Duet advocaten B.V.

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Duet advocaten B.V. is specialised in representing clients in cases regarding construction and procurement law. The firm is one of the two new law firms resulting from the demerger of Croon advocaten N.V. in January 2024, with former practice heads Daniel Santurio González and Nienke Keus-Goldberg setting up a new construction specialised firm. The practice largely works for public and semi-public entities, assisting municipalities with their construction projects across the Netherlands. The firm has also has expertise in nuclear projects which is led by Santurio González alongside his work advising clients on complex construction projects and tender procedures. Keus-Goldberg is a seasoned litigator before civil courts and specialises in construction and procurement law and oversees complex infrastructural projects. Giulia van den Beuken is also noted for her all-round expertise.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘I worked mostly with Giulia van den Beuken. She is a highly intelligent lawyer, dedicated and easily accessible. It was a pleasure working with her due to her diverse skill set and capabilities to quickly master the situation at hand.'
  • ‘What strikes me is the genuine interest in the (scientific) background of legal issues. Together with Sanne Groenwold, I have lectured several times on the doctrine of unforeseen and cost-increasing circumstances in construction contract law. Sanne has not only an excellent understanding of the theoretical side of the doctrine of unforeseen and cost-increasing circumstances, but can also advise her clients pragmatically and very solution-oriented. I am convinced that Duet Advocaten is able to do this because it really understands how construction practice works.’
  • ‘Nienke Keus thinks proactively with the client and has high knowledge of the full spectrum of procurement and construction law. She is easily accessible and has a very efficient way of working. Giulia van den Beuken and Sanne Groenwold are very pleasant to work with. On large construction projects they work in in close collaboration with their clients on the construction sight. They are also known specialists in the design and execution of healthcare tendering processes and have high knowledge of jurisprudence in that field. Daniel Santurio González is easily accessible, and thinks along well in scenarios and possibilities.’
  • ‘Daniel Santurio González possesses a rare combination of having a tremendous amount of expertise and experience while being candid and respectful. A pleasure to work with and great to learn from. Sanne Groenwold is very reliable, proficient and professional. She is a great addition to any team.’
  • ‘The individuals are approachable, fast in response with a well balanced work allocation between partner and associate. Especially Nienke Keus-Goldberg can empathize with the case and give the accurate legal advice.’
  • ‘Duet has very strong and dedicated legal knowledge on construction and procurement law. As Duet is involved in nearly all major infrastructure projects in the Netherlands, it has wide experience in applying their legal knowledge in practice. Duet has the knowledge and experience to represent their clients in court cases (conflict solving), but also to take part in project organisations and advise on legal aspects in contract preparation (conflict prevention). Duet perfectly manages to balance between monitoring legal possibilities and boundaries on one hand with practical applicability on the other hand. As such, Duet can provide high added value for their clients. ’
  • ‘Individuals of Duet have strong legal knowledge and show strong commitment to the client. Additionally, employees have strong knowledge on how project organisations in public environments work and know how legal advise can serve rather than obstruct projects. Most employees even have knowledge on engineering aspects of infrastructure projects, for instance Daniel Santurio Gonzalez. Lawyers show high flexibility which serves the demanding and continuously changing environments of large infrastructure projects.’
  • ‘The person I've worked with the most is Giulia van den Beuken. Her knowledge on EU procurement law is very comprehensive. She stands out by substantiating her advise and legal documents in a very clear and understandable way. She also knows how to approach matters very hands-on and always finds a pragmatic way to satisfy your needs. ’

Key clients

  • Directorate-General for Public Works and Water Management (Rijkswaterstaat)
  • Central Government Real Estate Agency (Rijksvastgoedbedrijf)
  • Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management
  • Foundation for the Preparation of the PALLAS-reactor (Stichting Voorbereiding Pallas-reactor)
  • Province of Utrecht
  • Municipality of Amsterdam
  • Municipality of The Hague
  • Municipality of Leeuwarden
  • Corporate Tender Board
  • Hospital “Wilhelmina Ziekenhuis Assen"

Work highlights

  • Advising the Central Government Real Estate Agency on the contracting process regarding the major renovation of the eight-century-old monumental “Binnenhof” complex in the centre of The Hague.
  • Advising PALLAS on the tender and contracting process regarding the construction of the PALLAS Reactor, the new medical isotopes reactor that will replace the 60-year-old High Flux Reactor in Petten.
  • Advising the municipality of Amsterdam regarding the “Energie voor de Stad” (Energy for the City) project, aimed to transition the Municipality of Amsterdam towards a climate (CO2) neutral city by 2050.

Lawyers

Leading associates
Rising stars with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Giulia van den Beuken
Giulia has extensive experience as a lawyer in construction and procurement law. Giulia specializes in procurement and contracting in the social domain. She advises various municipalities and (youth) care regions on hot topics such as healthcare fraud, exorbitant profits and effective interventions. In addition, she has successfully assisted several municipalities in legal proceedings about realistic rates for youth care and social support. Giulia also has broad experience in tendering and summary proceedings on various types of contracts, such as renovation projects, temporary staffing, debt relief and consulting services. In addition, she advises on major construction projects. Between 2018 and 2020, she was involved in project Zuidasdok as a permanent project lawyer. Since 2023, Giulia has been a permanent project lawyer for project IJburg in Amsterdam. Giulia publishes regularly at Pont | Zorg & Sociaal and in various professional journals such as JAAN. She is also author of Sdu Commentaar Aanbestedingsrecht and teaches regularly.
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Nienke Keus-Goldberg
Nienke has specific expertise in the field of forms of cooperation in complex construction and renovation projects. For such projects, she drafts the tender documents and contracts and supervises the tendering procedures. Examples of projects in which Nienke has been involved include the strengthening of the Markermeer dykes for Hoogheemraadschap Hollands Noorderkwartier, the dismantling and decontamination of the phosphorus factory Thermphos, the renovation of the Dom tower, the renovation of Lelylaan railway station and various tenders for the Programme Approach to Road Tunnels Amsterdam, such as the new Amsterdam Traffic Control Centre and the framework agreement on technical consultancy services for road tunnels. Nienke also has particular affinity and years of experience in the procurement of care in the social domain (youth care and Wmo) and realistic rates. She has been a member of the Corporate Tender Board of Rijkswaterstaat since 2019, advising on the tenders and contract forms of the largest construction projects in the Netherlands. Nienke has been ranked as "Leading Individual Construction 2023" in The Legal 500.
Daniel Santurio González
Daniel specialises in procurement law, construction law, sustainability and energy transition. He is frequently called upon to shape procurement and contracting strategies, draft tender documents, draft contracts and supervise procurement procedures. Daniel has extensive experience in advising on contracts for major infrastructure and construction works, the public transport sector and sustainability projects. For example, from 2009 until the completion of the North/South Line in 2018, he headed the team of lawyers and jurists that assisted the municipality of Amsterdam in the contracting and execution of the various construction contracts. Daniel combines his legal knowledge with a technical background. As a civil engineer, he is able to quickly get to the heart of complex technical issues and translate them into a tailor-made legal approach. Daniel specialises in both traditional construction contracts (UAV and UAV-GC) and more collaborative contract forms such as (NEC4) Cost+ contracts, construction teams and alliances, whether or not put out to tender by means of a two-phase tender. Daniel is (has been) involved in major construction projects such as the Uithoorn line (light rail), the Victory Boogie Woogie tunnel in The Hague, the new PALLAS Reactor (NEC4) and the Nuclear Health Centre (FIDIC) in Petten and the renovation of the Binnenhof. Where necessary, Daniel assists his clients in legal proceedings before the civil courts and the Council of Arbitration in construction disputes.  

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Daniel Santurio González, Nienke Keus

Other key lawyers

Sanne Groenwold, Giulia van den Beuken