Cyber security
The KVdL Incident Response Team
The growing dependence on IT systems in society also increases our vulnerability if these systems fail. The continuous growth of incidents related to systems and infrastructures in the past years cannot have escaped anyone’s notice. Whether these incidents are caused by malicious third parties or by simple human errors, the consequences usually have a material impact on your business continuity. For both great and small, an incident response plan is no longer a luxury you can go without.
Kennedy Van der Laan has been a frontrunner in this field since the emergence of data protection and cyber security. This has led to the establishment of a special response team for cyber incidents, with decades of experience and worldwide recognition. Our lawyers know what is at stake, understand the underlying technology and first and foremost: get the bigger picture.
Our Incident Response Team is available to you 24/7 and can help you with the following:
- Coordination & Management: we deal with the incident from start to finish, in cooperation with several forensic experts, CERTs, internal or external CISO and DPO, and insurance companies.
- Legal & Compliance: we advise and support in compliance with statutory (notification) obligations and contractual agreements, and identify liability risks early, with the options of mitigating them as much as possible.
- Communication & Media: we think and write along with you in communications to parties involved, such as customers and employees, in contacts with the press, and in communication with the authorities, such as the Dutch Data Protection Authority and the police.
- Liability & Litigation: we handle civil-law liability claims and conduct administrative-law proceedings against supervisory authorities. We also use legal remedies, such as levying attachment, to limit the damage caused by the incident.
- Assessment & Report: we make recommendations to ensure better compliance with statutory and contractual obligations in the future, to improve the contractual position, and we provide tools like (template) documents, forms, and registers.
If an incident has occurred, please contact us through incident.response@kvdl.com or through +31 85 401 36 33. You may also contact one of the experts from our Incident Response Team directly.
Would you like to make a first estimate of the legal obligations in the case of an incident? Please go through our data breach tool.
In addition to the direct support when an incident has already happened, our Privacy Team is also happy to help you prevent and prepare for incidents as much as possible.
Market recognition
The Legal 500 EMEA 2025 - Data Privacy and Data Protection - Tier 1
The privacy, cybersecurity and regulated markets team at Kennedy Van der Laan is known for its sector expertise across finance, transport and logistics, telecoms, entertainment and healthcare. The team is noted for its expertise in assisting clients with investigations and enforcement proceedings locally and abroad. Internal investigations, legal proceedings against data subjects exerting thier rights under data protection law, and obtaining permits under Dutch data protection law are all key pillars of the practice. The sizeable team is led by Hester de Vries, Quirine Tjeenk Willink, Rosalie Brand and Judica Krikke. De Vries is a data protection authority and assists technology multinationals and public sector institutions with data protection law issues. Enforcement matters are handled by specialist Tjeenk Willink, Brand is the go-to for cybersecurity matters, and Krikke advises on IT aspects of data protection issues.
Practice head: Hester de Vries, Rosalie Brand, Quirine Tjeenk Willink, Judica Krikke.
Hall of Fame
Leading associates
Leading partners
Quirine Tjeenk Willink
Judica Krikke
Testimonials
- ‘Kennedy Van der Laan has a data privacy and data protection team with several specialists who work together as a team. Privacy and its protection is a wide working field and the firm has plenty colleagues who assist in case there are interfaces with other fields.'
- ‘After working in the beginning with Hester the Vries as privacy specialist, Kennedy Van der Laan moved on along with our daily problems in protecting data. Rosalie Brand has the combination of ultimate knowledge about privacy, its protection and preventing accidents. Her experience in this working field makes it possible to act fast and in short term. Just what a company needs.’
- ‘The privacy team at Kennedy Van der Laan excels at clearly interpreting our complex processes from a legal perspective. The accompanying process descriptions are often better than our own policies! Kennedy thoroughly delves into matters, enabling them to uncover all possible risks. Their knowledge of case law, EDPB guidelines, and legislation is outstanding, allowing us to share the Data Protection Impact Assessments with the regulator with complete confidence.'
- ‘The data privacy and data protection team of Kennedy van der Laan has extensive knowledge of privacy law and knows how to translate this knowledge into practice in relation to our company. The team is broadly composed with older and younger lawyers. They are well informed of developments in the dynamic field of privacy law as well as jurisprudence. The strength of the team is the rapid response to requests for advice.’
- ‘Our organisation mainly works with Hester de Vries. She has extensive knowledge of privacy law and can respond quickly to our questions with good advices useful for our practice. She has thoroughly immersed herself in our daily practice of providing services to our business partners as well as consumers. In addition to her thorough knowledge of privacy law, we appreciate her openness, sincerity and friendly way of operating.’
The Legal 500 EMEA 2024 - Data Privacy and Data Protection - Tier 1
Kennedy Van der Laan is well-versed in administrative enforcement law and data protection law, allowing it to advise on a range of contentious and non-contentious privacy issues. The firm excels in assisting clients in the financial, logistics, telecommunications, entertainment, and healthcare sectors. The team routinely undertakes investigations and enforcement proceedings carried out by data protection regulators both locally and internationally and recently formed a 24/7 incident response team. Hester de Vries, Quirine Tjeenk Willink, Rosalie Brand, and Judica Krikke all jointly chair the practice. De Vries handles issues at the forefront of data protection such as AI, open data, platforms for data sharing, and adtech. Litigator Tjeenk Willink is an enforcement law specialist, Brand was promoted to partner in 2023 and mainly supports clients with cybersecurity incidents. Krikke focuses on complex digital transformation processes, IT and cloud outsourcing issues. Elise Troll was appointed counsel in 2023 and advises on data protection particularly in relation to telecoms.
Hall of Fame
Leading individuals
Quirine Tjeenk Willink
Judica Krikke
Rising stars
Testimonials
- ‘Kennedy Van der Laan’s team is uniquely positioned to provide world-class advise. They can leverage experience build up over the past 20 plus years and have a large team with legally, technically and commercially savvy players, not only at partner level.’
- ‘Elise Troll is definitely on the rise. She is super smart, always available, very practical, comes with creative and out of the box solutions and is fun to work with. She is strong on both content and relationship.’
- ‘The privacy lawyers of Kennedy Van der Laan have thorough knowledge of the GDPR and the Dutch Uitvoeringswet AVG. They are easily approachable and often provide direct support.’
