“HOUTHOFF IS HERE TO HELP OUR CLIENTS REACH THEIR STRATEGIC GOALS IN THEIR MOST COMPLEX CASES, WHEN TIMING COULDN’T BE MORE CRITICAL”
Houthoff is an independent top-tier Netherlands-based firm with 300 lawyers, civil-law notaries and tax advisers, all offering exceptional legal advice and support to an extensive national and international client base.
Clients choose us to help them tackle their most complex and critical problems, the kind where genuine strategic advice is essential, not just a knowledge of the law. Why? They say it’s the reassuring depth of our practice groups’ legal knowledge combined with the breadth of our sector knowledge and experience that gives them the confidence that we’ll give them the very best team to work with. They also praise our proven track record of resolving disputes and capitalising on opportunities. And they also talk about our pragmatic approach to problem-solving, our passion for innovation and our truly entrepreneurial spirit.
Together with our worldwide network, consisting of offices in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Brussels, London and New York, representatives in Houston and Singapore, an exclusive Lex Mundi membership and our own International Friends Network, these qualities make Houthoff the reliable partner at the most critical moments.
“At a time of significant change in the legal industry, we are determined to continue leading the market as we have done throughout our 86-year history.”
Over the past year we have worked with some of the world’s leading businesses on transactions that have changed their industries. These include: advising Ahold on its merger with Delhaize to create Europe’s largest listed food retailer and the fifth largest in the U.S. with 6,500 stores; working on Anheuser-Busch Inbev’s takeover of SABMiller plc – the largest commercial loan in the history of the global loan markets at USD75bn; advising on the ground-breaking Coral South Floating LNG project in Mozambique across eight A&O offices; and advising Cagamas on the largest ‘dim sum bond’ in Southeast Asia and the world’s first offshore renminbi bond issued by a mortgage company.
Building on our long heritage enables us to attract the most talented people and continue to deliver this level of innovation with and for our clients.
To support our clients’ international strategies, we have built a truly global network now spanning 44 offices in 31 countries. We have also developed strong ties with relationship law firms in over 100 countries where we do not have a presence. This network makes us one of the largest and most connected law firms in the world, with a global reach and local depth that is simply unrivalled.
Global coverage in today’s market does not simply mean having offices in important cities around the world. For us, it means combining our international resources and sector expertise to work on cross-border transactions directly in the markets and regions important to our clients.
“A law firm with a global reach”
We are a law firm with a global reach. We have a robust corporate practice, a centre of excellence in litigation, and an unparalleled team of regulatory experts. Big matters, big risks and big arenas require multidisciplinary and multinational teams composed of strong strategic thinkers willing to dig deep. We believe it is possible to strike a balance between rigour and pragmatism, especially when the stakes are high.
We put business in a legal context, not the other way around. So the needs of our clients come first, legal expertise second. That’s why we go out of our way to recruit graduates and hire people with varied interests, experience and nationalities. They take the long view, leaving no stone unturned along the way. We practise the art and science of collaboration – across all disciplines and national borders – with our own and other legal experts, with in-house counsel, and with other specialists.
In addition to our headquarters in Amsterdam, we have offices in Brussels, Frankfurt, London, New York, Shanghai and Singapore. Our Best Friends – a network of premier European law firms – and our informal network around the world mean we can draw on the best local expertise when and as required.
“We put business in a legal context, not the other way around”
Geert Potjewijd
managing partner
“We want to be the law firm that clients turn to for help on the mandates that matter most to them, wherever in the world that may be.”
To succeed, we must be widely recognised as standing apart from other firms because our people are exceptional and because we are international and integrated in the way we work, we add value in everything we do and we are uncompromisingly committed to our values. Set out below is our statement of who we are. It embodies our ambition to be exceptional, our culture and our absolute determination that all of us will work with each other, our clients and our other stakeholders, day in day out, in the way we describe to ensure we achieve our long-term aim.
Our people make our firm. We enjoy our work and are determined to do an outstanding job, whatever our role in the firm. We observe the highest personal, ethical and professional standards in everything we do and operate with integrity at all times. We recognise that the reputation of our firm is vital to our success and we all have a duty to preserve and grow it for the long term. We are a people business. We see diversity as a strength and value the fresh perspectives, creative ideas and connections that flow from bringing together people with different backgrounds. We want to create a welcoming, supportive environment in which all can flourish. No matter how challenging a matter or heavy our workload, in our daily interaction we must never lose sight of the essential human qualities that we prize. We know we deliver best when working as a team rather than as individuals operating alone. Being a great colleague and working efficiently and effectively with our clients and other stakeholders around the world to achieve the right outcome is crucial to our success. We welcome feedback from others on how we are doing.
We think and work globally. We are one partnership across the world, sharing the risk and rewards of our business and with an overriding duty to bequeath the firm in better shape than we inherited it. We don’t just say we are one firm; we act like one firm right across the world. We bring together the knowledge, experience and energy of the whole firm to help our clients. We encourage, support and share in the success of all our colleagues. We work wherever our clients need us. This is how we define ourselves, not by reference to where we have offices. Crossborder work isn’t just what we do, it is what we excel at. We understand what it really takes to work across different legal systems and commercial environments and to bridge language and cultural gaps.
We aim to add value in everything we do. We are passionate about helping our clients achieve their goals, however ambitious and no matter how many obstacles they face. Our clients’ challenges are our challenges and we’ll do whatever it takes to help them in the right way to achieve the best possible outcome. We use our knowledge, intellectual rigour and experience to help clients make judgements and achieve their aims. We have the creativity to find innovative solutions to difficult challenges and explain them simply. We have a long history but are a modern business, open to new ways of working, so that we give clients an ever more efficient and effective service. Through our work for our clients, the value we contribute every day by our pro bono work and volunteering and our ethical and responsible business practices, we seek to make a real and positive difference to the world around us.
“Legal and tax advice second to none, full-service practice, independent with an international scope, innovative and pragmatic, focused and engaged.”
Full-service practice. As a leading firm, Loyens & Loeff is the natural choice for a legal and tax partner if you do business in or from the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and Switzerland, our home markets. You can count on personal advice from any of our 900 advisers based in one of our offices in the Benelux and Switzerland or in key financial centres around the world. Thanks to our full-service practice, specific sector experience and thorough understanding of the market, our advisers comprehend exactly what you need.
Independent and international. As a fully independent law firm, Loyens & Loeff is excellently positioned to coordinate international tax and legal matters. We have our own network of offices in major financial centres, staffed with specialists in Dutch, Belgian, Luxembourg and Swiss law. Through these offices, our clients have access to Loyens & Loeff’s full-service legal expertise in their own time zone. Our office network is complemented by our several country desks all of which are experienced in structuring investments all over the world. It’s a winning combination that enables us to assist international clients in a very effective way. Moreover, we are on excellent terms with other leading independent law firms and tax consultants. That way, we can guarantee you top-level advice in every part of the world.
Innovative and pragmatic. Each problem requires a customised solution. Our pragmatic approach and drive to devise innovative solutions allow us to effectively address the demands of our clients’ domestic and international businesses. Thanks to the broad range of our legal experience, know-how and the size of our practices, we can offer you top-level advice, locally and internationally. We are committed to meeting your needs at the highest quality level in the most efficient way.
Focused and engaged. Entrepreneurship, client focus, quality awareness, and social engagement all characterise our firm’s culture. We offer a challenging work environment and equal opportunities for all our employees. We are mindful of the environment and help charities with the support and knowledge of our employees.
“From our main offices in Amsterdam, Brussels and Luxembourg, together with our branch offices in Dubai, Hong Kong, London and New York, we handle our clients’ complex legal challenges both locally and cross-border.”
As a specialist firm, our lawyers work in multidisciplinary teams with the aim to deliver pragmatic advice. We build close business relationships with our clients that range from local and multinational corporations to state organisations and public authorities. We realise that understanding their commercial objectives, their position in the market and their sector or industry, allows us to render suitable and effective advice.
In addition to our own international presence, we collaborate closely with other top-tier firms for cross-border matters outside our home jurisdictions. These relations are non-exclusive and enable us to assemble a tailor-made, integrated team of lawyers with the best expertise and contacts for each specific matter. This guarantees efficient coordination on cross-border transactions throughout a multitude of legal areas, whatever their complexity and nature.
“Pels Rijcken is one of the leading independent law firms in the Netherlands. With over 160 lawyers and civil law notaries the firm provides tailor made solutions to its clients. The firm combines in-depth legal knowledge with its understanding of business needs and are always sensitive to the interests of other stakeholders that might affect its client’s position. Traditionally the firm has a leading position in the public domain, so many of its prominent clients also include the State of the Netherlands, provincial authorities, local councils and supervisory authorities. Nowadays the firm also advises many corporate clients and institutions both nationally and internationally. Based at the firm’s offices in The Hague, all Pels Rijcken’s professionals dedicate themselves to offering the very best in legal and advisory services. One of the firm’s 35 partners is the State Advocate.”