Mr Rick Cornelissen > Houthoff > Amsterdam, Netherlands > Lawyer Profile

Houthoff‘s class actions and mass claims practice is led from Amsterdam by Albert Knigge, who is an authority in the field, often leading on complex cross-border class actions and Supreme Court proceedings. The team was active in a number of collective damages, securities and competition-related claims in 2024. Other notable team members in Amsterdam include Rick Cornelissen, who focuses his practice on follow-on cartel and abuse of dominance damages claims, and Diederik van der Kooij, who is experienced in handling collective proceedings and mass claims in Supreme Court litigation. In Rotterdam, Paul Sluijter specialises in cross-border class actions and international mass claims, utilising his expertise in private international law to advise clients, while Huib Lebbing typically acts as defence counsel in sensitive cases involving health and safety.

Houthoff‘s ‘dedicated’ team is well known for advising on a broad spectrum of complex EU and competition matters, including multi-jurisdictional cartel cases. Practice head Yvo de Vries is an experienced litigator, with established strength in handling complex merger control issues, cartel investigations and state aid matters. Walter van Overbeek and Rick Cornelissen are ‘both authorities in the Dutch automotive industry‘. Victorine Dijkstra and Murat Duman left the firm in December 2023 and January 2024 respectively.

A ‘go-to firm for Supreme Court litigation in the Netherlands‘, Houthoff assists clients with the full array of commercial litigation services. The team has a strong bench of litigators led by Jan Willem de Groot and Bart van der Wiel from Amsterdam. De Groot excels in representing clients in corporate litigation before the Enterprise Chamber and Amsterdam Court of Appeal, while van der Wiel leads the Supreme Court litigation team. Competition-related disputes are handled by Rick Cornelissen; David Heems is experienced in restructuring and insolvency disputes; and Remme Verkerk works together with van der Wiel in Supreme Court cases. The team has strong international ties and connections with overseas firms, enabling it to advise on complex multi-jurisdictional contentious matters. Albert Knigge is key to multi-party cross-border disputes and is often involved in high-profile litigation. Marjolein Heuten is noted for her skills in disputes before the Enterprise Chamber and in transaction-related litigation.