De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek

De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek
De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek · Public domain · source
Name	De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek
Headquarters	Amsterdam, Netherlands
Founded	1871
Offices	Amsterdam; Brussels; London; New York
Key people	Nauta Jessurun; Hendrik van der Velde; Willem van Leeuwen
Num attorneys	~400
Num employees	~700
Practice areas	Corporate; Litigation; Arbitration; Competition; Intellectual Property; Banking; Finance; Tax; EU Law

De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek is a leading Dutch law firm with a longstanding presence in European and international legal markets. Founded in the 19th century, the firm advises multinational corporations, financial institutions, governments, and non-governmental organizations across complex disputes, transactions, and regulatory matters. It operates from major legal and financial centers and participates in high-profile cases, cross-border mergers, and international arbitration.

History

De Brauw traces origins to the 19th century legal environment shaped by figures such as Johan Rudolph Thorbecke and institutions like the Supreme Court of the Netherlands and the Dutch Bar Association. Its development paralleled Dutch commercial expansion alongside entities including Royal Dutch Shell, Philips, Unilever, ING Group and the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency. The firm expanded during the 20th century amid legal reforms influenced by the Treaty of Rome, the establishment of the European Court of Justice, and cases before the European Court of Human Rights. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries De Brauw engaged with matters involving World Trade Organization disciplines, European Commission competition enforcement, and arbitration under the International Chamber of Commerce, reflecting ties to firms and institutions such as Allen & Overy, Clifford Chance, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Linklaters, and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom.

Practice Areas

The firm’s corporate practice works on cross-border mergers and acquisitions with clients including Shell plc, Ahold Delhaize, Royal BAM Group, Heineken, ASML Holding, and AkzoNobel. Its banking and finance team represents creditors and corporates related to ING Group, Rabobank, ABN AMRO, and international lenders in matters touching on European Central Bank regulations and Basel Committee on Banking Supervision standards. Competition and EU law work engages with the European Commission Directorate-General for Competition and cases involving Google, Microsoft, Apple Inc., Amazon (company), and Intel. Intellectual property and technology practices advise on patents, trademarks, and standards with ties to Philips, NXP Semiconductors, ASML, IBM, and Qualcomm. Arbitration and litigation groups operate before the International Court of Arbitration, Permanent Court of Arbitration, and national courts, handling disputes involving Siemens, BASF, TotalEnergies, Bayer, and sovereign states under bilateral investment treaties.

Organization and Locations

Headquartered in Amsterdam, the firm maintains offices and representative presences in Brussels, London, and New York City to serve clients active in EU, UK, and US jurisdictions. Its Amsterdam offices are close to institutions such as the Dutch Ministry of Justice, the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets, and the Dutch Central Bank. The Brussels office liaises with the European Commission, European Parliament, and trade associations like BusinessEurope and European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC). In London and New York the firm interacts with markets centered on The City of London, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, and major law firms including Debevoise & Plimpton and White & Case. Governance includes partnership structures and committees modeled after practices at DLA Piper and Baker McKenzie, with career development linked to universities such as Leiden University, University of Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Erasmus University Rotterdam, and international programs at Harvard Law School and Oxford University.

Notable Cases and Clients

Representative matters have included advising on mergers such as the Akzo Nobel-Nouryon related transactions, insolvency and restructuring matters involving Royal Imtech, antitrust cases before the European Commission against multinationals like Google and Intel, and high-value arbitration under ICC rules for energy companies including Shell and TotalEnergies. Litigation work has involved financial disputes referencing ABN AMRO and Fortis, cross-border tax litigation with implications for Apple Inc. and Starbucks, and regulatory defense in investigations by Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets and the Dutch Public Prosecution Service. The firm has represented sovereign entities and state-owned enterprises in investor–state disputes under ICSID rules and advised private equity firms such as CVC Capital Partners, KKR, and Blackstone Group on European acquisitions.

Rankings and Recognition

De Brauw is consistently ranked by directories including Chambers and Partners, The Legal 500, IFLR1000, Who's Who Legal, and Best Lawyers for practices such as Mergers and Acquisitions, Competition/European Law, Arbitration, and Intellectual Property. It has received awards from bodies like the International Bar Association and national honors related to pro bono from the Dutch Bar Association. Peer comparisons often cite its prominence alongside NautaDutilh, Loyens & Loeff, Houthoff, and Stibbe in the Benelux legal market.

Corporate Social Responsibility and Pro Bono

The firm participates in pro bono initiatives cooperating with organizations such as International Committee of the Red Cross, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Refugee Council (Netherlands), and local legal aid clinics linked to Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. CSR efforts include sustainability policies aligned with United Nations Global Compact principles and engagement with climate-related litigation and advisory work for clients in the renewable sector including Vattenfall, Ørsted, and ENGIE. Volunteer programs partner with foundations like Prince Claus Fund and educational outreach with institutions such as Hogeschool van Amsterdam and Universiteit Leiden to support legal education and access to justice.

Category:Law firms of the Netherlands