Chris van Dijk

Casualty / Property / Product liability / Product recall / Engineering insurances / Construction damages / Medical malpractice / Employers liability / Motor liability & whiplash / Fraud / Accident & health / Art / Mediation.

Chris is one of the founding fathers of our firm. He is a partner at the Insurance & Liability practice group. He represents clients in insurance, damage and liability cases. Chris specialises in large material damages, personal injury, medical, employers', professional and product liability. In addition, Chris works as a mediator.

His broad range of extracurricular activities offers Chris a basis to fathom each case from a broad perspective. Besides being a practising lawyer, Chris is a deputy judge in the Court of The Hague and in the Court of Appeal of Arnhem. Chris is a lecturer with the Grotius Academy and the Stichting Studiecentrum Rechterlijke macht (SSR) (Training and Study Centre for the Judiciary). He is also active as an author and editor for several professional publications. He publishes, for example, in the journals Nederlands Juristenblad, Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Burgerlijk Recht,, Aansprakelijkheid Verzekering & Schade, Tijdschrift voor Vergoeding Personenschade and Jurisprudentie Aansprakelijkheidsrecht. Chris is also deputy member of the Long-Term Injury Litigation Chamber (arbitration) of the Personal Injury Council.

The Legal 500 EMEA 2023 - Insurance - Tier 1

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, Frits van der Woude, 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.

Testimonials

‘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.’

Chambers Eupope 2023 - Insurance - Ranked

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."

The Legal 500 EMEA 2022 - 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.

Chambers Europe 2022 - Insurance - Ranked

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."

Chambers Europe 2021 - Insurance - Ranked

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. He also assists with medical and employers' liability cases.

The Legal 500 EMEA 2020 - Insurance

The team at Kennedy Van der Laan 'provides practical solutions' and also stands out for its 'strong personal relationship' with clients. The firm has a strong record in advising on all aspects of Dutch and European financial services regulation applicable to insurers, brokers and other insurance distributors, as well as assisting with claims and reviewing policy wordings. The 'experienced' Peter van den Broek specialises in product recall. For corporate insurance matters, Jan Broekhuizen is the name to note and Erik van Orsouw leads on work with insurance brokers and intermediaries. Also recommended are Chris van Dijk, Frits van der Woude, Petra Oskam and senior associate Mark Wisse.

Chambers Europe 2020 - Insurance - Ranked

Chris Van Dijk is renowned for handling complex and high-profile personal injury and professional liability matters. One market commentator describes him as "well known and excellent," while another states: "What is very good is that he is capable of looking at things from both sides. He is capable of going off the path and bringing people together."

The Legal 500 EMEA 2019 - Insurance

Kennedy Van der Laan 'has a pragmatic approach, focuses on priorities, and is a great partner'. Peter van den Broek is recommended along with Frits van der Woude and associate Mark Wisse. Senior partners Erik van Orsouw heads the insurance and liability practice and Chris van Dijk has a focus on claims relating to personal injuries. AIG, Zurich, Chubb, and AON are clients and recent work includes advising on large claims in the construction industry; various regulations and advice on insurance and liability issues in connection with the use of asbestos and the insurance implications of product recalls.

Chambers Europe 2019 - Insurance - Ranked

Chris Van Dijk is especially well placed to handle employer's liability and property damage claims. He acts for a range of leading global insurers and has strong expertise in personal injury cases.

Chambers Europe 2018 - Insurance & Liability - Ranked

"Chris Van Dijk is regarded by market commentators as "an excellent lawyer," who focuses on a range of matters in the insurance and liability space. He has particular expertise in professional indemnity and employers' liability claims, as well as material damage insurance."

The Legal 500 EMEA 2018 - Insurance & Liability

"Kennedy Van der Laan’s practice handles all kinds of insurance, including directors’ and officers’ (D&O) liability, personal injury and medical malpractice. Group head Erik van Orsouw is supported by Chris van Dijk, Frits van der Woude, Peter van den Broek and Jan Broekhuizen. AIG and Zurich are clients."