De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek
Client SatisfactionDe Brauw Blackstone Westbroek‘s arbitration practice is a leading force in the Netherlands. Often handling international and cross-border matters, the team serves as lead counsel in numerous investment and commercial arbitrations that are heard by international tribunals. The team is thus well versed in arbitration proceedings in a number of different jurisdictions and is a go-to firm for multinational corporations. Investor-state arbitrations are another key area of expertise. Leading the team is former ICC International Court of Arbitration vice-president Marnix Leijten, who is regularly engaged by clients to handle complex, high-stakes arbitrations. Singapore and Amsterdam-based Albert Marsman is a leading international arbitration practitioner. Martje Verhoeven-De Vries Lentsch is known for her commercial arbitration and gas industry expertise, while Matthias Kuscher handles issues in the energy, infrastructure, and construction industries.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Time after time, the oral representation in hearings by the De Brauw team is exceptional. Both conceptually and with respect to details, it is clear that De Brauw has a superior understanding and knowledge of the case over the lawyers representing the other side. They have a relentless focus on what really is happening and why - facts still matter at De Brauw.’
‘Matthias Kuscher's ability to deal with complex cases and consequently reduce that complexity is extraordinary. He is fluent in many languages, which is very effective in hearings.'
- 'Marnix Leijten stands out for his curiosity, drilling down to the core and going beyond the legal debate, exceptional motivation and representation time and time again.’
‘Martje Verhoeven-de Vries Lentsch is very experienced, has an excellent ability to look beyond the horizon, as well as an eye for detail and understanding of the essential details, and how these function together. Also excellent availability and communication.’
‘The De Brauw arbitration team is in a league of its own. Their knowledge of the law, team spirit and weight in the Dutch market is simply unparalleled. They have the ability to present difficult and intricate cases in a simple and convincing way while paying attention to the smallest yet most significant details. They deliver clear and actionable advice that is only available to teams with great local insights and connections. They manage cases as all-round projects which highly increases the quality of the final product.’
‘Marnix Leijten is an absolute star and definitely the best disputes lawyer in the Netherlands and one of the best in Europe. His courtroom presentation skills are extraordinary. Judges are mesmerised by his wit, knowledge and level of preparation.'
‘The arbitration team of De Brauw is outstanding. The team we worked with was excellent. Very good dynamics and it was clearly a joint effort to get the best result. Very knowledgeable on all fronts and creative in the approach and argumentation.’
‘Outstanding team with unparalleled knowledge and experience in the field of Dutch arbitration-related litigation. A very diverse team with lawyers from various jurisdictions offering a breadth of experience in and insight into the laws of other countries, which allows the team to deal with very complex international matters with great efficiency. The quality of the work provided by the team is second to none in the Netherlands.’
Key clients
- COFCO Coöperatief and COFCO International
- GasTerra
- Just Eat Takeaway
- Kingdom of Bahrain
- Kingdom of the Netherlands
- Malaysia
- Majority shareholders of Yukos Oil (Hulley Enterprises, Yukos Universal, Veteran Petroleum)
- Nationale Nederlanden
- NLMK
- Republic of Kazakhstan/National Bank of Kazakhstan
- Royal Duyvis Wiener
- Shell
Work highlights
- Successfully defended Malaysia against the recognition and enforcement of a USD 14.92 billion arbitral award in the Netherlands.
- Representing multinational financial services firm Nationale Nederlanden in an ICSID arbitration regarding its USD 500 million claim against the Republic of Argentina.
- Defended the Kingdom of the Netherlands against claims of over EUR 1.5 billion each brought by RWE and Uniper in the first two investment treaty arbitrations ever commenced against the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Lawyers
Hall of Fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Marnix Leijten