AKD

Board Members: Erwin Rademakers (Managing Partner), Marc Wintgens, Mark Kater
Number of partners worldwide: 88
Number of other lawyers and notaries worldwide: 204
Languages:Chinese, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish and Korean

Firm Overview:
With over 475 lawyers, tax advisers, civil-law notaries and business support staff in the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg, AKD is a leading Benelux law firm. For our clients, we are the gateway from, to and in the Benelux. For over a century now, the firm has combined a full-service approach and a broad sector focus to consider any question from a range of angles and provide quality solutions – anywhere in the world. Literally. From AKD’s own offices, of course, and also through its various country teams and its extensive, worldwide Friends Network.

Main Areas of Practice:

Banking & Finance:
AKD advises on matters of national and international transactions, financial supervision regulations, and setting up investment institutions and investment vehicles. Responsible Partner: Vincent Bettonville

Commercial Contracting:
The firm’s involvement comprises the negotiation of contracts relating to the business set-up (joint ventures and alliances), the sales channel (sales, supply, license, distribution, agency and franchise) and the procurement channel (production and license).
Responsible Partner: Martijn Evers

Corporate/M&A:
The firm’s lawyers, civil-law notaries and tax lawyers assist clients in the acquisition and sale of enterprises, controlled auctions, private equity transactions, venture capital investments, management buy-outs, reorganisations, setting up joint ventures and raising equity and loan capital.
Responsible Partner: Carlos Pita Cao

Corporate/Structuring:
The firm’s lawyers, civil-law notaries and tax lawyers assist national and international clients in advising on and implementing the most efficient corporate structure and corporate governance, by combining a solid knowledge of the legal and regulatory framework with creative solutions to the requirements of the client and/or the transaction.
Responsible Partner: Vincent Bettonville

Dispute Resolution:
The firm’s lawyers assist corporate clients in solving complex disputes, such as shareholders disputes, disputes with financial institutions, dispute on (international) commercial contracts, cases of D&O liability, M&A claims and disputes on aborted negotiations.
Responsible Partner: Patrick Haas

Employment & Pensions:
The firm advises on the employment aspects of mergers and acquisitions, redundancies, reorganisations, restructuring, bonus caps, employment participation, collective bargaining agreements, strikes, international labour relations and pension law. Responsible Partner: Pieter Huys

EU, Procurement & Competition:
The firm’s Brussels-based experts are recognised in the areas of competition law, public procurement and State aid. The firm advises in proceedings concerning these areas as well as the areas of private international law and the free movement of persons, goods, services and capital (in the EU).
Responsible Partner: Pieter Kuypers

Insolvency & Restructuring:
Being often appointed by the Dutch courts as receivers in complex bankruptcy cases, the firm is equipped to assist companies in financial distress with restructuring and refinancing issues, issues related to selling off secured assets as well as cases of post-bankruptcy D&O liability.
Responsible Partner: Barend de Roy van Zuidewijn

Intellectual Property:
AKD has dedicated specialists in all fields of intellectual property law. AKD plays an active part in combating counterfeiting through international custom seizures and has its own trademark and design prosecution department. The firm’s practice group is also actively involved in professional training courses, e.g. the training course for Benelux trademark and design agents.
Responsible Partner: Martin Hemmer

IT & Data Protection:
Ongoing legal developments in the ICT landscape and data protection law are becoming more and more important for internationally operating companies. AKD delivers in-depth knowledge in these fields of expertise.
Responsible Partner: Martin Hemmer

Real Estate & Construction:
The firm’s expertise covers the following legal areas: procurement law, construction law, regional development, property transactions, landlord and tenant law, infrastructure, public-private partnerships, DBFMO contracts, property development and property law.
Responsible Partner: Sven Billet

Regulatory & Governmental Affairs:
The team are specialists in general administrative law, governmental liability, environmental law and planning and zoning. The team advises and litigate on claims, permits, expropriations, governmental tolerance policies and matters relating to nature conservation regulations and rail transport.
Responsible Partner: Gerrit van der Veen

Tax:
The firm’s tax lawyers pro-actively advise clients on the Dutch, Luxembourg and international tax aspects of their activities, help them structure business activities tax-efficiently, optimise their tax position, minimise tax risks and take care of clients’ tax compliance needs.
Responsible Partner: Huub Laauwen

Transport & Trade:
AKD combines specialised knowledge of the complex legislation and regulations in this sector. The firm has a longstanding tradition of unconventional thinkers and innovators in the field of shipping, ship finance, offshore, aviation, terminals and logistics, international trade and energy.
Responsible Partner: Jos van der Meché

Private Wealth:
AKD represents a wide range of closely held businesses and families focusing on the firm’s clients’ specific objectives. The firm serves as their counsellor enabling them to fulfil their business and personal targets. Together with their clients the firm develops and implements clear, fair and flexible plans allowing for optimising their strategies for the preservation and transfer of their assets now and for future generations while minimising taxes.
Responsible Partner: Philip van Hilten