ‘It's easy to reach the right people. People are friendly, understanding and also willing to really listen to the case you present them. They don't just do what you tell them but also bring new arguments if they disagree with a statement.’
Key clients
- Vale S.A.
- Shell plc
- Mercedes-Benz Group AG
- Daimler Trucks AG
- UBS AG, UBS Securities Japan Co. Ltd.
- ArcelorMittal
- Porsche AG
- KPN
- Nationale-Nederlanden
- Port Group of St. Maarten
- Total
- Aruba Airport Authority
Work highlights
Represent Vale in a class action suit following a dam bursting in Brazil.
Represented two UBS entities in a class action suit regarding the alleged manipulation of LIBOR and other interest rate benchmarks.
Represented Daimler in all pending cartel damages actions in the Netherlands, following a Decision of the European Commission of 19 June 2016.
Lawyers
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Practice head
Sikke Kingma; Willem Heemskerk; Wemmeke Wisman
Other key lawyers
Paul Tanja; Arnoud Boorsma; Hans van Wijk; Raimond Dufour; Peter van Kippersluis