Maverick Advocaten N.V. is a specialist boutique firm that offers expertise at the intersection food law, competition, and regulatory matters, assisting clients across the entire supply and production process for food and feed. The firm also stands out on high-stakes regulatory litigation, frequently representing major producers in regulatory disputes regarding fines, product recalls, and supervision. The practice is led by a trio of lawyers with strong competition law backgrounds: Diederik Schrijvershof is a regulatory litigation expert; Martijn van de Hel specialises in enforcement and merger control; and Cyriel Ruers is a leading authority in market regulation and consumer protection matters.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Accolades
Client satisfaction: Sector knowledge
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- ‘Both Diederik Schrijvershof and Judith Jansen are highly skilled. Diederik Schrijvershof is, in our opinion, an outstanding professional who has a lot of knowledge and is also eager to learn about the specialised industry our company is working in.'
- ‘Martijn van de Hel, Cyriel Ruers and Judith Jansen complement each other very well when it comes to complex issues concerning food law. There is a great atmosphere in discussing cases with us where they listen carefully and really try to understand the smallest details.’
- 'They are creative and knowledgeable in the field of food law and they are not shy to use unconventional approaches. At the same time, they are very open to our views and interpretations of the issue, which is reflected in their work on the cases.’
- ‘They give me the sense they are focusing on me and only my problem. This is a great attribute because it gives me trust and confidence.'
- ‘Cyriel Ruers and Judith Jansen have helped us with meaningful advice in matters of great importance for our industry. They understand the complexity of food production and have successfully defended our interests both in and out of court.’
- ‘They are true experts in their field. They have a very good personal approach and their response time is always fast. Furthermore, they are very analytical and are able to determine the matters at hand thoroughly.’
Key clients
- Zwanenberg Scherpenhuizen Growers United Vion Food Group IMCD Van Loon Group GroentenFruit Huis Stichting Milieukeur Rijk Zwaan Van Iperen Ameco St. Paul Centrale Organisatie voor de Vleessector (COV) Fransen Gerrits P. Bos Veevoeders Family Beef (Fuite Group) Vleeswarenfabriek Persoon VanDrie Group Federatie Nederlandse Levensmiddelen Industrie Barentz Coöperatie Harvest House Van Wesemael Compaxo Van Eeghen
Work highlights
Assisted Zwanenberg in obtaining approval from the Dutch competition authority ACM to acquire part of the business of major A-brand Unox and (in Belgium and Greece) Zwan from global food group Unilever.
Represented the Dutch cattle feed producers Fransen Gerrits B.V. and P. Bos Mengvoeder en Kunstmesthandel in proceedings concerning a national €4bn buy-out scheme in livestock farming by the Dutch State, which caused the feed producers considerable damage.
Successfully assisted a large number of companies in the Dutch meat sector (including slaughterhouses, processors and traders), represented by the Central Organisation for the Meat Sector, in proceedings regarding the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority fees.
Practice head
Diederik Schrijvershof; Cyriel Ruers; Martijn van de Hel
Other key lawyers
Judith Jansen