Construction

Duet advocaten B.V.

Duet advocaten B.V. is noted for its expertise in representing clients in construction and procurement litigation in front of civil courts and in arbitrations. The team has specialist knowledge related to the rail sector, often advising clients on rail infrastructure and rail safety systems. Energy and sustainability projects are also regularly handled by the team. Daniel Santurio González leads on complex construction projects and preparing building contracts and tendering procedures. Nienke Keus-Goldberg is known for her strong litigation skills, experience in preparing tender procedures and supervising infrastructure projects. Giulia van den Beuken and Sanne Groenwold are both well versed in the social domain and public healthcare and advise on a myriad of construction and procurement issues. Eveline Snijders-Van Erp is the go-to for rail and public transport cases. The five lawyers co-lead the practice.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

‘For me what makes Duet unique is their ability to support the preparation and procurement of a large construction project in a very pragmatic way. In my view, the main strength of Duet is, besides conflict solving (in court), to step into the shoes of the client and jointly discover the best for project solution while still considering the legal bandwidth.'
‘Sanne Groenwold and Ria Fahner strive to make a true connection with their clients. I appreciate their honesty and realism as no client is helped by overly optimistic advisors. Sanne and Ria are always respectful, mindful and precise, even when the opposing party or arbiters can be brash or harsh.'
‘Duet advocaten is a niche firm that has focused on construction and procurement law. The firm distinguishes itself from other firms by being at the forefront of developments. For example, by developing a new form of contract focused on relational cooperation between parties. They are pleasant and enthusiastic people, who know their business.’
‘Sanne Groenwold is involved in many large construction projects, is knowledgeable and very approachable. Sanne is a committed expert and this is reflected, for example, in her role in the development of the cost+ contract and her role as a board member of the Dutch Association for Procurement Law. She is a fine and knowledgeable person, who knows a lot about construction and procurement law.’
‘Zara Gulikers is a pleasure to work with. She is not only very strong on legal content, but also looks for robust, pragmatic solutions that are really useful in practice. On top of that, she is very sympathetic and a good listener, who always makes time for you when something comes up. And, just as importantly, you can laugh with her.’
‘Duet advocaten is an expert in the field of construction and procurement law.’
‘Duet lawyers are the most pragmatic construction and procurement law lawyers I know. They are well informed about the latest developments, have a listening ear and think pragmatically along with the client.'
‘Duet advocaten has very strong and dedicated legal knowledge on construction and procurement law. Duet has wide experience in applying their legal knowledge in practice. Duet has a strong focus on advising infrastructure projects on legal aspects in the phase of contract preparation in order to prevent conflict, rather than only focus on conflict solving. Duet has a hands-on attitude that enhances practical applicability of their advice in the hectic reality of complex infrastructure projects.’

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
Province of Friesland
Province of South Holland
Municipality of Amsterdam
Municipality of The Hague
Municipality of Leeuwarden
Corporate Tender Board
Hospital “Wilhelmina Ziekenhuis Assen”
Avans Hogeschool
GVB
Voet Verhuur

Work highlights

Advised 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.
Advised Pallas on the tender and contracting process regarding the construction of the Pallas Reactor.
Advised the municipality of Amsterdam on 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.