Houthoff is here to help our clients reach their strategic goals in challenging situations when the timing could not be more critical. Our advice on complex transactions and difficult disputes has earned us a reputation as one of the Netherlands’ leading law firms.
We are a full- service firm with over 300 lawyers, civil-law notaries and tax advisers. International and domestic corporations, financial institutions, private equity firms and governments all rely on our expertise to help them succeed in the Dutch market and further afield.
In addition to offices in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Brussels, London and New York, and representatives in Houston, Singapore and Tokyo, we have dedicated regional teams. These teams focus on China, Japan, Korea, Latin America and Europe. They are responsible for developing relationships with our Friends network of top-tier law firms in each specific region. The combination of international offices, representatives, regional teams and our Friends network enables us to support our clients across the globe.
Corporate/Mergers and Acquisitions/Private Equity
Our Corporate/ M&A/Private Equity Team is one of the most active in the Netherlands. Our team specialises in complex, high-end M&A, private equity, venture capital and corporate restructurings. It has extensive experience acting as lead or Dutch co-counsel for a broad range of clients, including multinationals, financial institutions, private equity and venture capital houses, and family offices. Our team has ample experience with outbound as well as inbound cross-border mergers, often straddling the boundary between company law and tax law. We have the capacity and resources to react quickly to simultaneous large transactions by assembling top-notch, partner-led teams, typically including experts in finance, tax, competition, employment and notary issues.
Banking & Finance
Our Banking & Finance Team provides services to domestic and foreign banks, investors, large companies and supervisory authorities. Our specialists advise on a wide variety of banking and finance transactions. This can involve high-end acquisition, real estate, asset or project financing, syndicated or bilateral loans, or restructuring, all of this in the context of complex financial regulations and legislation. We understand that parties in cross-border financial transactions can face a lot of applicable international legislation. Our team is engaged by financial institutions, foreign law firms, investors and other market parties to provide effective advice and support.
Litigation
Our Litigation Team specialises in complex, mostly international matters. It has successfully handled several landmark cases in recent years. We are also one of the few Dutch law firms to have a renowned corporate and commercial Supreme Court practice. The team provides creative, result-oriented litigation and arbitration advice in matters ranging from major commercial disputes to sensitive internal, regulatory or criminal investigations by Dutch and EU regulators. It also advises on preventing liabilities in relation to compliance matters and risk management. The team litigates before Dutch, EU and other international courts, and domestic and foreign arbitration tribunals.
Corporate/Regulatory
Our Corporate/Regulatory Team advises on the complete range of complex legal issues that impact on today's businesses, covering areas as diverse as EU competition & procurement, investigations and corporate crime, banking & finance, IP/IT privacy & data protection, public law and investigations and private enforcement. The team has outstanding expertise in implementing regulatory requirements, covering international commercial contracts, D&O duties and liabilities, corporate finance, tax and corporate governance. It also has broad experience advising on the regulatory aspects of complex portfolio transfers and M&A, both national and international. The team works closely with our clients in every major sector, advising on the full life- cycle of business and product development. We have developed strong working relationships with the regulatory authorities, which enables our team to advise clients on the basis of regulators’ interpretations that are not publicly available.