Van der Feltz Advocaten

Jacques Sluysmans' expertise encompasses civil law, administrative law and (economic) criminal law. Because of the particularly broad scope of his practice, he is able to view and assess multi-faceted problems in their entirety. This ensures short lines of communication with clients, an integrated approach and a tight grip on legal costs. He advises and litigates on both private law and public law matters, often operating in the interface between these two. His practice has a particular focus on liability and energy law. He also supports his clients with legislative projects, advising them on how and to what extent proposed legislation may influence their businesses. He assists them with developing and pursuing a strategy that will help lead to acceptable legislation and regulations. Jacques obtained his PhD in Law from Leiden University in 2011. In addition to his private practice, he has been a professor of expropriation law at Radboud University Nijmegen since 2013. The cross-pollination of his legal practice with his academic role yields useful and invaluable insights for his clients. Jacques is also active as a binding advisor and as an arbitrator for the NAI and others. He is the chairman of the Zuydasdok Compensation Committee, the chairman of the Construction Law Association, the chairman of the Expropriation Law Association. He is also a member of the Advisory Council of the Association of Young Real Estate Lawyers and the International Expert Group on Expropriation.

Marc Houweling

Marc Houweling is a highly knowledgeable lawyer in Real Estate and Construction matters and driven by passion for making his clients’ projects and developments a success. Being one of the younger partners in the Dutch market – and the youngest of our firm – as a fast-paced multitasker he stands out from the crowd, not only by his energetic and unconventional approach to cases but also by his dedication to meet his clients’ objectives and skills in getting deals done. He is a total team player and being a new generation lawyer himself, he has a good sense of the next generations’ mindset and needs which gives the team a real strength in depth. Marc handles a mixture of contentious and non-contentious work for developers, investors, construction companies, international organisations, (local) government, water companies and others involved in Construction and Real Estate projects. Marc’s practice has an emphasis on housing and infrastructure developments. His knowledge of all aspects of (public) procurement-, lease-, property- and construction law, allows him to look at the bigger picture and to give practical and commercial advice tailored to the needs of his clients’ businesses. He has extensive experience in legal contract- and claims management of major projects, from both client’s as well as contractor’s perspective. Furthermore, Marc has a no-nonsense approach to litigation and arbitration, giving him real gravitas in the sector. He publishes articles and case notes relating to his expertise in Dutch law journals on a regular basis. He also lectures on various topics relating to his practice, both in-house and at a number of educational institutions. Marc studied law in Leiden, The Netherlands (civil- and corporate law) and in Boston, United States of America (American law) and worked some time outside of The Netherlands, being convinced travelling and working abroad gives a true boost to blue sky thinking.

Michelle de Rijke

Michelle has been active in the energy industry since the liberalization of the market started in 1998. She works at the level where public affairs and strategic legal advice meet, providing her clients with guidance and assistance through (politically) sensitive issues and projects, towards creative and innovative solutions. She advises companies, regional authorities, and special interest groups throughout the energy sector’s chain of production, transport and supply, with a focus on the energy transition process. This includes renewable energy projects (biogas, wind, heat, and solar energy), infrastructure, tariff regulation, subsidies, and enforcement. In addition, Michelle represents clients in administrative and civil proceedings in cases covering a wide array of topics. Some of these include permits, exemptions, enforcement decisions, and damages and compensation for (un)lawful government acts. She is a published author and frequent public speaker (for example, at the FD Energy Debate: Housing Construction and Energy Transition). Michelle is consistently recognized as a leading energy and regulatory lawyer in the legal directories, such as Chambers Europe and Legal 500. In 2018 Michelle was appointed deputy judge for the Court of Rotterdam in the Administrative Law sector.

Ruben Wiegerink

Ruben combines many areas of expertise in his practice: he is both adviser and litigator in expropriation law, government private law, state aid law, and tax law. His know-how includes experience in State as well as local government taxes. Ruben is also admitted to the Dutch Supreme Court Bar Association. Ruben’s Supreme Court experience is extensive. Before joining Van der Feltz, he was with Pels Rijcken for nine years, where his practice included Supreme Court litigation. Pels Rijcken is the “State Advocate”, i.e. the law firm representing the Dutch government. And before that, with the Supreme Court’s research centre for seven years. Ruben enjoys being a sparring partner with fellow lawyers when they are considering Supreme Court appeals. He is convinced that it is essential to review all interests thoroughly and to determine the desired final outcome. Ruben is proactive when advising on the chances of success of a possible Supreme Court appeal. He also assesses the probability of a favourable outcome in the event the Supreme Court remits the case, and enables his clients to properly assess whether or not to lodge an appeal at the Supreme Court. Ruben has an eye for detail, understands complex instructions and structures, and is always committed to maintaining the quality of his work at a high level. He works well within tight deadlines. In short, excellent legal service is second nature to him.

Willem Bosma

Willem’s practice includes advising and litigating for various parties within the areas of planning and environmental law and real estate law. He advises clients both from a legal as a strategic perspective in projects or transaction. Eventual civil and administrative litigation is second nature to Willem. He specialises in spatial planning law, environmental law related to facilities (inrichtingen), REACH, substances of very high concern, land use policy (in particular expropriation, the Dutch Act on Preferential Rights of Municipalities (Wvg), long-term ground lease, and land exploitation), and energy law. Willem acts on behalf of property developers, investors, businesses in the (chemical) industry, utility companies, and parties active in (sustainable) energy projects. His clients further include local and regional authorities, such as municipalities, provinces, and environment agencies. Because of his broad range of expertise and experience, Willem quickly perceives strategic interrelationships, making him the right sparring partner for his clients. Also, his clients value his practical solutions and unambiguous language. Not to mention his extensive knowledge of the market and of the relevant areas of law which enable him to get to the heart of the matter quickly, and to find the right solutions for his clients. Willem is the author of books on planning and environmental law (VIND Omgevingszaken (Grondexploitatie)) and administrative law (VIND Bestuursrecht (Wvg)), and multiple Dutch law journals regularly publish his comments on court decisions. Additionally, Willem enjoys lecturing on various subjects related to his practice (inter alia long-term ground lease on account of the Berghauser Pont Academy, and on land exploitation for the Dutch Academy for the Practice of Law (Academie voor de Rechtspraktijk)). In 2012, Willem completed the Grotius Academy course on Environmental and Planning Law with honours.

Willem van der Werf

Willem Van der Werf has significant expertise in the areas of construction, real estate, and government. Political and administrative authorities’ interests frequently play a large role in his practice. In particular, when it concerns development and transformation of a geographical area where public as well as private parties are involved. Willem’s experience enables him to look beyond just the legal aspects of a matter and to assess related political and administrative law risks. By maintaining good and effective relations with the competent authorities, and by being cognisant of the context of administrative authorities, he achieves effective solutions for his clients. Willem specialises in urban and spatial planning, real estate, municipalities’ right of first refusal, long-term ground lease and lease. In addition, he advises and guides municipalities on expropriation proceedings from beginning to completion. Willem is also experienced in addressing questions of law in the area of public administration, such as accessibility and integrity. He lectures at a number of educational institutions and is a member of the editorial board of the Dutch Journal of Agricultural Law (Tijdschrift voor Agrarisch Recht).

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