The rankings for 2022 are published by The Legal 500. The purpose of The Legal 500 is to help in-house lawyers and legal teams find the right advisors through these law firm rankings. The rankings are based on feedback from 300,000 in-house peers and the access of Legal 500 to law firms deals and confidential matters, which are independently assessed by researchers. The Legal 500 compiles a list of lawyers’ teams per area of law.
We are proud to present the results we have achieved and our thanks go out to our clients for their feedback and recommendations. With our Privacy, Media, IT, Retail and Insurance teams we have achieved the highest level, being placed in ‘Tier 1’. We congratulate our colleagues with this great achievement!
DATA PRIVACY AND DATA PROTECTION - TIER 1
Kennedy Van der Laan ‘always strives to deliver high-quality work’ across data protection regulatory mandates, investigations and enforcement proceedings. The group has also seen an increase in data breach and cybersecurity instructions and leverages the firm’s newly expanded corporate department to assist with data transactions. With expertise in the publishing, telecoms, technology, transport and entertainment sectors. Noteworthy individuals include group co-heads Hester de Vries and Quirine Tjeenk Willink, and senior associates Elise Troll and Rosalie Brand.
Hall of fame
Hester de Vries
Leading individuals:
Quirine Tjeenk Willink
Rising stars
Rosalie Brand
Elise Troll
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY – TIER 1
The depth of Kennedy Van der Laan‘s sector expertise is confirmed by clients who report that ‘they speak our language‘. The large size of the practice, including a substantial team of associates with technical backgrounds. allows it to scale up to take on large projects and regularly post secondees to key clients. The team is also at the forefront of rolling out legal tech initiatives for its clients, for example the ‘customised alliance’ – knowledge sharing between attorneys and in-house counsels across various jurisdictions. The lead partners provide a comprehensive range of expertise: Patrick Wit heads IT and IT outsourcing; Reinoud Westerdijk as the key contact for IT licensing, cloud sourcing and procurement; Joost Schmaal the main name for IT outsourcing and emerging technologies, and Christoph Jeloschek as the specialist in IT litigation and arbitration. The group's expertise includes large-scale outsourcing, assistance with matters involving cutting edge areas such as AI and green IT, and related areas such as cybercrime and competition issues.
Leading Individuals
Patrick Wit
Next Generation Partners
Joost Schmaal
MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT – TIER 1
The ‘large team of media and entertainment law specialists’ at Kennedy Van der Laan ‘always delivers in often sensitive cases’. Fielding ‘very good litigators’, the firm specialises in internet-related litigation and defamation/free speech cases, as well as providing expertise in content production and transaction matters, including film and media productions and content transactions. Team head Jens van den Brink is a renowned media litigator with many years of experience in media defence work.
Leading Individuals
Jens van den Brink
RETAIL – TIER 1
Kennedy Van der Laan has a ‘highly-skilled team capable of coordinating multijurisdictional matters for clients’. It has ‘excellent knowledge of the broader EU and Dutch regulatory framework for consumers and competition, in particular the regulatory framework relevant for product compliance, sustainability, advertising and greenwashing in commercial practices’. Practice head Martine de Koning is a leading authority on international franchising, distribution and agency, and her ‘knowledge about competition law is phenomenal’. Also recommended in her team is senior associate Jelle Blom, whose strengths include franchise and agency, commercial contracts, distribution, procurement, sourcing and EU competition law.
Leading Individuals
Martine de Koning
Rising Stars
Jelle Blom
INSURANCE – TIER 1
Reflective of Kennedy Van der Laan‘s presence in the insurance market, it generates mandates from a wide variety of clients, notably insurance companies active in the Netherlands, insurance brokers, loss adjusters, insurance brokers and corporates. The firm is highly active in insurance regulatory matters (an area that is led by Jan Broekhuizen), and it also provides assistance with policy drafting and reviews of policy wording. In addition, insurance claims are another key pillar of the practice; a name to note in this space is Peter van den Broek, whose workload includes international claims and construction-related coverage disputes. Frits van der Woude focuses on policy disputes and professional indemnity claims, and he is also an expert in in D&O liability and professional liability. Chris van Dijk and Petra Oskam are particularly well-known for their personal injury expertise. Erik van Orsouw is another experienced practitioner at the firm.
Leading Individuals
Peter van den Broek
Erik van Orsouw
Rising Stars
Marit van der Pool
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY: TRADE MARKS, COPYRIGHTS AND DESIGN RIGHTS – TIER 2
Kennedy Van der Laan continues to build on its key areas of specialism; technology, media/the internet and the fashion/luxury goods sectors. It has attracted an impressive number of new clients in these areas and its ‘success rate has been remarkable throughout the years‘ in respect of trade mark protection matters. Maarten Schut, who heads the group with Alfred Meijboom, has extensive trade marks expertise, particularly in the areas of life sciences and advanced technologies and is also a deputy judge at one of the four courts of appeal. Founding partner, Meijboom is known for his work where IP and IT interface and for ‘complex multi-jurisdictional‘ cases. Joran Spauwen became a partner in 2021 – his focus is on internet-based disputes and transactions and he is noted for his cyber security expertise. The ‘exceptional‘ senior associate Reindert Van der Zaal's focus is brand protection and entertainment law. Sophie Van Loon and Gaya Schultz are other core team members.
Leading Individuals
Maarten Schut
Rising Stars
Reindert van der Zaal
CONSTRUCTION - TIER 3
Kennedy Van der Laan construction, real estate and procurement team handles the full life-cycle of construction projects, from acquisition, to zoning and planning, development, management and disposal. It is particularly active in the hospitality, housing, fashion and retail sectors. Richard-Jan Roks and Nico Jacobs head the practice, with Roks recommended for civil-construction and procurement law, and Jacobs handling real estate developments and transactions.
EMPLOYMENT – TIER 3
Kennedy Van der Laan’s employment offering is ‘very professional and down to earth’ and handles a range of contentious and non-contentious matters. Soo-Ja Schijf has a track record of work for international clients concerning collective redundancies and outsourcing; Chris Nekeman is experienced in negotiations with trade unions and is no stranger to litigation; and Ester Damen is recommended for data protection-related employment work.
ENVIRONMENT AND PLANNING – TIER 3
Kennedy Van der Laan fields a multidisciplinary team which advises on administrative and public law as well as handling disputes and litigation. It acts for public and private sector clients on spatial planning, permitting, environmental issues and nature conservancy law. Key figure Anita Nijboer assists project developers, public bodies and housing corporations with obtaining permits and on zoning matters.
Next generation partners
Anita Nijboer
EU AND COMPETITION – TIER 3
Annemieke van der Beek, Martijn van Bemmel and Martine de Koning co-head the EU and competition team at Kennedy Van der Laan, which has a leading position in the Dutch banking and finance sector, and is also active in the public transport and hospitality sectors. Van der Beek is particularly noted for her competition expertise in the payment services market. As part of an ongoing trend, the practice continues to see an increase in follow-on damages actions. In addition, it has seen a growth in mass claims following recent changes in the law. Elsewhere, the group provides compliance advice and represents clients in regulatory investigations, among other matters. In an ongoing mandate, van Bemmel and others are acting for Union Cyclist Internationale (UCI) and Cyclistes Professionnels Associés (CPA) in a dispute with Cycling Service over a new platform for managing prize money.
Leading Individuals
Annemieke van der Beek
HEALTHCARE AND LIFE SCIENCES – TIER 3
The team at Kennedy Van der Laan is ‘knowledgeable, practical in its approach, pleasant to deal with and delivers a high-quality product’. It is well known in the market for advising clients on corporate, governance, compliance, competition and financing matters. Fenna van Dijk co-heads the practice with over two decades of experience in commercial work; Maarten Schut also heads the team and is recommended for IP. Joran Spauwen is a new election to the partnership.
COMMERCIAL LITIGATION – TIER 4
Kennedy Van der Laan acts for both domestic and international clients on complex cross-border disputes, and has recently seen an uptick in collective actions instructions. Christoph Jeloschek co-heads the team and has considerable experience in cross-border litigation, particularly in the it sector. Martine de Koning also co-heads the team and is recommended for commercial disputes.
REAL ESTATE – TIER 5
Kennedy Van der Laan handles the full life-cycle of real estate projects, including zoning and planning, development and redevelopment, design and construction, leasing and disposal mandates. It has particular experience in the hospitality, housing, retail and construction sectors. Nico Jacobs and Richard-Jan Roks lead the team.
COMMERCIAL, CORPORATE AND M&A – FIRMS TO WATCH
Kennedy Van der Laan recently welcomed Gaby Heere and Jan-Berend Möller; the pair jointly head the corporate and M&A practice which is reputed for its work on mid-market cross-border M&A, particularly within the healthcare and technology fields.
