Insurance & Liability

The practice at Kennedy Van der Laan has strong capabilities advising its insurance sector clientele on the gamut of EU and Dutch regulatory matters, as well as assisting with intricate aspects of policy formation. In addition, the team is well-placed to handle complex contentious matters, including product liability cases spanning industry sectors from property to engineering, and handling fraud-related issues. A number of specialists sit at the team’s head, being Erik van Orsouw whose expertise includes professional liability, D&O claims and international coverage disputes; liability specialist Chris van Dijk; ‘smart and modest lawyer’ Peter van den Broek; regulatory expert Jan Broekhuizen; Petra Oskam who assists insurers in PI cases; and professional indemnity and liability specialist Marit van der Pool.

Practice head: Erik van Orsouw, Chris van Dijk, Peter van den Broek, Jan Broekhuizen, Petra Oskam , Marit van der Pool.

Hall of fame

Erik van Orsouw

Leading partners

Peter van den Broek

Next Generation Partners

Marit van der Pool

Other key lawyers

Rosalinde Montulet; Mark Wisse

Testimonials

• ‘They know the insurance market perfectly, have in-depth knowledge, good communication and are easy to work with.'
• ‘Pleasant lawyers in the team. Easy to work with, practical and with excellent knowledge.’
• ‘Peter van den Broek is a smart and modest lawyer who has a keen eye for alternative dispute resolution. He is trustworthy.'
• 'Erik van Orsouw is colourful, practical and to-the-point.'
• 'Rosalinde Montulet has a positive attitude.’

Kennedy Van der Laan is an established name in the insurance market, with a large team in the Netherlands. The law firm's dedicated insurance regulatory practice advises major national and international insurers and brokers on matters such as market entry and business expansion. The team also possesses the capacity to act on contentious mandates, including product liability, business interruption and D&O liability cases.

• Kennedy Van der Laan assisted QBE with its market entry in the Netherlands, including financial regulatory advice and corporate insurance matters.

“The Kennedy Van der Laan lawyers have strong analytical skills and a high level of service.”

“Kennedy Van der Laan offers in-depth knowledge of the industry and our own company. The team is very practical and delivers hands-on advice.”

“The team is cooperative, hands-on and friendly. There is always someone who can respond.”

“Kennedy Van der Laan has a no-nonsense, practical approach combined with robust knowledge.”

“The Kennedy Van der Laan team has deep knowledge and is pleasant to deal with.”

Erik van Orsouw  advises on complex financial lines, property liability cases and coverage disputes, as well as offering regulatory advice to insurers. "Erik van Orsouw is a very pleasant and approachable lawyer."

Peter van den Broek specialises in contentious coverage mandates, with a particular focus on business interruption and product liability disputes. "Peter van den Broek is a practical and commercial lawyer."

Chris Van Dijk advises domestic insurers on regulatory issues and claims in the healthcare sector, with further experience in personal injury matters.

Marit van der Pool is an increasingly esteemed figure for her insurance practice. She specialises in professional indemnity and coverage cases. "Marit van der Pool offers hands-on advice."

Kennedy Van der Laan advises on standalone insurance law and associated regulatory issues, covering both Dutch and European matters for a client roster that includes insurers, brokers and public bodies. The group handles a range of insurance products, with particular focus placed on casualty, property and engineering and financial lines coverage in addition to a growing class actions practice. The insurance side of the practice is headed by a team consisting of Erik van Orsouw, Chris van Dijk, Peter van den Broek and Petra Oskam, with Jan Broekhuizen taking the lead on matters of insurance regulation. Marit van der Pool joined the firm’s partnership ranks in September 2023, with a defence and coverage practice centred around D&O and professional indemnity claims.
 

Practice heads: Erik van Orsouw; Chris van Dijk; Peter van den Broek; Jan Broekhuizen; Petra Oskam

Leading Individuals

Peter van den Broek

Hall of Fame

Erik van Orsouw

Next Generation Partners

Marit van der Pool

Other key lawyers

Marit van der Pool

Testimonials

• ‘Strong insurance team.’
• ‘Erik van Orsouw is easygoing, quick and to the point. He has an informal approach and is intelligent. It was a pleasure to work with Marit van der Pool. She is skilled and intelligent and has in-depth knowledge.’
• ‘Having worked with various insurance firms in the Netherlands over the years, I rate KVDL as the best firm. KVDL has an excellent understanding of the products, the coverage issues and the market dynamics.’
• ‘I enjoy working with Marit van der Pool and consider her a real expert when it comes to D&O coverage.’
• ‘Kennedy Van der Laan is a very well-known and well-regarded player in the market. Good team, which covers many different areas of insurance law, with accessible people who are great to work with.’
• ‘Erik van Orsouw combines in-depth knowledge with the willingness to listen to other parties in search of a solution. Marit van der Pool is an enthusiastic, recently appointed partner with a pragmatic approach. Peter van den Broek has a good eye for the technical details of a case without losing sight of the bigger picture.’
• ‘Peter van den Broek is very pleasant to work with and a reasonable, commercial and fair lawyer to see across the table. Eric van Orsouw is smart and smooth, with an eye for business relationships.’

Kennedy Van der Laan is an established name in the insurance market, with a large team in the Netherlands. The firm's dedicated insurance regulatory practice advises major national and international insurers and brokers on matters such as market entry and business expansion. The team also possesses the capacity to act on contentious mandates, including product liability, business interruption and D&O liability cases.

"They have a very strong knowledge of the insurance sector, which helps to understand the questions of the clients and the commercial impact of the projects."

"The firm has a relatively big insurance team with a lot of experience on complex and sophisticated matters."

Chris Van Dijk advises domestic insurers on regulatory issues and claims in the healthcare sector.
"Chris Van Dijk is extremely pleasant to work with; he has authority in his field."

Erik van Orsouw advises on complex financial lines and property liability cases, as well as offering regulatory advice to insurers. "Erik van Orsouw is a very good lawyer and a pleasure to work with: he does not lose sight of the overall goal and actively searches for a solution for all parties." "Erik van Orsouw is a terrific lawyer."

Frits Van der Woude represents clients in insurance and liability mandates, particularly focusing on D&O and professional indemnity matters. "Frits Van der Woude has impressive knowledge and experience."

Peter van den Broek specialises in contentious coverage mandates, with a particular focus on business interruption and product liability disputes. "Peter van den Broek is able to take a practical approach to complex matters." "He is a very experienced and strong lawyer."

Marit van der Pool enters the rankings with strong market support this year. She specialises in professional indemnity and coverage cases. "Marit van der Pool is a specialist in her field." "She is very commercial, knows what to look for, very regularly visits the clients and builds personal relationships very well."

Kennedy Van der Laan advises on EU and Dutch financial regulation relating to insurance, as well as handling claims concerning casualty, property and engineering, and reviewing policies. The firm has a strong focus on claims and policy drafting, and clients include insurers, both domestic and international, insurance brokers, pools and loss adjusters. As a member of the international network of Global Access Lawyers, the firm has access to global expertise in insurance and liability law. The insurance practice is led by Chris van Dijk, Peter van den Broek, Erik van Orsouw and Petra Oskam, with Jan Broekhuizen leading the regulatory insurance team. Marit van der Pool specialises in both defence and coverage work in professional indemnity and directors’ and officers’ liability matters.

Practice heads: Erik van Orsouw; Chris van Dijk; Peter van den Broek; Jan Broekhuizen; Petra Oskam

Leading Individuals

Peter van den Broek

Hall of fame

Erik Van Orsouw

Rising Stars

Marit van der Pool

Other key lawyers

Peter Kramer
Mark Wisse
Marit van der Pool

Testimonials

• 'High knowledge regarding personal injury. They always seek to make the issues clear.’
• ‘Chris van Dijk: brilliant lawyer. Does a lot of investigation. Able to make difficult things easy to understand. A friendly personality, also towards the opponent.’
• ‘Erik van Orsouw knows exactly what I need as a client. He is practical, to the point, and creative in bringing solutions.’
• ‘Kennedy van der Laan has a great liability & insurance section, which includes both talented young associates and very experienced senior lawyers. All members of the team are pragmatic lawyers with high availability focused on the best possible outcome for their client.’
• ‘Peter Kramer is a highly experienced and very knowledgeable lawyer in the field of professional liability and insurance law. Peter is hands on, available and pragmatic. He always seeks the best possible resolution for his client while providing a realistic assessment of the merits of the case. I would without any reservation recommend Peter to clients seeking high quality legal advice in the field of professional liability and insurance law.’
• ‘Kennedy Van der Laan offers solid regulatory and commercial advice.’
• ‘Mark Wisse provides good quality commercially minded legal advice. Personable and able to apply legal issues into real business situations.’

Kennedy Van der Laan is an established name in the insurance market, with a large team in the Netherlands. The firm's dedicated insurance regulatory practice advises major national and international insurers and brokers on matters including market entry and business expansion. The team also possesses the capacity to act on contentious mandates, including product liability, business interruption and D&O liability cases.

"Kennedy Van der Laan manage to bring complex matters back to the basics, providing the client with brief but to-the-point and readable advice."

"Kennedy Van der Laan are very solution-oriented."

"It is an experienced team with substantial knowledge."

"The firm is excellent to work with in every way."

Chris Van Dijk advises domestic insurers on regulatory issues and claims in the healthcare sector. "Chris Van Dijk is a unique lawyer with a lot of knowledge and a sharp vision."

Erik van Orsouw advises on complex financial lines and property liability cases, as well as offering regulatory advice to insurers. "Erik is fast and accurate. His legal knowledge is very good." "He's a good-quality lawyer and knows his stuff."

Frits Van der Woude represents clients in insurance and liability mandates, particularly focusing on D&O and professional indemnity matters. "The fact that Frits used to work for an insurance broker means that he really understands the questions of the client." "Frits is a deep thinker and strategically really strong."

Peter van den Broek specialises in contentious coverage mandates, with a particular focus on business interruption and product liability disputes. He also acts for clients on professional indemnity matters. "Peter has a great track record. His work is very good and he is solution-oriented."

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.

Practice head(s): Erik van Orsouw; Chris van Dijk; Peter van den Broek; Jan Broekhuizen; Petra Oskam

Other key lawyers: Peter Kramer; Marit van der Pool; Mark Wisse

Leading Individuals

Peter van den Broek

Erik van Orsouw

Rising Stars

Marit van der Pool

Testimonials

• The team’s lawyers are accessible and provide practical and understandable advice. They also organize meetings and lectures in which insurance practice matters are discussed in an informal atmosphere.’
• ‘Kennedy van der Laan have a great team (no matter who you get to work with) who are very easy to access and they understand your needs perfectly. They think along with you by being pragmatic and proactive.’
• ‘Mark Wisse – He is quick on his feet in terms of thinking and providing solutions, replies fast and provides tips and tricks. He also sees the bigger picture and making you aware of this and possible consequences.’

Kennedy Van der Laan is an established name in the insurance market with a notable strength in claims disputes. The law firm houses a dedicated insurance regulatory practice which acts on behalf of major national and international insurers and brokers on matters including market entry and structuring issues. The team also possesses the capacity to act on contentious mandates, and has been instructed on product liability and professional indemnity cases alongside class actions.

Clients value the team's prudent advice, with one emphasising that "the lawyers always try to look at both sides of the coin, not just focusing on what a client wants to hear; instead they give you the truth."

Another client praises the lawyers for their interpersonal skills, noting that "their ability to manage emotions and be empathetic is useful."

Chris Van Dijk advises international and domestic insurers on a wide range of liability cases, with a particular focus on professional and product liability matters. Clients emphasise his position as "an authority on the market" and identify him as "someone who is always going for solutions."

Erik van Orsouw regularly advises on product liability cases, as well as offering regulatory advice to insurers. Market commentators commend his commercial awareness, noting that "he manoeuvres smartly and is honest in his appraisal."

Frits Van der Woude represents clients in insurance and liability matters in relation to bankruptcy proceedings, including D&O and professional indemnity. Clients consider him to be "a hands-on lawyer with deep knowledge of the insurance industry."

Peter van den Broek specialises in dealing with contentious coverage mandates, with a particular focus on business interruption and product safety disputes. One interviewee praises his "ability to brainstorm informally with clients."