Ploum

The firm: Founded in 1995 as one of the first break-away firms in the Netherlands, Ploum is not an average law firm. Its clients will confirm that it is significantly different. The firms strives to support businesses in achieving their objectives. Combining know-how and practical experience to its clients’ advantage is its talent.

The firm focuses on business clients, including national and international organisations in all shapes and sizes – from small businesses to local government bodies, from listed companies to national government. The 85-plus lawyers and notaries at Ploum understand what business is about and know what is important. The firm focuses on what matters to business and helping clients achieve their goals swiftly and smoothly. Solving real puzzles is what drives Ploum. Within the traditional world of the legal professions, the firm sets itself apart by analysing issues with a fresh and open mind and providing solutions, not advice. Its reasonable rates, in addition to this pragmatic way of working, mean clients find Ploum a perfect alternative to bigger firms.

Areas of practice: Ploum has all the relevant legal knowledge and experience to be able to advise organizations.

Banking and finance: the team advises on complex financing arrangements as well as on mainstream financing arrangements, both on behalf of issuers and debtors. In addition, Ploum advises on financial services and regulatory matters.

Corporate and M&A: Ploum has an experienced M&A team consisting of seven partners (including notaries) and a pool of experienced associates. We assist buyers and sellers on a daily basis, in deals in a wide variety of sectors, and advise on the whole M&A process. We also regularly act for private equity funds and other investors.

Real estate: our lawyers and civil-law notaries are specialized in all matters relating to real estate. We advise on any property-related project, and will be able to identify the various legal points of attention. Our sole aim in this respect is to find a feasible solution for each organization –  efficiently and with an eye on the costs.

Construction: the Construction lawyers working at Ploum add significant value to the projects on which we advise. We advise in complex and high-value infrastructure projects and across all major sectors such as oil and gas, renewable energy, transport and industrial real estate. Our team of Construction lawyers works for – amongst others – national and international contractors, project developers, consultants, government authorities, engineers, architects and other public- and private-sector clients.

Employment: our specialists will advise on every imaginable aspect of individual and collective employment-law matters. Examples include collective labour agreements, appointment or dismissal of directors under the articles of association, strikes or amendments to pension schemes. Our lawyers can also help in the event of reorganisation, restructuring, mergers, takeovers, outsourcing or insourcing.

Administrative, environment and planning: at Ploum, our specialists in general administrative law will be happy to advise and assist in objection and appeal proceedings relating to administrative law and covering a wide variety of matters, including the granting of subsidies, enforcement, public access to government information, government liability and, of course, environmental law. In addition to our hands-on approach, we are especially aware of the political and administrative context in matters pertaining to administrative law.

Fraud and white-collar crime: do you require advice and legal assistance for your company, management or staff in criminal proceedings relating to the environment, industrial and work place accidents, road and water transport, fraud, duties to report, internal investigations and compliance? At Ploum, our team of white-collar crime lawyers has in-depth experience in advising and assisting companies in sectors such as construction, chemistry, petrochemistry, industrial manufacture, IT and transport.

Intellectual property: at Ploum, our specialists can advise and assist in protecting your intellectual property rights. For example, we can file your trademarks and designs with the official authorities worldwide and we can also investigate a trademark’s national and international availability.

Insurance and liability: at Ploum we have in-depth knowledge of insurance practice and we provide advice and assistance on all aspects of insurance: from financial supervision to developing insurance products and from contractual spreading of liability risks to settling claims. Our clients in this field include insurance companies, intermediaries, insured companies, government authorities and experts.

Restructuring and insolvency: if your company or organisation is facing considerable financial problems, either existing or imminent, you – as a director, supervisory director, shareholder or bank – have urgent need of an advisor that focuses on providing some breathing space. At Ploum, our specialists will provide you with fast and effective assistance. We will draw up an action plan – in consultation with you – for one or more of the following, depending on the situation your company is facing.

Transport: as a "Rotterdam law firm" Ploum is of course very active in the Transport & Logistics sector. This sector is one of the most important drivers of the Dutch economy. The companies in this sector are facing major challenges. Laws and regulations are becoming increasingly strict, for example in the areas of the environment, security and privacy. Important social developments such as the Brexit, digitisation and the energy transition will have a major impact on this sector. In Rotterdam, the Second Maasvlakte offers opportunities, but also poses challenges for businesses, while congestion continues to keep the port in its grip. Ploum's specialists are at your service in difficult times as well as in periods of growth. We act for transhipment companies, transport companies, logistic service providers, storage companies, (customs) forwarders, shipping companies, shipyards, producers and distributors of means of transport, logistic temporary employment agencies, and other service providers in the sector.

Privacy: since its establishment in 1995, our firm has an established name in the field of IT and privacy law. We keep track of all relevant developments and will be happy to provide you with a concrete and appropriate advice. Apart from the GDPR, other rules and frameworks are also important, such as national implementation laws (in the Netherlands: UAVG), the Dutch Telecommunications Act and laws and several legislation and guidelines in the field of healthcare, IT law, intellectual property law or employment law. Ploum has a relatively large privacy team that deals with privacy law on a daily basis, whereby each lawyer has his or her own (additional) specialisation. For example, we have specific knowledge of privacy in the healthcare sector and in the workplace. We all have a passion for the IT and privacy practice and combine this with our specific expertise. Where necessary, we also consult with our colleagues from the corporate law section and/or the bankruptcy law section. Because we have all this expertise in-house, we can switch quickly and provide you with sound - and pragmatic - advice.

Energy: our Team Energy can advise you on how to interpret legislation and regulations and on the options they offer you. As specialists in all the relevant legal areas, we all work closely together and we have the necessary knowledge of the energy market to place at the disposal of big energy companies and new businesses alike. We can advise and assist you in the event of mergers and acquisitions, buying and selling onshore and offshore wind farms, and all kinds of storage projects. We act as permanent notary to grid companies, and we supervise network registrations too. In addition, we can handle transfers of ownership for you, as well as transfers of real rights in connection with installations such as CHPs and transformer stations, cables and wiring. And we also support adjoining sectors such as water and infrastructure, and the waste sector in particular. We supervise M&A transactions and advise on regulations and environmental law. We are an active member of the Netherlands Energy Law Association (NeVER), and our lawyers regularly attend events focusing on the latest developments on the energy market.

Food: the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (hereinafter ‘NVWA’) supervises companies that manufacture, import, and market products. It seems obvious that the products that are being sold should be safe to use. In practice, however, this often proves to be a difficult issue. When is a product considered unsafe? Who decides this and what happens if NVWA’s assessment of the matter differs from that of the company itself? Internationally, our practice is part of the Food Lawyers Network and the Greenlane network of firms specialised in international trade and customs law. This allows us to assist our clients quickly and effectively when needed, both in other EU member states and beyond.