Baker McKenzie is often sought out by clients to handle cross-border and multi-jurisdictional mandates, spanning post-M&A disputes, construction and commercial litigation, and greenwashing claims. The team is jointly led by Frank Kroes and Itse Oosterhoff. Kroes is well-versed in commercial litigation, handling issues from corporate liability to ESG, competition issues and professional negligence claims. Oosterhoff leads on contractual disputes, directors’ and shareholders’ liability litigation, as well as commercial fraud cases. Sjef Janssen handles a mix of commercial and competition litigation.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Accolades
Client satisfaction: Lawyer & team quality
Client satisfaction: Billing & efficiency
Client satisfaction: Sector knowledge
Client satisfaction: NPS ®
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- ‘Well prepared, agile and collaborative at all points in time - particularly for preparation before the oral hearings.’
- ‘Working with Itse Oosterhoff has been a true differentiator compared to other litigation counsel. He stands out through his combination of creativity and business-oriented strategic thinking. He is always willing to act as a sparring partner and consistently brings a thoughtful, proactive, and engaged approach.'
- ‘We regularly work with Baker McKenzie and find that their guidance is very clear and comprehensive. They break up complex problems and simplify, which helps with swift decision making.’
- ‘Sjef Janssen has been exceptional in pushing forward our dispute. He is a lateral thinker, and - in addition to drafting excellent pleadings - he has shown he has a wonderful strategic mind, keeping us one step ahead of our opponent.’
- ‘Baker McKenzie is an excellent firm to work with: a highly skilled and truly international team, broad expertise across many specialisms, and impressively short response times.’
- ‘Mirjam de Blecourt stands out for excellent strategy in best interest of the client. Frank Kroes knows all the details and puts that into a plan. Joris Oudelaar is fast and accurate.’
Key clients
- Almirall
- AWWG Investments B.V.
- Barclays
- Caterpillar
- Clear Channel International & Clear Channel Nederland B.V.
- FSN Capital
- Hewlett-Packard Inc. (HP)
- Ingram Micro
- LTDA
- MSD Animal Health
- NetApp
- Pepe Jeans S.L. and Pepe Retail-Comercio de Texeis
Work highlights
Represented NetApp in a cross-border commercial dispute before the Amsterdam District Court and Court of Appeal with Isolin Trade & Invest Ltd.
Advised MSD Animal Health on its legal strategy in relation to its operations in North Africa, with a particular focus on Algeria.
Represented Verisure in a dispute with a group of former employees that claim additional bonus payments on the basis of a (disputed) interpretation and application of Verisure's bonus scheme.
Lawyers
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Practice head
Frank Kroes; Itse Oosterhoff
Other key lawyers
Sjef Janssen; Michiel Mulder; Mirjam de Blecourt; Joris Oudelaar