Commercial & International Trade

July 2023 saw Kennedy Van der Laan merge its commercial and international trade team with the firm’s EU and competition team, while continuing to be a strong player in matters concerning Dutch franchising law and expanding its work in the e-commerce sector. The retail group is led by the ‘very practical’ Martine de Koning, a leading expert on franchising matters, who also takes on competition issues before the Dutch courts. Jelle Blom, who made partner in June 2023, focuses on franchising and commercial contracts, along with Isabel van Tuyll van Serooskerken, who also joined the firm’s partnership in 2023, combining a civil procedural law practice with matters of franchising, distribution and consumer law.

Leading Individuals

Martine de Koning

Next Generation Partners

Isabel Van Tuyll Van Serooskerken
Jelle Blom

Other key lawyers

Renske Sinke
Lisa van Vliet
Lisa Lander
Daan van Lier
Noor de Werd
Tosca Bokhove

Testimonials

• ‘A very professional and business-oriented team. They have excellent market knowledge, which shows in the advice they give.’
• ‘Special mention for Martine de Koning, who is an excellent professional to work with: always available, top expertise, very imaginative and creative.’
• ‘Integrated approach of various legal workstreams helps in educating our sales and marketing people on new legislation. They understand our business needs and speak the language. Highly communicative, young and hungry team.’
• ‘Jelle Blom brings stress levels down and fixes issues pragmatically and quietly; he is valuable in strategic cooperation with suppliers and B2B customers. Lisa van Vliet is an excellent sparring partner for marketing campaigns and thinks commercially.’
• ‘Martine de Koning’s expertise is in depth, and she is quick to understand a client’s needs.’
• ‘There has been a strong connection to the client in handling our case. The way the team connects with us was empathic and pragmatic.’
• ‘Very accommodating and quickly grasps issues. Easy to work with.’
• ‘Martine de Koning is very practical, collaborative and razor sharp. Isabel van Tuyll van Serooskerken is smart, creative and collaborative.'

One of the new areas of growth for Kennedy Van der Laan has been collective actions, where the team represents both claimants and defendant. Commercial litigation expert Christoph Jeloschek leads the practice, focusing on cross-border litigation and IT-related disputes. The team was strengthened at senior level by the promotions of practice co-head Isabel van Tuyll van Serooskerken, Jelle Blom and Veerle van Druenen in January 2023. Van Tuyll van Serooskerken is frequently engaged by clients for her expertise in corporate litigation, and has bolstered the firm's capabilities in post-M&A disputes and disputes between directors and executive boards. Blom is a go-to for pre-litigation and injunction proceedings, while van Druenen specialises in contractual and technology disputes.

Practice heads: Christoph Jeloschek; Isabel van Tuyll van Serooskerken

Next Generation Partners

Isabel van Tuyll van Serooskerken

Other key lawyers

Jelle Blom; Veerle van Druenen

Testimonials

• ‘Isabel Van Tuyll van Serooskerken was very responsive and very attuned to the needs of the client. Her advice was prompt and very practical.’
• ‘Christoph Jeloschek is one of most impressive attorneys I have met. He is not only focused on the legal issues at hand and how to master them, but also the political, financial and public dynamics of cases and the people involved as well. I have had the opportunity to work with many international firms and individuals and have not met or worked with such capable, smart and kind, yet assertive and savvy, individuals as at Kennedy van der Laan.’
• ‘The team are very engaging, understanding and professional in their approach to clients. They are well spoken, they explain things in layman’s terms for clients without being patronising or condescending, and they are very friendly and helpful. We have found that they give us all the required time and information and they do not pressure us, but rather give us a relevant timeframe to decide on things and move forwards. We have enjoyed the advice and support from Kennedy van der Laan.’
• ‘Isabel Van Tuyll has been fantastic at giving advice, explaining things about Dutch law where we are unfamiliar and has been assertive but reasonable in her approach to following up on our disputes with the third parties. This has been a welcome breath of fresh air.’
• ‘Kennedy Van Der Laan bring detailed scrutiny to the conduct of litigation. What makes the team stand out is that it has a very collaborative approach with clients. They get to know the sector and really drill into the issues.’
• ‘Christoph Jeloschek is an outstanding advocate. He has an engaging and confident rapport with the court. Veerle van Drueren applies a forensic approach to cases. She is an experienced advocate.’
• ‘Isabel van Tuyll van Serooskerken has a client-friendly approach and is extremely responsive and diligent. What clients also appreciate about her is that she provides advice in a digestible and highly commercial manner.’
• ‘Christoph Jeloschek is a very good lawyer for cross-border cases and is very knowledgeable in international and European procedural law. He has a hands-on approach, and is very easy to work with.’

Kennedy Van der Laan is a leader in franchising and distribution matters for a range of clients that include luxury, fashion and sports brands as well as innovative consumer goods manufactures and well-known retail chains. Head of the commercial and international trade practice, and an integral member of the EU competition law team Martine De Koning handles customs, trade and import issues as well as matters concerning digital transformations, online distributions and big data. Senior associate Jelle Blom handles international franchise and distribution and agency cases for global clients. Senior associate Isabel van Tuyll van Serooskerken is a disputes resolution practitioner with knowledge of the retail-related consumer, contract and e-commerce and geo-blocking laws.

Leading Individuals

Martine de Koning

Rising Stars

Isabel Van Tuyll Van Serooskerken
Jelle Blom

Other key lawyers

Renske Sinke
Lisa van Vliet
Lisa Lander
Daan van Lier
Hidde Kleijn
Noor de Werd
Tosca Bokhove

Testimonials

• ‘The team is very knowledgeable about Dutch law, flexible and agile, and able to adapt quickly to the needs of the client and the case. They are collaborative within and outside the firm and very easy to work with. They are clear writers and are able to explain complex concepts in a digestible way.’
• ‘Martine de Koning is a pleasure to work with and a talented lawyer with a keen eye. She is able to jump into an issue quickly and provide excellent advice that affects the strategy. She is practical and eminently responsive. You can trust her to get the job done.’
• ‘Isabel van Tuyll van Serooskerken is very helpful and is particularly skilled at making good use of evidence.’
• ‘Top notch firm, highly technical and with great service, from beginning till end. Perfect combination of experience and agility. There are excellent and skilled lawyers from junior level to head level. The firm provides accurate, timely advice.’
• ‘The Commercial & International Trade team is top class in this field because they combine excellent knowledge of the EU and Dutch regulatory framework for consumers, competition and products with a lot of market experience. They are leading for example in matters pertaining to digital commerce, product recalls, sustainability, greenwashing, advertising, loyalty schemes and pricing.’
• ‘The team is very flexible, dedicated and efficient. Martine, Isabel & Jelle guarantee in depth but at the same time practical and straightforward advice with fast turnaround times.’
• ‘One of the leading franchise practices in the EU.’
• ‘Martine de Koning is the best in the Netherlands as regards retail – and combining retail with competition law! Jelle Blom excels too, especially in distribution and retail issues.’

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.

Practice head(s): Martine de Koning

Other key lawyers: Nico Jacobs; Jelle Blom

Leading Individuals

Martine de Koning

Rising Stars

Jelle Blom

Testimonials

• ‘Highly skilled team capable of coordinating multijurisdictional matters for clients and through cooperation with other law firms in Europe, providing succinct advice on issues covering large number of jurisdictions.’
• ‘I have worked with Martine de Koning who is an excellent lawyer. She has high-level and demonstrable expertise and she has excellent writing/drafting skills. Martine is personable and easily gains the trust of the people that she works with.’
• ‘This office is really well known in the retail sector. Really a top office. They also have an incredible client base and are very commercial and pragmatic towards their retail clients. It is one of the strongest firms in the Netherlands in retail.’

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.

Practice head(s): Annemieke van der Beek; Martijn van Bemmel; Martine de Koning

Leading Individuals

Annemieke van der Beek

Testimonials

• 'They know our business very well and are able to provide advice that is really suited to our requirements.’
• ‘They are very quick to respond, know the business and know our challenges.’
• ‘We have been working with Kennedy van der Laan over the past 10 years in the field of competition law. The cooperation is good and successful. The team is well informed about our business and the relevant completion law issues.’

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.

Practice head(s): Christoph Jeloschek; Martine de Koning
Other key lawyers: Veerle van Druenen; Isabel van Tuyll van Serooskerken

Testimonials

• ‘They are very professional and render timely legal services’.
• ‘They precisely examine all the details of the work that needs to be done’.
• ‘They are very down to earth and hands on, and do not make things overly complicated’.

Martine de Koning is ranked by WWL as a Global Elite Thought Leader on Franchise.

WWL says: "Martine de Koning enjoys a stellar reputation in the market, where she garners widespread praise as "exceptionally knowledgeable" and "easy to work with" on franchising and distribution matters across a range of sectors, from fashion to sports.”

Martine de Koning is ranked by WWL as a Global Elite Thought Leader on Franchise.

WWL says: Martine de Koning draws praise as a “knowledgeable and practical lawyer who services household names, especially from a competition law perspective.”

Martine de Koning is ranked by WWL as a Global Elite Thought Leader on Franchise.

WWL says: Martine de Koning draws praise as a “knowledgeable and practical lawyer who services household names, especially from a competition law perspective.”

WWL says:
"Martine de Koning is a “very active” franchise lawyer with “exceptional legal knowledge”. She has extensive experience of structuring complex matters including joint ventures."

Read the full recommendation at Who' s Who Legal.

"Kennedy Van der Laan is een no-nonsense en betrouwbare zakenpartner die waar voor je geld geeft. De advocaten begrijpen onze bedrijfstak, zijn zeer professioneel en prettig om mee samen te werken. Ze kijken naar het grotere plaatje en dragen innovatieve en praktische oplossingen aan. Ze focussen snel op de essentie en zijn niet te theoretisch in hun benadering. Ze hebben passie voor hun beroep en dat zie je."

“De Alliance for Nike, onder leiding van Kennedy Van der Laan, is nu vijf jaar actief in de bredere Europese regio en is een groot succes. In de eerste jaren heeft de Alliance de efficiëntie opgevoerd, convergentie gestimuleerd en de voorspelbaarheid van uitgaven significant verbeterd. In recente jaren lag de nadruk op het intensief delen van kennis en best practices, innovatieve (digitale) communicatie, effectieve feedback processen en centrale projectcoördinatie. De Alliance maakt het ons mogelijk om kantoren in te schakelen die het beste aan Nike's behoeften voldoen in elk rechtsgebied, terwijl wij blijven profiteren van de centrale leiding door Kennedy Van der Laan. Het is een echt partnerschap en de Alliance blijft bloeien en uitbreiden, zowel op deelterreinen van het recht als in rechtsgebieden.”