VANEPS

Our clients know our firm’s Corporate and M&A practice as an ambitious and seasoned team of specialists who advise on a wide range of corporate matters and transactional projects. We are the leading law firm in the Dutch Caribbean for mergers & acquisitions and restructurings.

In the Dutch Caribbean the relationship between the employer and employee is regulated by a large number of individual sources, such as the Civil Code, separate labor laws and regulations, case law and individual or collective labor agreements.

Our team advises on, amongst other things, (negotiations with) trade unions, collective labor agreements, employment contracts, mass layoffs, reorganisations and individual dismissals, redundancy payments and civil service law.

Our approach to any request for advice or assistance is characterized by our clients as thorough and hands on. We work closely together with the experts in our Banking & Finance and Corporate/M&A teams.

We assist clients whose businesses find themselves in financial distress and in need of restructuring as well as assisting lenders of such parties. In such situations, a vast number of risks converge at the same time that need to be addressed and quickly so. Our expertise lies in advising on and management of all types of restructuring/liquidation and insolvency-related issues in the broadest sense of the word.

The experts within our Insolvency & Restructuring team also regularly act as Court appointed bankruptcy receivers in insolvencies with a local as well as a more international connotation like -recently- the bankruptcies of the Curacao branch of Lehman Brothers, the Curacao based bank with Venezuelan roots, Banco del Orinoco N.V. and the local airline company Insel Air.

Our work includes drafting and reviewing of conditions to insurance policies, advising on liability claims and related settlements, and assisting in coverage disputes and other legal proceedings. We represent insurers, the (commercial) insured, and all other parties involved in the insurance process.

We also have a solid track record in respect of mergers & acquisitions in the insurance industry, ranging from the transfer of insurance portfolios to mergers of insurance brokers. We have advised local, regional and international companies on a wide variety of insurance related issues and products and therefore have the necessary expertise to advise our clients on all matters concerning (re)insurance and insurance broking in the Dutch Caribbean markets.  

Our lawyers have extensive experience providing comprehensive, multidisciplinary IP law services to local and international clients. For Trademarks, patent and domain name registration and portfolio management, our intellectual property officers of Trademarks are available to assist in all the relevant jurisdictions.

By identifying, protecting and exploiting intellectual property rights at each stage of the innovation lifecycle, our international team of lawyers provides strategic advice practically covering all aspects of IP law relevant in our jurisdictions. Our lawyers have the ability to prosecute copyrights, trade names and trademarks and we have substantial experience litigating all classes of IP in the relevant courts of our jurisdictions.

We have many years of experience in a broad range of litigation and dispute resolution matters, varying from labor contracts, to infrastructure projects and the financial disputes.

We know that every dispute is different and requires tailormade solutions, not only suiting the client’s needs and preferences, but that it also complies with other factors that are of importance.

Our team will work together with the client to get a good understanding of the needs and preferences to overcome these challenges together. Due to our extensive knowledge and broad network of international attorneys-at-law, we are always able to help you efficiently and if needed, to scale up.

Our Real Estate & Project Development team has the expertise and experience in the three key areas of legal expertise to make projects work: contract law, administrative law and public procurement.

We assist in real estate projects including the development of power plants, water desalination plants, the construction of onshore and offshore petrochemical facilities, hospitals, harbour projects, commercial development, water management projects, area development projects, and sustainable wind and solar energy projects. We do not only know how to apply the different local law systems across the Dutch Caribbean, but also know the islands, its administration and the procedures to ensure the project gets realised.

The Dutch Caribbean provides a diverse and unique opportunity for project development, although doing business in each jurisdiction requires support from a knowledgeable and experienced legal advisor. We know what can be done and how it can be done and are available to assist you find your way and focus on exploring and realizing the commercial opportunities. As a ‘project lawyer’ and legal advisor, we can assist in managing stakeholders and provide input for your strategic legal risk assessment. Our lawyers know what drives your business and what is important to realise projects on Curacao, Aruba, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba. Your goals are achieved by coordinating, negotiating and litigating (if necessary) the different perspectives, consents and permits required for the project.