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 129 billion Euros even in the economically challenging year 2009.

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 14.7 billion Euros were exported to the Netherlands in 2009. At the same time North-Rhine Westphalia imported goods amounting to 23.5 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.

Dutch Legal Day – The Platform for German and Dutch Enterprises

This year, BEITEN BURKHARDT will celebrate an anniversary and organize the DUTCH LEGAL DAY for the fifth time in Dusseldorf on 9 September 2010. Once again, high-profile speakers will be present and an interesting and entertaining program awaits participants. The presentation of the well-known author Reinildis van Ditzhuyzen promises to be particularly thrilling. Based on the title of her most recent book, she will explain "Manners in the Netherlands".

As in the past years, the following "borrel" will give sufficient possibility to exchange experiences and to network, as well as to talk with the speakers from politics, industry, and German and Dutch lawyers. If you are interested, we will gladly send you an invitation with details and the complete program. Please contact Ms. Stefanie Voss (coordination/assistant Dutch Desk), phone: +49 211 518989-140 or Stefanie.Voss@bblaw.com.

The 4th DUTCH LEGAL DAY took place in Dusseldorf on 7 October 2009. Among the 80 participants were representatives from industry, politics and society with strong German-Dutch relations. You will find the press release with details here or on this website under publications/events.