Event information
The Legal 500 looks forward to welcoming delegates to the return of its annual GC Summit Netherlands, on 19th September 2023, which will bring together the country’s top in-house counsel to share challenges, stories, and, most importantly–solutions to the issues that they face.
In association with our partners for this event, Heussen, Greenberg Traurig, and Taylor Root; this event will include a series of panel sessions covering strategies for successful litigation, and perspectives on corporate restructuring in the Netherlands.
It is a must-attend event for any in-house counsel based in the Netherlands who may be aiming to reach the next level of professional development.
Agenda
1.30 pm – 2.00pm Registration
2.00pm – 2.10pm Opening Remarks
2.10pm – 3.00pm Strategies for Successful Litigation
This panel discussion aims to explore the latest trends in commercial and corporate litigation, such as litigation financing, legal design, alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and ESG-litigation. Our guest speakers will provide practical insights and share best practices.
- Herman Ruiter, partner and head of the litigation & commercial contracting team, Heussen Law
- Sara Liesker, founder, Liesker Procesfinanciering
- Maurits Fornier, founder, Patroon Legal Design
- Ianis Girgenson, group general counsel, United Group
3.00pm – 3.50pm Perspectives on Corporate Restructuring in The Netherlands
In this session, we will explore the evolving landscape of corporate restructuring in The Netherlands. Our expert panel will delve into key discussion points, including:
- the regulatory environment,
- successful approaches based on case studies,
- stakeholder collaboration,
- cross-border considerations
- Sabine Schoute, shareholder finance, Greenberg Traurig
- Thijs Elseman, shareholder, finance & restructuring group, Greenberg Traurig
- Klaas Wagenaar, chair FTI Benelux, FTI Consulting
- Steven Geers, executive board member and general counsel, CNova
3.50pm – 4.05pm Coffee Break
4.05pm – 4.55pm Leading Beyond Law: The Changing Role of General Counsel
In today’s landscape and modern economy after the trauma of going through covid and major geopolitical and societal changes, general counsels face a multitude of challenges. These challenges range from the need to catch up with the ever-evolving regulations and business environment to rapid technological advancements, revolutionary innovations, and heightened compliance demands, just to name a few.
In this context, growing internal pressures for efficiency and cost-effectiveness are leaving GCs compelled to adapt quickly. GCs are no longer confined to the realm of legal counsel and have emerged as pivotal leaders and essential strategic allies.
In this panel, we shall discuss these important issues with the aim of providing inspiration to you all and suggesting strategies enabling GCs to juggle overseeing projects, teams, finances, and anticipations.
- Olga Prokopovych, general counsel, ICU
- Allan Cohen, research editor, The Legal 500
- Mischa Menheere, general counsel, West Coast Supply Group
4.55pm – 5.00pm Closing Remarks
5.00pm – 6.00pm Drinks and canapés
Speakers
Herman Ruiter, partner and head of the litigation & commercial contracting team, Heussen Law
Herman is a partner within HEUSSEN and leads the Litigation & Commercial Contracting team. He specializes in corporate and commercial litigation. Additionally, he assists national and international companies on commercial contracting issues. Herman graduated in Dutch Law at Tilburg University and subsequently studied at the University of Minnesota Law School (LL.M.). He has been an attorney since 2007 and also worked as an in-house litigation counsel for a Dutch multinational company. Herman speaks Dutch and English.
Sara Liesker, founder, Liesker Procesfinanciering
Sara Liesker is a former lawyer. She is the co-founder of the pioneering Dutch litigation funder, offering non-recourse loans to support companies and individuals in their legal pursuits. She leads WomenSbizz, an international female entrepreneurs’ network, and serves as a guest lecturer at Tilburg University, focusing on cross-border litigation. Additionally, she frequently co-hosts BNR Zakendoen, a daily Dutch radio show connected to the Dutch financial paper.
Maurits Fornier, founder, Patroon Legal Design
Maurits Fornier is an experienced legal information designer. He began his career at Freshfields, where he was part of the international arbitration and litigation practice group. His background as a lawyer gives him a deep understanding of the legal context, which he uses to create informative and compelling visuals.
Maurits founded his own firm in 2016 and works with law firms, corporations and governments around the world to communicate their legal issues in an understandable and compelling way. He shares his expertise on national and international stages and regularly publishes on legal design.
Ianis Girgenson, group general counsel, United Group
Ianis Girgenson is the Group General Counsel of United Group BV, a telecom and media operator active in Eastern Europe. He leads a team of over 80 lawyers and oversees all legal matters, as well as interactions with national and EU regulatory agencies. Before joining United Group BV, Ianis practiced competition law in London, Brussels, and Paris for over 15 years and served for 4 years as an Associate General Counsel at VEON in Amsterdam. He graduated from the University of Paris (Sorbonne) and obtained a Master of Laws from Harvard Law School. Ianis is a member of Paris and New York bars.
Olga Prokopovych, general counsel, ICU
Olga Prokopovych is a highly experienced legal professional with over 20 years of experience in several sectors, including legal consulting and more than 10 out of which in technology and telecommunications. She is currently the Group Legal Counsel for ICU Group, a leading investment and asset management company. In this role, she is responsible for providing legal advice and support to the company’s investment, asset management, and financial services businesses. Olga has a strong track record of success in complex legal matters. She has advised clients on a wide range of issues, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, financing, and regulatory compliance. She is also an expert in data privacy and cybersecurity law. Olga’s recent passion include sanctions and sanctions compliance. Olga is a graduate of Leiden University where she earned her Master of Laws degree in Digital Technologies in 2021. She also holds law degree summa cum laude from the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, and a Master of Arts degree in Public Policy Administration from the University of Missouri-Saint Louis. Olga has been a member of the Ukrainian Bar Association since 2006.
Steven Geers, executive board member and general counsel, CNova
Steven Geers is General Counsel and executive Board member at Cnova NV, the largest French e—commerce company. Cnova is listed on Euronext Paris. Prior to joining Cnova, Mr. Geers worked as a senior lawyer at the European Restructuring Group of General Electric (GE) and practiced law at international law firms in Amsterdam and The Hague in the Netherlands, and New York City, USA.
At Cnova, Mr. Geers is a member of the Board’s Strategy Committee as well as the Board’s special committee installed to monitor the ongoing circa 7 billion Euro debt and capital restructuring of the Casino Group, Cnova’s controlling shareholder. Previously, Mr. Geers managed Cnova’s corporate restructuring during which Cnova went from being active in 12 countries on 4 continents to having solely French business activities. In addition to the divestment of half Cnova’s turnover and employees, this restructuring also entailed a delisting from Nasdaq, a dual Euronext and Nasdaq tender offer on Cnova’s shares, an SEC investigation and a shareholders-initiated class action litigation in NYC.
Thijs Elseman, shareholder, finance & restructuring group, Greenberg Traurig
Thijs Elseman is a member of the Finance & Restructuring Group. He focuses his practice on corporate finance, restructuring and insolvency. Thijs advises corporates, investment banks, financial institutions and private equity investors on a wide range of corporate finance transactions, including bilateral and syndicated loans, acquisition and asset financing and debt and equity capital market transactions. He is regularly involved in complex, distressed financing transactions and cross-border restructurings. Before joining Greenberg Traurig in 2022, Thijs worked at a large international law firm in their Amsterdam and London office for more than 12 years.
Thijs is a member of the RE-STRUC team, a multidisciplinary team within Greenberg Traurig comprising focus areas including real estate, restructuring, including WHOA (“Dutch Restructuring Scheme”), financing, conflict management, alternative dispute resolution, RICS accredited mediation services, regulatory and tax. Please visit our dedicated RE-STRUC page for more information.
Thijs is a member of the Amsterdam Sustainability Desk. The Sustainability Desk is available daily and provides assistance and support for real estate sustainability inquiries in the Netherlands and the EU. Please visit our dedicated Sustainability Desk page for more information.
Klaas Wagenaar, chair FTI benelux, FTI Consulting
Klaas Wagenaar is a Senior Managing Director at FTI-BOLD and a seasoned CEO, CFO, CRO and M&A advisor. Klaas has worked for KPMG, Getronics, CapGemini and Baan Company and gained extensive experience in strategic repositioning and business transformation programs, cross border M&A-transactions, complex restructurings and turnarounds. Among other (non-)executive positions, he serves as a trusted advisor and/or non-executive on the board of a few family owned companies.
Klaas has worked in multiple Turnaround, Transformation and Transaction programs with a strong focus on stakeholder management, turnaround and digital transformation. In addition to his work as a managing partner and advisor, he (co-) authored and published three management books; ‘Mastering Transformations’ (2018) and ‘FIRE. Help! My company is a burning platform!’ (2019) and ‘Business Unusual’ (2020)
Sabine Schoute, shareholder finance, Greenberg Traurig
Sabine Schoute heads the Amsterdam Finance & Restructuring Group. She focuses her practice on virtually all types of finance, including general syndicated lending, leveraged finance, corporate finance, property and project finance, and restructurings and workouts. Sabine has acted for a wide range of private equity sponsors, real estate investors, borrowers, lenders, and other stakeholders. Before joining Greenberg Traurig in 2020, Sabine worked at a large international law and tax firm for almost 10 years during which she spent two years in their New York office.
Sabine is a member of the RE-STRUC team, a multidisciplinary team within Greenberg Traurig comprising focus areas including real estate, restructuring, including WHOA (“Dutch Restructuring Scheme”), financing, conflict management, alternative dispute resolution, RICS accredited mediation services, regulatory and tax. Please visit our dedicated RE-STRUC page for more information.
Sabine is a member of the Amsterdam Sustainability Desk. The Sustainability Desk is available daily and provides assistance and support for real estate sustainability inquiries in the Netherlands and the EU. Please visit our dedicated Sustainability Desk page for more information.
Mischa Menheere, general counsel, West Coast Supply Group
Mischa Menheere obtained his LL.M. (Master in Laws) degree from the University in Groningen, the Netherlands. After his university years Mischa started his professional career in 2007 at top-tier law firm De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek as attorney-at-law in corporate litigation and M&A in Amsterdam and London.
Four years later he continued his Legal career at ICL Group as Company Secretary & Compliance Manager for Europe, where he got promoted to General Counsel & Compliance Officer Europe in 2014 and built and led a Legal Department of 11 legal professionals in 3 different countries.
His journey with West Coast Supply Group began in April 2020 when he accepted the position of General Counsel. In this role he is responsible for building the Enabling Function Legal and leading the team consisting of 4 legal professionals supporting the growth of the company. Mischa is member of the Group’s Management Team and Company Secretary to the Board.
In association with...
HEUSSEN is an international cooperation of independent business law firms advising on a broad spectrum of corporate and private client related legal matters.
With a network in three countries in Europe, spanning eight offices, that includes 140 lawyers, HEUSSEN provides fast, responsive and solution driven advice to clients seeking specialized expertise.
HEUSSEN takes an international, multi-disciplinary approach and works closely together with advisers, auditors and corporate finance consultants. Consequently, we do not only understand their language, but also realize that combining our strengths with theirs at the early stages of advising clients is highly efficient and beneficial to our clients.
Greenberg Traurig (GT) is a global law firm with almost 5000 employees, spread over 45 offices worldwide. GT’s Amsterdam office is home to more than 65 lawyers, tax advisors, and notaries. The firm’s approach is hands-on with a lower partner to associate ratio than you may be used to. This results in more hands-on partner involvement and better relationships with, and results for our clients.
Whatever the challenge your business is facing, we have the knowledge, experience, and network to assist. Pragmatic, commercial and efficient.
FTI Technology solves data-related business challenges, with expertise in legal and regulatory matters.
As data grows in size and complexity, we help organisations better govern, secure, find, analyse and rapidly make sense of information. Innovative technology, expert services and tenacious problem-solving provide our global clients with defensible and repeatable solutions. Organisations rely on us to root out fraud, maintain regulatory compliance, reduce legal and IT costs, protect sensitive materials, quickly find facts and harness organisational data to create business value.
Corporations and their law firms choose FTI Technology to effectively handle a wide range of challenges, including:
- Protecting data from internal and external threats
- Discovering data for legal and regulatory matters
- Assessing risks and ensuring compliance
- Maximising IT investments for better productivity
About us We are a global legal, risk and compliance search and recruitment consultancy. Forming lasting partnerships with our clients and candidates, we are constantly evolving and continue to shape the world’s legal, risk and compliance markets.
Global reach We have an extensive global network and unrivalled reach – with trusted experts on the ground across 15 international locations.
Market longevity We have been a market leader for more than 30 years, forming long-lasting partnerships and establishing a trusted reputation.
Specialist experts We are legal, risk, compliance, internal audit and company secretarial specialists. With an extensive understanding of every global market that we cover, we speak your language.
A trusted name in legal, risk and compliance search and recruitment We are a trusted advisor to companies, firms and professionals in the legal, risk and compliance sectors globally.
Through offices in the UK, Europe, North America, Asia Pacific and the Middle East, we connect the best legal, risk and compliance talent with leading businesses and law firms.
Our services include contingent and retained search, permanent, temporary and interim recruitment as well as consultancy solutions.