Legal 500 has published the 2021 rankings. The publication ranked BarentsKrans as a Top Tier Firm in Employment and Commercial Litigation. We also entered Tier 3 with Environment and Planning. Legal 500 is one of the most prominent guides on the international legal profession.
Below you will find an overview of our rankings in the 2021 edition of Legal 500. Our complete profile is available on the site of Legal 500.
Employment: tier 1
BarentsKrans, which is one of the leading firms in the market, specialises in highly contentious and litigated employment matters. The ‘commercially minded and responsive’ team is jointly led by Max Keulaerds and Laurens de Graaf. Keulaerds is well-respected as an employment law litigator and was closely involved in the law-making process and evaluation of the Dutch dismissal law WWZ and its successor WAB. De Graaf acts for clients operating in the transportation, banking, oil and gas, construction and software development sectors. Senior associate Frank Dekker has deep experience in Supreme Court litigation.
What clients say about us:
‘Frank Dekker has one of the sharpest analytical minds I have encountered in lawyers and is uniquely able to write complex cases down easily’.
‘Laurens de Graaf is exceptional, he’s dedicated, diligent, gets our business, and has been able to grab victory from the jaws of seemingly inevitable defeat’.
Dispute resolution: Commercial Litigation: tier 1
Based in The Hague, BarentsKrans is renowned for its specialist Supreme Court unit led by ‘real authority’ Rieme-Jan Tjittes, but also excels in high-profile corporate and commercial litigation and commercial contracts disputes on behalf of a largely claimant client base. Co-practice head Martijn van Maanen is leading advice to several hundred claimant corporations, including HP, Unilever and Novartis, in the high-profile air cargo cartel class action, while William Schonewille leads on financial litigation, including privacy and data breach class actions. Roeland de Mol is another name to note.
What clients say about us:
‘We have worked with Roeland de Mol and Marjolein van Rest. They were a good team and very complementary. Hands-on, proactive and available. Good and clear communicators. ’
‘Rieme-Jan Tjittes has a pragmatic approach and is a real authority in international commercial contracts in The Netherlands; very pleasant always to work with. ’
Industry focus Healthcare and Life Sciences: tier 2
The multidisciplinary healthcare and life sciences industry group at BarentsKrans is highly regarded for contentious and non-contentious IP work, and also provides regulatory, corporate and commercial advice. On the contentious IP side, the firm conducts pharmaceutical patent, regulatory and product liability litigation and advises on related issues. Practice head Marleen van den Horst and Jaap Bremer are the key names.
What clients say about us:
‘Marleen van den Horst is incredibly well connected and respected, a skilful strategist and great person to work with’.
‘Jaap Bremer is a top quality advocate and legal practitioner, adept at rapidly getting to grips with complex technologies.‘
Environment and Planning: tier 3
BarentsKrans handles project development, environmental, planning and zoning law issues. It acts for central government and regional and local authorities, and also on behalf of commercial entities that face government action. Head of practice Nicole Soliana advises on real estate and project development, and also litigates on behalf of property developers, contractors and government authorities. Remco Bäcker is also recommended.
EU and Competition: tier 3
The ‘experienced, professional and hands-on practice’ at BarentsKrans is led by Joost Fanoy and handles the full spectrum of competition work including state aid matters, investigations, public procurement issues and cartel litigation. In a recent highlight, the group advised TUI on the merger control elements of its acquisition of assets from Thomas Cook, and also represented clients in the air cargo and truck cartel damages cases. Senior associate Tim Raats is also singled out.
What clients say about us:
‘Tim Raats is dedicated, listens and is an expert in his field. He is very good at incorporating the views of the client in a sound juridical plea.’
‘Joost Fanoy is a respected and knowledgeable competition lawyer who goes the extra mile for you. He never loses focus on the company’s goal. He gives advice in a clear and understandable way, leaves out the fuzz and nitty-gritty. Joost doesn’t shy away from dealing with (non-legally trained) directors and giving them his opinion, even if the message isn’t what they want to hear.’
Intellectual Property: Patents: tier 3
BarentsKrans is home to a smaller ‘but dedicated and experienced patent litigation team’, headed by Jaap Bremer and Marleen van den Horst. In addition to IP litigation, it provides a range of strategic advice and assistance in complex transactions such as negotiating and drafting cross-border licences, distribution, and joint development agreements. It has expertise in pharma, biotech, mechanical engineering, and high-tech sectors and is noted for its experience in the area of generic pharmaceuticals. It also offers clients a range of tech innovations that assist with the secure sharing of information. Senior associate Claudia Zeri is also a noted team member.
‘This is a very strong IP litigation team, very ably led by Marleen Van den Horst, a distinguished lawyer in this field. Jaap Bremer has developed into an excellent lawyer, too, and they have a team of smart associates to support. They are practical, commercial, and a pleasure to deal with.’
Real Estate: tier 3
BarentsKrans has ‘a high level of knowledge of the real estate market’ and its team includes a mix of attorneys and civil law notaries. The group has a core focus on transactions and disputes, but also handles project development, real estate finance, and environmental and zoning law issues. Jeffrey Koenecke and Nicole Soliana jointly head the practice. Managing partner Jesse Zijlma is also active in this area.
What clients say about us:
‘Jeffrey Koenecke and Jesse Zijlma, Lisanne Vissers know the market and they always find a solution to a problem’.
Banking and Finance: Borrower Side: tier 4
BarentsKrans acts primarily for domestic corporates, handling a wide range of work including leveraged financing, amendments to existing loan agreements, and Covid-19-related financing deals. Jason van de Pol leads the team, and is particularly recommended for acquisition and leveraged financing work.
What clients say about us:
‘Jason van de Pol: Great lawyer, very dedicated, top-notch legal advice but at the same time very practical and responsive.’
‘His team is complemented by Nuray Aslan who I think is going to be a future leader of the firm.’
Intellectual Property: Trademarks, copyrights and design rights: tier 4
The compact BarentsKrans practice is led by ‘standout trade mark lawyer’ Jaap Bremer. It offers a full service on both contentious and non-contentious trade mark, copyright, design, patent, and anti-counterfeiting matters. This is augmented with expertise in unfair competition and advertising issues. The firm also has an extensive network of international referral firms. Marleen van den Horst has extensive experience assisting clients with IP litigation and contractual matters and also undertakes substantial pro bono work.
What clients say about us:
‘Jaap Bremer is a standout trade mark lawyer, combining legal knowledge with a practical, commercial application.’
Private Equity: tier 4
Under the leadership of Harry Rek, BarentsKrans handles domestic private equity and venture capital work for clients in the technology, biotechnology, safety and security industries. The team is also a key name for international private equity funds involved in cross-border inbound mandates, and regularly acts for regional development companies. Rhamsey Croes is also active in the space.
Commercial, Corporate and M&A: tier 5
BarentsKrans ‘handles complex projects very professionally while being very close to the client and managing expectations at all times’. The practice is increasingly involved in cross-border mandates and advises a client roster of Dutch corporates, foreign multinationals and private equity houses. Rhamsey Croes leads the team, which also includes managing partner Michiel Martin and civil law notary Lisanne Vissers.
What clients say about us:
‘Harry Rek, senior partner, is especially experienced and has top rate people skills in guiding his client to sensible decisions. Provides specific guidance as to what clients should do rather than merely pointing out options and risks, hence providing true advice.’
‘Rhamsey Croes and Lisanne Vissers are really brilliant, we praise in particular their out-of-box thinking.’