Best business lawyers in the Netherlands (2025)

List of English-speaking business attorneys in the Netherlands

Who are the best business lawyers in the Netherlands?

Choosing the best business lawyer in the Netherlands can be a challenge, especially if you do not speak Dutch and are not familiar with the Dutch legal system. The Dutch Law Institute has therefore compiled the following list of recommended Dutch business lawyers to assist English speakers in their search. However, making this selection from the approximately 19,000 lawyers in the Netherlands ('advocaten', members of the Dutch Bar Association) was anything but easy.

Using a variety of sources, the committee compiled the following list of English-speaking business lawyers in the Netherlands who can be recommended:

Name	Law firm	Email
Remko Roosjen https://www.maak-law.com/litigation-lawyer-holland/	MAAK Advocaten https://www.maaklaw.com	remko.roosjen@maakadvocaten.nl
Lisa Jie Sam Foek https://fennekadvocaten.nl/en/lawyers/contract-lawyer-netherlands/	Fennek Advocaten https://fennekadvocaten.nl/en/	lisa@fennekadvocaten.nl
Sander van Someren https://www.maak-law.com/litigation-arbitration-lawyer-netherlands/	MAAK Advocaten https://www.maak-law.com	sander.vansomerengreve@maakadvocaten.nl
Marcel Fruytier https://www.flib.nl/en/lawyers/marcel-fruytier-partner	FLiB https://flib.nl/en	mfruytier@flib.nl
Aroon Gonesh https://law-office-netherlands.com/business_lawyer_netherlands	Gonesh Advocatuur https://law-office-netherlands.com	aroon@goneshadvocatuur.nl
Rick Cornelissen https://www.houthoff.com/our-people/people/rick-cornelissen	Houthoff https://houthoff.com	r.cornelissen@houthoff.com
Sjoerd Kamerbeek https://www.vandoorne.com/en/employees/sjoerd-kamerbeek/	Van Doorne https://vandoorne.com	kamerbeek@vandoorne.com
Willem Heemskerk https://pelsrijcken.nl/en/people/willem-heemskerk	Pels Rijcken https://pelsrijcken.nl/en/	willem.heemskerk@pelsrijcken.nl
Marnix Leijten https://www.debrauw.com/people/marnix-leijten	De Brauw https://www.debrauw.com/	marnix.leijten@debrauw.com
Coen Drion https://www.jonesday.com/en/lawyers/d/coen-drion?tab=overview	Jones Day https://www.jonesday.com/en	cdrion@jonesday.com
Bastiaan Kemp https://www.loyensloeff.com/people/bastiaan-kemp/	LoyensLoeff https://www.loyensloeff.com/	bastiaan.kemp@loyensloeff.com
Jeroen Ouwehand https://www.cliffordchance.com/people_and_places/people/partners/nl/jeroen_ouwehand.html	Clifford Chance https://www.cliffordchance.com/	jeroen.ouwehand@cliffordchance.com
Jurjen Lemstra https://lvdk.com/staff-member/jurjen-lemstra/	Lemstra Van der Korst https://lvdk.com	j.lemstra@lvdk.com

When should I consult a Dutch lawyer for business expansions?

Engaging a Dutch business lawyer early helps you to take regulatory hurdles, draft investment agreements, and avoid tax complications. Whether you’re opening a new branch or merging with another company, legal advice ensures compliance with Dutch law. A business lawyer in the Netherlands can anticipate local challenges and tailor contracts to protect your interests from the start.

What is the process for forming a BV under Dutch business law?

Forming a BV involves drafting incorporation documents with a civil-law notary, depositing minimum share capital, and registering with the Chamber of Commerce. A business lawyer in the Netherlands helps ensure compliance, including preparing articles of association and shareholder agreements. Timely legal guidance reduces administrative risks, helping you start operations swiftly and maintain solid legal foundations.

Are directors personally liable if a Dutch company fails?

Directors may face personal liability if they mismanage a company or fail certain statutory obligations. Under Dutch law, recklessness in record-keeping, late tax filings, or fraudulent conduct can result in claims against directors. Consulting a Dutch corporate lawyer helps establish proper governance and compliance measures, reducing the risk of personal exposure when financial difficulties arise.

How are shareholder disputes handled under Dutch business law?

Disputes often involve disagreements over dividends, management decisions, or majority control. A Dutch business lawyer can help resolve such issues through negotiation, mediation, or court proceedings. Tools like a shareholders’ agreement clarify each party’s rights and exit strategies. Early legal advice from a business lawyer in the Netherlands often prevents escalation, preserving working relationships and minimizing costly litigation down the line.

What should I know about cross-border trade agreements in the Netherlands?

Cross-border deals require careful scrutiny of jurisdiction, governing law, and enforcement clauses. A business lawyer in the Netherlands can draft agreements that align local business regulations with international standards. Key considerations include tariffs, intellectual property rights, and dispute resolution mechanisms. Properly structured contracts, drafted by a Dutch business lawyer, help avoid misunderstandings and ensure smoother cross-border partnerships.

How can due diligence protect my business during mergers and acquisitions?

Due diligence uncovers financial, legal, and operational risks before finalizing a transaction. A Dutch business lawyer reviews corporate records, liabilities, and compliance practices, ensuring transparency in purchase agreements. This process reduces the likelihood of hidden debts or legal troubles surfacing after the deal. Comprehensive audits protect your investment and support informed decision-making in the Dutch market.

Is arbitration preferable to litigation for business disputes in the Netherlands?

Arbitration can offer privacy, faster resolutions, and specialized expertise compared to court proceedings. A lawyer in the Netherlands might suggest arbitration if preserving business relationships is a priority. Arbitration rulings are generally binding and enforceable internationally. However, choosing the right dispute resolution clause depends on costs, complexity, and the nature of your commercial issue.

What are the key compliance obligations for Dutch companies?

Dutch businesses must maintain accurate financial records, file annual statements with the Chamber of Commerce, and meet tax duties on time. Under Dutch law, certain sectors also have licensing or environmental obligations. A Dutch lawyer can design compliance frameworks that address issues like data protection and workplace regulations. Staying proactive helps avoid costly penalties and reputational damage.

How does Dutch law handle corporate governance in family-owned businesses?

Many family-run enterprises adopt flexible structures, but strong governance is vital for continuity. A business lawyer in the Netherlands can draft clear roles, voting rights, and succession plans in shareholder agreements. Dutch business law encourages transparency and balanced decision-making. Proper governance avoids family conflicts, supports sustainable growth, and ensures the business remains viable over generations.

When is restructuring necessary under Dutch business law?

Restructuring may arise from financial pressures, strategic realignments, or mergers. A Dutch lawyer evaluates tax implications, shareholder interests, and contractual obligations. Approaches include spinning off divisions, merging entities, or modifying debt arrangements. Timely action can streamline operations, attract new investments, or prevent insolvency. Proper legal planning safeguards your business and positions it for future stability.

Challenges in compiling the list of the best business attorneys in the Netherlands

By definition, it is impossible to provide a comprehensive, objective and measured assessment of all business lawyers in the Netherlands in all respects. Nevertheless, the review committee, which was first assembled by the Dutch Law Institute in 2024, has endeavored to make a careful and useful selection based on a variety of sources. The sources consulted for this purpose were the following:

• Case law: The committee looked at case law and past decisions involving business lawyers.
• Legal articles and publications: Attorneys' academic and other legal work was analyzed to assess their expertise within the area of Dutch business law.
• Client testimonials and statements from other lawyers: The experiences of clients and other lawyers played a role in understanding the quality of service.

The members of the review committee tried to strike a balance between legal expertise, practical experience and client satisfaction. However, any selection remains subjective to some extent and depends on the quality and availability of information.

Selecting Dutch business lawyers obviously involves significant challenges and intricate considerations. Lawyers had to be assessed on multiple aspects, including quality, reputation and specialization. However, not all business lawyers are equally assessable based on publicly available information, and there are numerous factors that may influence their performance.

Therefore, we want to emphasize that a listing does not guarantee a successful case, nor is it an absolute assessment of the business lawyer's skills. We encourage individuals and companies seeking an business lawyer in the Netherlands to always make their own conscious and informed choice and find the appropriate Dutch attorney to suit their particular situation.

Independence and value of this 2025 listing of business lawyers

The Dutch Law Institute and the members of the review committee have not been paid for the listing of Dutch business attorneys in this list, and do not have any business relationship with the listed business attorneys or their law firms.

The Institute and the review committee worked independently and are solely focused on providing objective and useful information to English-speaking individuals and businesses. This means that the selection is purely based on quality and reputation of the selected business lawyers, with no undue commercial influences of any kind.

In our experience, this independence ensures that a listing in this directory of Netherlands business lawyers has more value than in many other English-language directories in which lawyers can be listed for a fee. After all, unlike such commercial directories, which often charge high fees to be visible, the business attorneys in this list are selected on the basis of substantive merit and not because of a financial contribution. This makes the recommendation by the Dutch Law Institute valuable to all who seeking reliable and adequate legal support in the Netherlands.

Other directories of business lawyers and law firms in the Netherlands

Legal 500 and Chambers are two prominent directories for law firms worldwide. They offer reviews and rankings of legal services. Yet there is some criticism of the usefulness of these listings.

• One of the most common criticisms is the question of the objectivity of the reviews. Legal 500 and Chambers rely on information provided in part by the firms themselves. This means that firms with better resources and a larger marketing budget are more likely to receive positive mentions. This gives the impression that it is sometimes more about who can invest the most time and resources, rather than the actual quality of service.
• Many lawyers and legal professionals view listings in Legal 500 and Chambers as a popularity contest. The larger the network and the better the relationships with so-called researchers, the greater the chance of a listing. This can result in good but lesser-known law firms not getting the recognition they deserve. The system may be biased in favor of larger firms with extensive networks and connections.
• In addition, the high costs associated with participating in this type of directory are often pointed out. Law firms often have to invest a significant amount of time and resources in the application processes. For smaller firms, this is sometimes not feasible, thus excluding them from participation. This makes the directories in a sense exclusive, targeting firms that can afford the investment, rather than providing a representative overview of the legal market.
• A final point of criticism is that the directories often seem to favor large firms. Niche firms or specialized lawyers are less likely to get the attention they deserve. As a result, clients may mistakenly believe that only large, full-service firms offer high quality, when in reality there are many specialized lawyers who actually excel in specific areas.

So, while Legal 500 and Chambers can certainly provide valuable information, there is clearly also criticism of the way the information is gathered and presented. Objectivity, accessibility and measurement of actual quality remain controversial. For prospective clients, it is important to consider these criticisms when interpreting the rankings. It remains wise to look beyond the listings in these directories and also use other sources and your own research when choosing a lawyer or law firm.

The listing by the Dutch Law Institute does not imply a guarantee or endorsement

The Dutch Law Institute is not responsible for the quality of services provided by the attorneys listed. The listing does not imply that Dutch Law Institute has a formal relationship with the attorneys or their firms. Also, the order of the names does not indicate any preference or ranking; it is arbitrary.

Your experience with a listed Dutch business lawyer is important to us

In order to improve the quality of our list, we greatly appreciate your feedback. If you have engaged one of the lawyers or firms on the list, we would like to hear your experiences. This feedback will help us to adjust the list, if necessary, and support litigants even better in the future.

For Dutch business lawyers who want to be on this list

Are you an English-speaking, qualified and experienced business lawyer in the Netherlands and do you think you should also be on the list of business lawyers?

We are open to suggestions and want to continue to improve our list.

Please contact us at mail@dutch-law.com if you feel your expertise would be a valuable addition. All applications are subjected to the same evaluation criteria, with quality, experience, reputation and client satisfaction being key.