Kennedy Van der Laan is highly regarded for its strength in media defamation and free speech defence, internet-related litigation, and media regulatory issues. In the entertainment space, the firm is also regularly instructed by major US streamers on production, copyright, and litigation issues. Heading the practice, Jens van den Brink excels in media litigation involving free speech and defamation. Joran Spauwen is a specialist in content and tech transactions, Sophia van Loon handles complex IP and copyright issues, and Lotte Oranje is a standout media litigator. In November 2024, Janneke Slöetjes joined the firm, bringing ‘excellent pragmatic advice’ on regulatory issues within the audiovisual and media sectors.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- ‘Excellent command of regulatory complexity and an ability to provide pragmatic, business-focused advice. Their combination of technical expertise and swift reactivity makes them a trusted partner for navigating challenging regulatory questions.’
- ‘Janneke Sloetjes is extremely knowledgeable and provides excellent pragmatic advice on complex regulatory issues in the audiovisual and media sector. She always has a solution, even under significant time pressure, and is my go-to advisor in the Netherlands.’
- ‘The team is remarkably diverse, highly motivated, and brings a unique intellectual energy to their work. Their deep understanding of the international television industry, formats, and intellectual property, combined with creativity, authenticity, and strategic insight, makes the practice truly stand out.’
- ‘Jens van den Brink. An outstanding and intelligent leader of the team. He is not only exceptional in his professional work but also a person of great integrity, showing genuine interest and care for the people he works with.'
- ‘The team is practical, pragmatic, and responsive. They understand our commercial goals and guardrails, and they fit the legal advice into that context without us needing to push for it.’
Key clients
- Meta
- VodafoneZiggo
- Disney
- DPG Media
- Mediahuis
- BNNVARA
- KRO-NCVR
- Bellingcat
- PowNed
- NOS
- FTV Productions
Work highlights
Represented BNNVARA in multiple lawsuits, including one of the biggest defamation suits of the past years concerning Zembla, one of the main investigative journalism TV shows, which is currently pending before the Supreme Court.
Represented national newspaper de Volkskrant (DPG), which was sued by ‘the Iceman’ Wim Hof and part of his family, over an extensive article covering domestic abuse allegedly committed by Hof.
Continued to represent VodafoneZiggo in a wide range of subjects, including major platform cases, media regulation and IP.
Lawyers
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Practice head
Jens van den Brink
Other key lawyers
Joran Spauwen; Janneke Slöetjes; Sophie van Loon; Lotte Oranje