The ‘top-quality team’ at De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek offers its roster of clients the full breadth of private equity-related support. It is well equipped to advise on all aspects of complex matters, including the formation and regulation of private equity funds, fund-to-fund transactions including recapitalisations, and tax and financing issues therein. The ’sharp-minded’ Lennard Keijzer is the overseer of the group. Names to note in the team include Arne Grimme who harnesses expertise in both pubic and private transactions; Pete Lawley who works with financial sponsors and strategic corporates; and January 2024-promoted partner Claudia van Rappard-Priem whose sector coverage includes retail, tech and life sciences.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
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Accolades
Client satisfaction
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘A top-quality team, always on-the-ball, the sharpest in the field. It is always a joy to work with them.'
‘The De Brauw team has excellent knowledge of the Dutch private equity market and are superb transaction practitioners.'
'This is an idiosyncratic market with unique challenges and we would not have been able to navigate our recent M&A transaction without the De Brauw team's considerable skill and expertise.’
‘Pete Lawley is an exceptionally talented M&A lawyer, with the rare but critical ability to marry complex legal documentation with thorny commercial and financial issues.'
'Pete has a strong intrinsic understanding of commercial and financial points and drafts elegant solutions much more effectively and efficiently than competitors, who often need considerable guidance on these matters from principals and financial advisers.’
‘Always thorough, dedicated and dependable. Creativity in their advice is their strong suit. They easily navigate between what works in theory and what works in practice.’
‘Lennard Keijzer is one of the most pleasant corporate lawyers to work with within his sector. He is sharp-minded but calm and finds connection with his counterparts in working towards solutions that are in the best interests of his clients.’
‘Lennard Keijzer made PE the focus of his M&A practice and harnesses political sensitivity and strategic thinking.’
Key clients
- Advent International
- Apollo
- Aquiline
- Ardian
- Astorg
- Bain Capital
- BlackFin Capital Partners
- CVC
- Egeria
- General Atlantic
Work highlights
- Advised the client on the sale of VolkerWessels Verbindingen en Netwerken to funds advised by Triton.
- Advised Bain Capital as lead counsel on the sale of Bugaboo Group to Mubadala Capital, the asset management subsidiary of Mubadala Investment Company.
- Advised the infrastructure manager client on the sale of their business to CVC Capital Partners.
Lawyers
Hall of fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
Lennard Keijzer
Next generation partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Pete Lawley
Claudia van Rappard-Priem
Practice head
Lennard Keijzer
Other key lawyers
Pete Lawley; Claudia van Rappard-Priem; Arne Grimme