VANEPS

Litigation & Dispute Resolution, Shipping & Aviation

Partner

Roderik van Hees is an experienced litigator in corporate and commercial disputes. He is admitted to practice and actively practices in both the Dutch Caribbean as well as the Netherlands. He mostly works on high value, often cross-border cases. 

‘Roderik van Hees and [his colleague] Rogier van den Heuvel are exceptional and outstanding in every way. They are extremely meticulous, highly efficient and always go above and beyond the call of duty.’

Roderik’s recent work highlights include acting (1) in the appeal lodged by one of the defendants against a USD 550 million verdict in the largest directors’ liability case in the Dutch Caribbean ever, (2) as lead counsel in Curaçao for the defendants in the USD 200 million+ cross-border dispute between, amongst others, BNP Paribas and Princess Camilla of Bourbon Two Sicilies and (3) for one of the largest (NYSE listed) software companies in the world in a multimillion dollar asset tracing and recovery case. (4) He is also the go-to lawyer for all major banks in the region in de-risking matters, which is a hot topic throughout the Caribbean these days. Because these cases almost always concern (the termination of) banking relationships with high profile individuals (such as former ministers and well-known business people), these cases are usually widely covered in the media and also set important legal precedents. Roderik was involved in all landmark cases in this area in both Curaçao and Aruba, always as counsel for the bank. 

Over the last years, potential claims or alleged liabilities of managing directors have extensively grown also due to an increased active supervisory role of the local Central Banks in the different Caribbean jurisdictions. Roderik advises and represents managing and supervisory directors in liability cases and has vast experience in handling interlocking board or shareholders’ disputes.  Roderik also regularly acts for wealthy private individuals from across the globe in corporate and commercial disputes.

For all these reasons, Roderik should be considered as a partner of the next generation, combining legal expertise with work experience on both continents. 

Jointly with Rogier van den Heuvel, he leads the firm’s litigation practice. 

Roderik regularly publishes in highly regarded legal journals, mainly in the field of international private law and procedural law. Roderik is regularly asked by media outlets in Curaçao and the Netherlands to comment on cases in his field. Furthermore, he is the official representative for the Dutch Caribbean of AIJA, the International Association of Young Lawyers.

Dutch, English