The Netherlands

Worldwide only the economic relations between the USA and Canada are stronger than the relations between Germany and the Netherlands. The close relations of these European neighbouring countries are reflected in an extremely buoyant and busy foreign trade covering goods turn-over for the amount of 143.6 billion Euros in the year 2007.

Furthermore, the Netherlands was again the most important consumer for goods from North-Rhine Westphalia. According to the State Office of Statistics, goods and services amounting to 17.3 billion Euros were exported to the Netherlands. At the same time North-Rhine Westphalia imported goods amounting to 26.6 billion Euros from the Netherlands.

Reason enough for BEITEN BURKHARDT to establish by means of the DUTCH DESK in Dusseldorf and, thus, close to the Dutch border a competent coordinating centre for enterprises from both countries advising them on all aspects of commercial law.

The DUTCH DESK of BEITEN BURKHARDT

1. What is the DUTCH DESK?
BEITEN BURKHARDT concentrated its comprehensive expertise regarding German and Dutch commercial law in a competence centre of its own, the so called DUTCH DESK. The assistance of the DUTCH DESK provided to its clients however is not only restricted to the aspects of legal advice:

For many years BEITEN BURKHARDT with its DUTCH DESK has been deeply integrated into a tight Dutch-German network including, for example, the Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the German-Dutch Chamber of Commerce and the Business Club Maas-Rhine. Executives of these organizations are reliable partners of the DUTCH DESK and always eager to assist and advise its clients in practical questions as well as to provide for necessary further contacts. Also in case translations from German to Dutch and vice versa are required, the DUTCH DESK has a network of excellent translation services.

2. Who can contact the DUTCH DESK?
Clients of the DUTCH DESK are both Dutch companies doing business in the German market or intending to do so, as well as and German companies planning to enter into a commitment in the Netherlands.

3. Which legal fields are covered by the DUTCH DESK?
The lawyers of the DUTCH DESK are primarily specialized on legal advising of Dutch companies in Germany and are rendering advice mainly in the field of corporate and labour law. If required, they may refer to the commercial expertise of their BEITEN BURKHARDT colleagues working in other fields (real estate law, IP/IT/media, public law/procurement law) in five German and eight international BEITEN BURKHARDT offices.

4. Does the DUTCH DESK also advise on Dutch law?
Due to the fact that exclusively German lawyers are working with BEITEN BURKHARDT in Germany, the DUTCH DESK, is basically advising only on German legal issues. However, together with competent colleagues of Dutch partner law firms it is also possible to provide advice on all questions regarding Dutch commercial law.

5. Which further activities are exercised by the DUTCH DESK?
The activities of the DUTCH DESK include, in particular, advisory services for members of the German-Dutch network, for example, for the German-Dutch Chamber of Commerce or the Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Furthermore, the DUTCH DESK assists its network partners in organizing and conducting of economic forums or similar events.

Traditionally, once a year the DUTCH DESK invites to the Dutch Legal Day, an event where our Dutch clients and German clients with activities or interest in the Netherlands meet each other, lawyers of the Dutch partner law firms as well as other interested and interesting persons for an intensive exchange of experiences.

Should you be interested in an invitation to the next Dutch Legal Day, you are welcome to contact us.

Contact persons at the DUTCH DESK
The DUTCH DESK is managed and coordinated by Regine Nuckel. She is advising mainly medium-sized companies on corporate law and is, moreover, specialized in questions pertaining to contract law, in particular, in connection with leasing, factoring and ABS-transactions.

Regine Nuckel is lawyer and tax lawyer. She speaks German and English fluently. Since she worked, inter alia, with a renowned law firm in Amsterdam, she also has a good command of the Dutch language.

The DUTCH DESK team also consists of the labour lawyer Yvonne Gemmel. She was brought up in the Netherlands, attended school there and speaks Dutch like a native speaker, in addition to German and English.

The DUTCH DESK is here for you.

Should you need any further information or our assistance, please feel free to contact us at all time. Stefanie Voss (coordination/assistance) e-mail or the contact persons listed on the right side of this page.

This year's DUTCH LEGAL DAY will take place in Dusseldorf's "Rheinterassen" on September 4, 2008. Again we expect many interesting guests, e.g. German and Dutch clients, business friends, high-calibre politicians and representatives of trade and commerce in North-Rhine Westphalia as well as lawyers from friendly Dutch law firms.

Here you will find the invitation with detailed information on the agenda.