Dispute resolution: class actions

Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Rick Cornelissen
Houthoff
Rick specialises in competition litigation (private enforcement) with a specific focus on follow-on cartel damages claims. He also advises on and litigates contractual and other competition law disputes in civil proceedings, including disputes on access to distribution networks and the performance and termination of contracts. In what are often complex cartel damages claims, Rick helps clients determine the right strategy. This frequently involves a combination of cross-border claims. He uses his legal and practical skills and expertise to create an overview for the client by fulfilling a coordinating role at the required central or pan-European level. Rick also has extensive experience in advising on, negotiating and litigating many aspects relating to commercial contracts, particularly with regard to distribution, franchise, agency and e-commerce (with a focus on automotive and other high-end consumer goods).
Willem Heemskerk
Hall of famePels Rijcken & Droogleever Fortuijn NV
Willem Heemskerk has been with Pels Rijcken since 1992 and is one of the most experienced litigators in the Netherlands. He handles complex civil law disputes for mainly large national and international companies. His areas of expertise include liability, damage & insurance, professional liability, attachment, collection and enforcement, and media law. Willem acts as counsel both in adjudication as well as arbitral proceedings. He is regarded as a leading expert in Dutch civil procedural law; he has many publications to his name, was the Vice President of the Dutch State Advisory Committee on procedural law, and regularly serves as expert in foreign proceedings. For many years, Willem is ranked in Band 1 for Dispute Resolution in the Chambers Global and Europe Guide and in the Hall of Fame for Dispute Resolution: Commercial Litigation in The Legal 500 Guide. In late 2018, Willem was recognised as the “Best Litigator in the Netherlands” in an election organised by the VIA.
Albert Knigge
Hall of fameHouthoff
Albert specialises in handling complex international disputes. He has considerable experience in advising financial institutions and companies in different sectors confronted with cross-border mass claims. Albert helps such clients manage the risks that these claims entail and find strategic solutions to minimise their impact on the business, taking into account the constant regulatory changes and developments concerning collective actions and mass claims. As head of the Competition Litigation Team, he is also involved in almost all of the seminal cartel damages cases currently before the Dutch courts. To that end, he works closely with the lawyers in our EU Competition practice group. Albert is also a Supreme Court lawyer. He has numerous publications to his name, particularly on civil procedure and liability law, and he is an editor for the publication Burgerlijke Rechtsvordering (Civil Procedure). In addition, Albert is a board member of the Dutch Association for Procedural Law, and a member of the Dutch Association of Civil Cassation Litigators, the Dutch Commercial Law Association, the Dutch Corporate Litigation Association, the Royal Netherlands Society of International Law and the Dutch Association for Civil Law. Albert was appointed to Houthoff's Board of Directors on 1 April 2017.
Koen Rutten
Finch Dispute Resolution
Koen Rutten (1975) is a founding partner of Finch Dispute Resolution. He specializes in corporate, financial, and commercial dispute resolution. He specializes in company-law disputes, liability proceedings and corporate governance issues. He represents the interests of companies, shareholders, directors and officers, and supervisory directors. Koen also handles Post M&A disputes and inquiry proceedings at the Enterprise Chambers. He also litigates and advises on the Dutch Financial Supervision Act and the liability of financial institutions and supervisory authorities. Koen represents the interest of individuals, but also, he represents clients in class actions and bundled claims He has successfully handled multiple cases on behalf of investors and other victims of misconduct. Koen is the President of the Association for Mass Claims Litigators.
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Raimond Dufour
Pels Rijcken & Droogleever Fortuijn NV
Raimond Dufour joined Pels Rijcken in 2012 and is a senior associate in our Litigation & Arbitration department where his focus lies on commercial and financial litigation. He specialises in private international law and has extensive experience with civil cross-border disputes, including class actions and arbitration proceedings (ICC, NAI). Raimond frequently works with clients that operate on a multi-jurisdictional scale. He litigates on a wide variety of matters, such as prospectus liability, interest rate benchmarks (e.g. LIBOR) and diesel engine emissions. Raimond completed the highly reputed postgraduate Grotius Academy on securities law (financial law) cum laude.
Leading associates
Rising stars with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.

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