Stek has a dedicated disputes resolution team based in Amsterdam, which has expertise across commercial and competition litigation. Many of the team's mandates involve cross-border and technical and commercial issues, and the firm is active across key sectors such as energy, aviation, waste management and retail. It is a go-to for energy-related litigation and advises on a slew of disputes arising out of energy supply contracts, energy availability, and installation and infrastructure. The team is co-led by Jan Bart van de Hel, who excels in corporate and competition litigation, alongside Gerben Smit and Simon Boersen. Smit has a wealth of experience handling M&A-related disputes and shareholder disputes, while Boersen leads on competition litigation, particularly against technology corporations.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘Really strong in litigation and corporate/insolvency law. Good strategists.’

  • ‘Jan Bart Van Der Hel and Max Hetterscheidt stand out as experienced savvy litigators.’

  • ‘Gerben Smit is extremely responsive and skilled at managing negotiations with opposing parties, including large joint defense groups.’

  • ‘Simon Boersen is very capable, knowledgeable and pragmatic. A reliable pair of hands. I do not hesitate to put forward Simon's name to any clients who require Dutch law expertise. Gerben Smit is very experienced, commercial and astute. He is down-to-earth, friendly and easy to work with. Again, a reliable pair of hands.’

  • ‘What stands out is the dedication of Simon Boersen. He is thorough and has a keen eye for potential risk and strategic litigation decisions. Simon has swiftly acquired in-depth knowledge of our specific industry and has become an expert on its technicalities, its specific challenges and opportunities in law, negotiations and litigation. He is simply excellent. Absolutely outstanding in quality and client care.’

  • ‘We rely on Stek for complex antitrust litigation matters in the Netherlands. The team has quickly established itself as one of the go-to firms in this field. The team is also sizeable and quality is consistent throughout the ranks. They are also pleasant to work with.’

  • ‘Jan-Bart van de Hel, Gerben Smit and Simon Boersen are all well known and respected in their field. Gerben Smit is a very experienced and pragmatic lawyer who never loses sight of the client's commercial interests. Jan-Bart van de Hel is an extremely driven and clever lawyer. The same is true for Simon Boersen.’

  • ‘Gerben Smith and Tanja Schasfoort have been excellent to work with on a large international litigation case. They have shown precise understanding of the issues, have explained relevant Dutch law in a productive way and have offered a clear path forward when needed.’

Key clients

  • Alfen
  • Arla
  • ASR
  • Atlas Air & Polar Air Cargo
  • Braskem
  • COFCO
  • Corendon
  • Cygne
  • Danone
  • Denmark (Customs and Fiscal Administration)
  • easyJet
  • Eneco
  • Fokker
  • FrieslandCampina
  • Iter Bidco & Iter STAK
  • LitFin
  • Patronale
  • Petrobras
  • Samsung
  • Stedin
  • Targus
  • Unitel
  • Vattenfall
  • Warmco

Work highlights

  • Represented the Fiscal Administration of Denmark in a multinational fraud case with estimated damages exceeding €1.7bn.
  • Represented Iter Bidco in a highly complex dispute against several shareholders in proceedings regarding the €650m purchase of the purchaser of the Fortenova Group.
  • Represented over 30 major European online publishers in a collective damages claim with regard to Google’s abuse of dominance on the market for online advertisement technology with a claim value exceeding €2.1bn.

Lawyers

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.

Jan Bart van de Hel, Gerben Smit, Simon Boersen

Other key lawyers

Tanja Schasfoort, Max Hetterscheidt