Ester Damen
Specialisms
Data protection / Employee co-governance
Profile
Ester's practice covers all aspects of employment law. Ester specializes in employment-law problems concerning privacy and data protection and the implementation of the GDPR in the Netherlands. This includes investigating and advising about #metoo situations and their employment-law consequences. Ester also advises both employers and works councils about the Dutch Works Councils Act and guides advice and consent procedures, and she litigates about employee participation cases before the Enterprise Section of the Court of Appeal.
Ester is a member of the Association of Employee Participation Professionals, the Association of Employment Law Attorneys Amsterdam (VAAA) and the Employment Law Association (VvA), and is a member of the Employee Participation Law working group of VvA and the Employee Participation focus group of the Social and Economic Council (SER). Besides, Ester is a regular guest lecturer at the master's in Employment Law at Groningen University and she writes articles for the journals OR Rendement and OR Magazine.
Ester was interviewed by Privacyweb (Dutch) about her appointment to Associate Partner.
Recommendations
The Legal 500 EMEA 2023 - Employment - Ranked
Kennedy Van der Laan has a strong focus on sectors including technology, financial services and healthcare, and has specific experience in employee governance, advising and representing employers and work councils. The firm is also active in restructurings and reorganisations, as well as employment-related data protection matters and #MeToo issues. The practice is led by Chris Nekeman, who specialises in employee participation and legal proceedings for works councils and employers, Soo-Ja Schijf, who primarily represents multinationals with European operations, and Ester Damen, who has expertise in employee participation and data protection in employment relationships.
Testimonials
- ‘Ester Damen is calm and assured, with good commercial sense underpinned by strong technical skills.’
- ‘Ester Damen is a true business partner to the client’s company and I have great trust in her abilities and intentions for our company. I trust her implicitly.’
The Legal 500 EMEA 2022 - Employment - Ranked
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.
The Legal 500 EMEA 2020 - Employment - Ranked
Kennedy Van der Laan's three-partner employment team provides the full range of employment law services for both national and international clients. Chris Nekeman focuses primarily on employee co-governance, union negotiations, and outsourcing mandates for Dutch companies. Eva Knipschild is high recommended for work involving flexible employment, and Soo-Ja Schijf is a key contact for international clients seeking advice on cross-border matters involving restructuring and TUPE. Employment-focused data protection specialist Ester Damen was appointed as an associate-partner of the firm in July 2019.