Antitrust Competition & Trade

Working in the Antitrust, Competition & Trade (ACT) practice group means operating in a complex field of tension. It also means constantly immersing yourself with energy and drive in the client’s business in order to be able to advise optimally on competition law. This involves advising on – or representing – cartels, mergers and dominant positions, usually in an international context.

The competition practice of Freshfields is both international and national in scope. From our office in Amsterdam we operate on a global level. This is recognised by both colleagues and clients, who appreciate our know-how and professionalism. We therefore have long and close relationships with our clients.

In the event of a merger or takeover, it must be examined whether approval is required from the national competition authorities or the European Commission. They examine whether the transaction could significantly impede competition. If approval is required, the transaction will have to be notified. There are also opportunities for novice lawyers. It happens that we have to identify more than 20 jurisdictions within the Freshfields network, in particular the question as to which notification thresholds apply. The work must be carried out carefully, otherwise clients will run a penalty risk. You are also often in contact with local offices in countries you would normally not be in contact with very easily. After this analysis, you usually investigate the market demarcation, using previous decisions and sometimes calling in specialist economists. Depending on the results, reports are prepared and submitted within and outside the EU and interesting discussions about market dynamics are held. Time and again, you have to immerse yourself in the markets in which your client operates, thus building up a world of experience and expertise.

Corporate

Our Corporate practice group is world-class and forms one of the larger sections of the office worldwide and in Amsterdam. Together with our integrated Corporate Notarial Practice, a team of some 35 lawyers based in Amsterdam offers our clients a broad view of corporate and business law, drawing on the innovative, technical and sector and industry-specific know-how built up within the firm and which is continually developed further.

Our areas of expertise in this broad corporate transaction, advisory and litigation practice include mergers and (public) acquisitions, IPOs and securities issues, restructurings and carve-outs, and joint ventures and other forms of collaboration. In addition, cross-border financial regulatory services are a cornerstone of our practice.

Our typical clients are well-known but sometimes less well-known industrial companies, financial institutions such as banks, insurers and fintechs, and financial investors, fund managers, asset managers and other financial service providers. They entrust us with their often very demanding and usually international transactions, projects and disputes.

In such a deal, project or dispute, different aspects of ‘being a lawyer’ come together: you are in contact with your client and your colleagues in different jurisdictions to investigate the facts, unravel the complexity of the issue, and identify and discuss the risks and opportunities with each other. So you gather all the input to create an overview for yourself of all the risks and other relevant aspects of the case and you make the translation of the legal story to your client. He or she does not need to list only the risks. There has to be a clear solution, preferably with alternatives and a clear strategy. In doing so, you need to have a good understanding of your client’s position and interests. Service-mindedness and being able to switch assertively between these different roles as a lawyer, ensure a satisfied client and, hopefully, a successful conclusion of the case!

Dispute Resolution

Within Freshfields the litigation practice is bundled in the practice group Dispute Resolution (DR). More than 400 lawyers work in this practice group, spread across all our offices. Within DR, we distinguish between Commercial Litigation, Financial Institutions Litigation and International Arbitration.

In Amsterdam, the team mainly focuses on Commercial Litigation. This includes cases in the field of Corporate Litigation, which we usually handle as a team with the Corporate practice group. Disputes between (multinational) companies or between the bodies of a company. In addition to advising on (litigation) strategy, we regularly appear in court in Amsterdam to request disciplinary measure, to hear witnesses in a (preliminary) witness hearing, to maintain or lift an attachment, or to plead cases on the merits.

The Amsterdam team is also often involved in arbitrations administered by the Netherlands Arbitration Institute (NAI) and in international arbitration cases involving aspects of Dutch law. In the latter case, the team works closely with Freshfields offices abroad. Clients are also assisted in binding advice procedures.

Finance

The financing practice of Freshfields Amsterdam advises on ‘Banking and Finance’, ‘Restructuring and Insolvency’, ‘Debt Capital Markets’ and ‘Securitisations’. It is a highly international and diverse environment to work in. Our finance practice employs more than 500 lawyers worldwide and Freshfields has a strong position in innovative financing structures, such as acquisition finance, project finance, capital market finance, restructurings, securitisations, lease structures and other hybrid forms of finance.

The Finance practice group has up-to-date knowledge of financing transactions and developments on the global capital markets and has financial institutions, companies and investment funds among its main clients. The professionalism of clients, together with the speed of transactions, create a pleasant dynamic. Our associates are involved in both national and international transactions. Structures are often applied in Amsterdam in collaboration with our teams in London, Frankfurt or New York, who have already gained wider experience due to their deep capital markets. This makes it enormously challenging and inspiring, and requires a high degree of expertise in the cross-roads of corporate law, securities law, property law, insolvency law and financial regulation.

IP/IT

The Intellectual Property/Information Technology (IP/IT) practice group conducts legally complex patent proceedings for international clients of the firm. In addition, this team regularly advises on mergers and acquisitions in the TMT sector or otherwise of a technical nature. Privacy and data protection also form an increasing part of our practice. Naturally, the team also deals with copyright and trademark law.

Worldwide, the Intellectual Property/Information Technology (IP/IT) practice group consists of more than 150 professionals. In Amsterdam, the team of more than 10 lawyers is of course smaller, but no less internationally oriented and certainly leading. Patent proceedings take place at both national and international level. Characteristic of the practice group is the drive to combine specific technical issues with legal knowledge.

As a specialised associate, you are close to the clients’ core business. These are often companies that develop and produce concrete products. The main clients are active in the pharmaceutical industry, the (mobile) telecom sector, biotechnology, the consumer industry and the offshore industry.

Notarial department

The Amsterdam notarial department is an integral part of the Corporate practice group. In addition to the more traditional notarial work, such as drawing up articles of association, contribution, pledge and delivery deeds, merger and demerger documentation, the involvement of our (junior) civil-law notaries extends to corporate, property and securities law advice in the broadest sense. The work carried out by civil-law notaries and junior civil-law notaries takes place on the front line and is an essential and inseparable part of the corporate law and financing practice.

The notarial team of approximately 10 (junior) civil-law notaries acts as the spider in the web of our Corporate practice and is deployed across the full breadth of the practice. You could see the civil-law notary practice as the hardcore technicians of the practice. Our specialism is Book 2 of the Dutch Civil Code and from there we work closely with associates within our own Corporate practice group and with those of other practice groups, such as Finance in particular, for example in the context of establishing security rights. But also with the associates of the People & Reward practice group, for example when setting up a management share option plan. Or with those of Dispute Resolution, when settling a settlement in which a transfer of shares is part of the settlement agreement between the parties.

Our notary department also cooperates closely with foreign partners. For a cross-border joint venture, an international IPO or the structuring of a refinancing in various jurisdictions, knowledge of the technical corporate structure and the sharing of that knowledge ‘within the firm’ is essential.

People & Reward

Internationally, the P&R practice group consists of more than 120 lawyers. In Amsterdam, the employment law practice cooperates in an integrated way with the other practice groups, in particular with the Corporate practice. Our advice covers all aspects of acquisitions and restructurings, such as transfer of undertaking, harmonisation of employment conditions and pensions, employee participation, collective labour agreements and the legal position of the board of directors and senior management. We also deal with more individual employment law aspects, such as dismissal cases and the drafting of employment contracts. We advise and litigate.

We cooperate with the Dispute Resolution practice group in the handling of employment law disputes; with Tax for wage tax questions, share option plans, and issues relating to excessive remuneration; and with Intellectual Property/Information Technology we supervise outsourcing processes.

Tax

The international tax practice consists of more than 150 tax specialists. In close cooperation with the Corporate and Finance practice groups, the staff of the Tax practice group advise on mergers and acquisitions, equity and debt capital markets transactions, reorganisations and private equity transactions. Tax specialists often work on structuring a transaction. As a rule, these are cross-border transactions, on which the practice group works with international teams. In addition, the drafting of contracts is part of the work. In particular, allocating and negotiating tax risks in such a contract. In addition, we assist in structuring, refinancing and other complex financial products, such as securitisations, ECB financing and other structured debt transactions.

Another aspect of the practice is assisting clients in disputes with the tax authorities (assisting with investigations and conducting objection and appeal procedures). Tax also supports the People & Reward team in the tax law aspects of employment law questions and disputes, such as forms of remuneration, management and employee participation, but also in dismissal cases.

The Tax practice group consists of tax specialists who keep an overview at all times, are socially competent and have excellent technical skills. When working on transactions involving countries all over the world, these are necessary skills. Sometimes you zoom in, sometimes you take a distance to keep an overview.

(Senior) Knowledge lawyer

As a knowledge lawyer, you are responsible for the further development of best practice knowledge and you encourage knowledge sharing within your practice group . You work closely together with our partners and associates and are the central point of contact for practical know-how in your field and are involved in the internal training of associates.

The knowledge lawyers within Freshfields are fully qualified lawyers with legal training and professional experience as lawyers.

The position requires initiative, combined with communication skills and team spirit and a willingness to learn and work innovatively. At the same time, it gives you the freedom to realise your own ideas and allows you to work flexibly (also part-time).

Practice Support Lawyers

As a Practice Support Laywer (PSL) you will be part of a dynamic team within Freshfields and you will support our associates in their daily work for Dutch and foreign clients.

In the role of PSL, you will be involved in processing files and making an inventory of supporting documents. In addition, you will also work on know-how, for example by keeping models up to date, writing research notes and preparing our legal lunches.

In this very diverse role, you take the initiative to structure the workload and are innovative in coming up with smart ways of working or ideas to simplify our activities. There is plenty of room for your own input.