BarentsKrans has once again been recognized and recommended in the 2023 edition of the prestigious Legal 500 which was published today.
Special this year is the mention of our sector expertise in the field of retail, Ingrid Reimert and Marlou Timmerman received an honourable recommendation for the first time. Also worth mentioning is the team of ‘Intellectual property: Patents’ they rise to Tier 2 in the 2023 edition.
We are proud of the mentions we’ve received and are grateful to both our clients and peers for their feedback.
Some testimonials from our clients:
- “The team is very professional, pro-active attitude, has a personal approach, is very dedicated and always on time to give an additional explanation.”
- “The team is excellent, agile, efficient, client-oriented, out of the box thinking and problem solving.”
- “Close cooperation between the people working on your case.”
- “Partner availability, high quality of work, value for money.”
- “Very good team with a good level of knowledge, and they are open for new innovations and collaboration.”
Read below an overview of our rankings or view our profile on Legal500.com.
Employment: tier 2
BarentsKrans’ employment team, based in The Hague, is known for its involvement in high-profile litigation, specifically cases before the Courts of Appeal and Supreme Court, such as the highly publicised Deliveroo litigation regarding the employment status of riders. The firm is also closely involved in the inception of the ‘Future of Work’ legislation and committee. Practice co-head Max Keulaerds is an experienced employment litigator and acts in the firm’s most significant cases. Co-head Laurens De Graaf also participates in litigation as well as collective dismissals, TUPE cases, works council negotiations and matters related to strikes. Associate Frank Dekker is a Supreme Court litigator who specialises in employment law and has been instructed on several of the firm’s high-profile cases.
“Value for money. High quality of work and availability of lawyers.”
“The team’s advice always adds value and demonstrates that they are top lawyers.”
Dispute resolution: Commercial litigation: tier 2
BarentsKrans is routinely called upon by clients from a range of sectors to represent them as claimants in compensation proceedings and class actions against global companies. Supreme Court litigator Rieme-Jan Tjittes is a key name to note for commercial disputes involving contracts, and private enforcement expert Martijn van Maanen focuses on M&A, fraud, insolvency and directors’ liability mandates. William Schonewille acts for investors and consumers in initiating class actions, while Philip Fruytier, a Supreme Court practitioner, represents real estate developers, investors, insurance companies and international organisations in various areas of the law. Roeland De Mol, Annelies van der Ploeg and Marjolein van Rest are also key contacts in the dispute resolution team.
“The team is very professional, pro-active attitude, has a personal approach, is very dedicated and always on time to give an additional explanation.”
Industry focus: Healthcare and life sciences: tier 2
Healthcare specialist Tim Raats focuses on competition and procurement law, advising hospitals on merger control issues and obtaining clearances; he also advises mental health providers on municipal tendering. The team, including IP and technology specialist Jaap Bremer, deals with contracts pertaining to medical devices and the launch of biosimilar products.
“They think in solutions, not problems.’”
“[…] extremely active in the life sciences sector. It is a focus for the firm”
Environment and planning: tier 3
BarentsKrans provides administrative and environmental law advice on project development for public and private-sector clients. Team head Nicole Soliana has a niche focus on private law in the public sector, while Remco Bäcker has broad real estate projects experience. The firm also litigates before the administrative courts, up to the Council of State.
“Very good team with a good level of knowledge, and they are open for new innovations and collaboration.’”
“The team members are driven, hardworking, and flexible.’”
EU and competition: tier 3
Handling both contentious and non-contentious elements of competition law, BarentsKrans stands out for its work in litigation on behalf of plaintiffs in follow-on cartel damages cases, advising national and international companies and potential funders of the claims. The firm has experience in ACM investigations, particularly relating to the furniture and construction industries, and operates with a focus on procurement, acting on behalf of tenderers and multinationals in Supreme Court litigation relating to competition law. The practice is led by Joost Fanoy.
“Partner availability, high quality of work, value for money.”
Intellectual property: Patents: tier 3
BarentsKrans‘ regularly handles biotech and pharmaceutical patent cases […] also represent clients in the agriculture, telecoms, mechanical engineering and food sectors, working in addition on non-contentious mandates such as cross-border licenses and joint development agreements.
“Their knowledge and litigation strategy are first-class as is their responsiveness and communication.’”
Retail: tier 3
Ingrid Reimert, who is an expert in tenancy and commercial contract law, leads the retail practice at BarentsKrans, which advises the Dutch subsidiaries of international clothing brands and domestic interior design companies on lease disputes and agreements. Attorney-at-law Marlou Timmerman represents landlords, tenants and property investors in retail-related real estate disputes.
“BarentsKrans pairs strong knowledge with a customer first attitude. Together with the client they think creatively, out of the box and develop professional scenarios. Their mentality to always want to win the case and their commitment towards success is unbeatable.”
Banking and finance: borrower side: tier 4
BarentsKrans’ team covers a broad spectrum of finance work on the borrower side, acting for a mixture of startup companies, large multinationals and private equity investors. With the experienced Jason Van De Pol at the helm, the group tackles mandates involving acquisition finance and leveraged finance, as well as real estate finance and project finance, in both a Dutch and international context. Elsewhere, asset-based finance transactions and complicated restructurings are handled by the firm.
Intellectual property: Trademarks, copyrights and design rights: tier 4
Led by IT and IP specialist Jaap Bremer, BarentsKrans advises both international and domestic clients from a range of sectors on a variety of contentious and non-contentious trade mark, copyright and design right matters. Bremer regularly deals with clients in the technology industry, advising on trade mark infringement and anti-counterfeiting mandates across gaming and virtual products, often leveraging his knowledge of customs for seizure of merchandise. Head of the healthcare and life sciences industry group, Marleen Van Den Horst assists clients in negotiating licenses, IP transfers and supply and distribution agreements. The team also advises on managing IP assets in the telecoms and consumer goods sectors.
“Jaap Bremer is a great IP counsel. I would highly recommend his services.’”
Private equity: tier 4
BarentsKrans is noted for its ‘strong capabilities’ in domestic private equity and venture capital transactions, in addition to assisting overseas private equity funds with cross-border mandates, namely inbound investments. Harry Rek leads the practice and has demonstrable experience advising regional development companies looking to invest in start-ups and SMEs, particularly in the technology, biotechnology, safety and security sectors. Rhamsey Croes is another key contact in the team.
“Strong capabilities and broader in-house disciplines.”
“No nonsense and down to earth approach. Solution driven and pleasant personal style.”
Real estate: tier 4
With specific expertise in renewable energy, BarentsKrans advises on the full spectrum of real estate matters including project development, transactions, financing, and zoning. The firm is also well-equipped to handle litigious real estate disputes and has experience in both private and administrative elements of real estate. Nicole Soliana and Jeffrey Koenecke lead the practice, with a focus on project development and commercial real estate transactions, respectively.
“Professional team. Good reputation. It is great to have them as advisers in a transaction.”
“It’s a compact team and every member of the team gives you the same professional input. It’s a team where a customer will be happy. They are honest when things are not possible.’”
Commercial, corporate and M&A: tier 5
BarentsKrans counts domestic corporates among its key roster of clients, as well as foreign multinationals, where the practice frequently receives referrals from UK and US-based international law firms on cross-border transactions. Michiel Martin, who advises on M&A, buy-ins, buy-outs and corporate restructurings, jointly leads the team alongside Lisanne Vissers, who handles corporate governance matters. Praised as a ‘top M&A lawyer’, Rhamsey Croes is another key contact in the group.
“The team is excellent, agile, efficient, client-oriented, out of the box thinking and problem solving.’”
“The collaboration is seamless, client-orientated and efficient.’”