Dispute resolution: Commercial litigation

Houthoff

Houthoff stands out in for its comprehensive dispute resolution practice, covering commercial and corporate litigation and insolvency cases, including frequently handling cases at Supreme Court level. The team is comprised of top-notch litigators: practice head Jan Willem de Groot takes the lead on cases such as shareholder, director’s liability and joint venture disputes. Bart van der Wiel is an expert in representing clients in commercial disputes before the Supreme Court, and often collaborates with Remme Verkek (who also specialises in international arbitration). Albert Knigge is sought after for class actions and mass litigation proceedings and is assisted by competition litigation specialists Rick Cornelissen and Paul Sluijter. Dirk Knottenbelt chairs the arbitration practice at the firm, while David Heems is experienced in insolvency litigation. Marjolein Heuten is known for her focus on high-stakes transaction-related disputes.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

‘Albert Knigge is a pleasure to work with. He is a first-class lawyer and extremely commercial.'
‘I am impressed by David Heems' capacity to truly immerse himself into a complex case and advise on and design a litigation approach whereby he has deliberately and methodically covered all possible angles, providing adequate cover against possible approaches from the opponent, whilst still staking out a clear, well-backed-up legal course for the client.’
‘Jan Willem de Groot and Marjolein Heuten are truly brilliant. They work as a team and are worth any number of partners in other law firms.’
‘Bart van der Wiel and David Heems are a perfect match, bring good results, and are great fun to work with.’
‘Deep strength in both litigation and arbitration, with strong experience of international disputes as well as domestic. They combine a real understanding of the client's objectives and outstanding legal analysis to create an exceptional strategy, which they then execute with great skill. The team is also huge fun to work with.’
‘Albert Knigge handles highly complex, multi-faceted international disputes. He uses his considerable intelligence and wide experience to explore all angles and develop the best strategy for his clients. He is also expert in Supreme Court litigation.’
‘His dedication, understanding, proactive approach and warm personality make it a joy to work with Rick Cornelissen.’
'What stands out is the dedication of the team. They do not leave any stone unturned and double-check any potential risk.'

Key clients

BC Partners
HPS Investment Partners
Dummen Orange
CBRE
Elliott Management
NatWest
Trafigura
Avery Dennison
Huntington Ingalls Industries
Owens-Illinois, Inc.
Centerbridge
TotalEnergies
AIG
ING Group
LG Electronics
Volvo Trucks/Renault Trucks
Petrobras
Audi AG
Nexans
Sligro Food Group
Fortenova
Supervisory Board Imtech
Cargolux Airlines International
Stellantis

Work highlights

Representing the Fortenova group in litigation before the Enterprise Chamber against Russian state-owned bank Sberbank and its shareholders concerning voting rights within the Croatian conglomerate.
Acting for BC Partners and Dummen Orange in several proceedings, including post-restructuring litigation before the Enterprise Chamber.
Defending SMQDC, a subsidiary of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., against a claim of over USD 92m that was brought before the courts of St Maarten in relation to the failed development of part of a cruise terminal in the port of St Maarten.

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