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Chambers Europe 2024
In the 2024 edition of Chambers, SIX advocaten is recommended for Public Law: Planning and Environment, Real Estate en Real Estate: Construction.
What the team is known for
Six Advocaten breaks into the rankings this year after eliciting noteworthy praise for its planning and environment practice. The team advises a range of notable clients on public law issues such as planning, permitting and environmental impact assessments. The firm is also well placed to represent clients in enforcement proceedings and zoning mandates.
Six Advocaten is a real estate boutique firm that assists clients with a range of urban development and redevelopment projects, often involving commercial, residential and retail properties. The law firm acts for both construction companies and private sector clients. Team members have experience representing clients in contentious matters, such as disputes around the potential environmental impact of projects and litigation concerning construction defects. The team also acts on procurement matters.
Strengths
"Six Advocaten has the knowledge to handle all aspects of environmental law."
"Their knowledge on species protection stands out."
"They are practical, hands-on and well versed in complex subject matters."
"The lawyers at Six Advocaten are very adequate in solving complex matters and have a good perspective on cases."
"Their expertise and knowledge, especially in the out of the ordinary and more complex cases, is something the client leans upon."
Notable practitioners
Fleur Onrust boasts extensive expertise handling environmental permitting matters, as well as nature conservation and soil contamination mandates. She often represents clients from the private and public sectors in contentious proceedings.
"Fleur Onrust is a highly skilled lawyer who is able to support on complex cases."
"She always delivers, provides thorough advice and offers a great deal of expertise in the field."
Hanneke Ellerman is well placed to assist clients with environmental permits, zoning plans and nitrogen emissions.
"Hanneke Ellerman is easily approachable, has a good knowledge of the subject matter and is able to keep her client's commercial considerations in mind when providing advice."
"She has a strong client service, is always available and is able to represent her client's interests excellently."
Irma van den Berg enters the rankings for the first time this year after eliciting notable market praise for her planning practice. She is well placed to assist local municipalities on a wide range of planning mandates, including zoning and redevelopment.
"Irma van den Berg is a fantastic environment and planning lawyer."
Femke Borst acts for investors, retail and hospitality companies on tenancy law, including representation in contentious mandates and advice during negotiations.
"Femke Borst is a very skilled lawyer, accessible, decisive and very friendly."
"Femke stands out with her ability to come up with commercial solutions."
Wouter Post often advises construction companies on urban development projects and redevelopment matters, particularly involving commercial property.
Legal 500 EMEA - Rankings 2024
In the 2024 edition of The Legal 500 Europe, Middle East & Africa SIX is recommended in the categories of Real Estate, Construction and Environment & Planning. The Legal 500 on SIX:
Construction (tier 2): Boutique firm Six Advocaten specialises in real estate, construction, regulatory and procurement law, enabling them to advise on the full range of construction law issues. The team assists on a variety of projects including data centres, housing, logistics, and retail. The practice stands out for its work on infrastructure projects where it has assisted public entities with motorways, railways, and wet infrastructure. Public procurement and construction disputes also forms another part of the practice. Construction expert Fabian Horsting typically handles litigation issues and has experience with procurement and construction disputes. Founding partner Wouter Post mainly advises on project development.
Environment and planning (tier 3): Irma Van Den Berg, recognised for her provision of ‘well-thought through advice’, is at the helm of Six Advocaten‘s environment and planning practice. The team advises its portfolio of clients on a broad scope of matters, often including sustainability and ESG aspects of projects. it is also well equipped to handle zoning and permitting issues, which constitutes Anita Nijboer‘s particular area of expertise. ‘Sharp litigation lawyer’ Fleur Onrust, who joined from ENVIR Advocaten in March 2023, has a niche focus on nature conservation. Hanneke Ellerman is also key to the practice.
Real estate (tier 4): Boutique firm Six Advocaten focuses on real estate, construction, regulatory and procurement law. On the real estate side, it handles litigation, transactional and advisory work for its clients. The team is adept at handling regulatory issues related to landlord and tenancy law as well as leasing, project redevelopment, and sales and acquisitions. Team lead Femke Borst is a go-to for landlord and tenancy-related issues, and she is also well versed in mixed-use lease contracts and qualification of use matters. Jeroen Kist is popular among German and Austrian clients in property transactions and property management.
Testimonials:
‘Small team of lawyers who provide hands-on advice’.
‘Wouter Post is a reasonable lawyer with not only pointing out risks but also downsizing these risk and suggesting solutions to handle these. So when you want to make progress you should be able to build bridges and Wouter is able to do this and also gets the sympathy of the opponent company.’
‘Six Advocaten are formed of experienced, hands-on partners with good overall knowledge of the market and market practice, both from a domestic and from an international perspective – they understand the type of work product international clients like to see and we gladly engage them for real estate matters.’
‘Irma van den Berg is friendly, knowledgeable, available and responsive.’
‘They provide strong and professional info and advice in a timely fashion.’
‘Irma van den Berg gives her well thought-through advice and strategy and she comes up with strong solutions. It feels that lawyer and client are regarded as a team.’
‘Fleur Onrust is a very knowledgeable and sharp litigation lawyer with a keen eye on the regulatory framework, litigation strategy and legal process impact.’
‘One of the first “boutique” law firms in the market. Really approachable firm, top notch quality and in depth knowledge of the sector. ’
‘Femke Borst is our go to person for tenancy law. Very down to earth, approachable lawyer who has in depth legal knowledge. Nonetheless Femke maintains a commercial view and really understands the broader interests at stake.’
‘What makes Femke Borst stand out from others is that she has an enormous knowledge of tenancy law. She knows every aspect of this field and she is extremely strong in translating very well into practice. Femke knows how to convert the needed knowledge into the right process. I would always recommend her when it comes to tenancy law related matters. In my opinion she does an extraordinary job and delivers high quality results. Besides this, she is also very good at negotiating.’
‘SIX law firm is already long involved in our business making their (historical) knowledge and the ‘fit’ within our business a key factor of their engagement. Their expertise in the field of the advice we are looking for is great.’
‘They are nice personalities understanding what our business is asking for and needs, making their advice fit for purpose. Femke Borst for example is very pragmatic, able to discuss topics on the phone and provide you with hands on advice which results in being able to act and react fast.’
‘Six fields an experienced, hands on, partner driven team with good overall knowledge of the market and market practice, both from a domestic and from an international perspective – they understand the type of work product international clients like to see and we gladly engage them for real estate matters.’
‘Very good knowledge of all related issues for building permits and developments. Not only one way discussion but me as client and legal advisor working on strategy as team.’
‘We like to work with Femke Borst. She has a profound knowledge of landlord and tenant law, and wider real estate law. She is also very service minded and a great person to work with.’
Legal 500 EMEA - Leading Firm 2023
In the 2023 edition of The Legal 500 Europe, Middle East & Africa SIX is recommended in the categories of Real Estate, Construction and Environment & Planning. The Legal 500 on SIX:
Construction (tier 3) - Independent Dutch boutique, Six Advocaten, focuses on real estate, procurement, regulatory and construction law. The firm assists client drafting and evaluating contracts and in contract-related dispute resolution, such as damages, delays in construction, warranties, specification, contract variations, and execution matters. The firm has a focus on the development in logistics, infrastructure and public procurement. The practice is led by Wouter Post, who specialises in multi-function inner city real estate projects and property development.
Environment and planning (tier 3) - A boutique firm focused on real estate and construction, Six Advocaten provides advice and assistance in contentious and non-contentious zoning and permitting matters. Irma Van Den Berg heads the practice, bringing broad experience in public and administrative law. In a significant development, Anita Nijboer joined from Kennedy Van der Laan in September 2022 and Fleur Onrust joined from ENVIR Advocaten in early 2023.
Real Estate (tier 4) - Six Advocaten is a boutique firm focusing on real estate, construction, procurement and regulatory law. The firm has a contentious offering alongside its transactional capacity, assisting clients with projects concerning sales and acquisition, tenacy law and regulatory aspects of housing, hotels, offices, logistics centres and retail assets. The practice is led by Femke Borst, specialist in landlord and tenancy law. Jeroen Kist focuses on asset and property management and transactional real estate.
Testimonials
‘I am very happy with the work SIX advocaten has been delivering. They are all very good. Their way of working shows that they have the experience and knowledge to help get the results you expect from them. The whole team is very approachable and their price quality ratio is excellent.’
‘My main contact at SIX advocaten is Femke Borst regarding tenancy law issues. We have a long term working relationship. She has always been a good helper. Every time I have a legal issue regarding tenancy law I know who to call.’
‘Six is a down-to-earth practice with very capable lawyers that are easy to reach out to. We are very happy with the masterclasses they organise for our company on their own initiative. We have a dedicated team that we work with which is very much appreciated.’
‘We are happy with the deep understanding and knowledge of the lawyers of the social housing market in the Netherlands. This accounts specifically for Wing-Yen. Femke has wider knowledge on different terrains and is very capable in drawing a legal framework and she makes sure that her team acts upon that. Dorsa is very strong in the public domain, specifically on permits.’
‘Big firm quality for boutique fees. Understand what sophisticated clients are looking for, delivering to-the-point advice on time.’
‘The team at SIX is very dedicated. They are ambitious and driven specialists with in-depth knowledge and expertise in their field.’
‘Very approachable, very hands-on, very on-topic.’
‘Femke Borst has a great critical eye for details, is very competitive and very approachable. Wing yen Wong has excellent file knowledge.’
Chambers Europe 2023
Legal 500 EMEA - Leading Firm 2022
In the 2022 edition of The Legal 500 Europe, Middle East & Africa SIX is recommended in the categories of Real Estate, Construction and Environment & Planning. The Legal 500 on SIX:
Construction (tier 2) - Independent Dutch boutique firm Six Advocaten has a strong focus on real estate, construction, regulatory and procurement law. The practice continues to advise on the construction of large inner-city redevelopment projects, logistics centres, multi-use buildings, housing and hospitals. It is also active in the infrastructure space, advising government and private sector clients on a range of projects on both the contentious and non-contentious aspects. Fabian Horsting heads the team and is well-versed in litigation
Environment and planning (tier 3) - Boutique construction and real estate specialist Six Advocaten offers a team of ‘very devoted, intelligent and dedicated people’. The practice focuses on handling the zoning, planning and environmental issues for large construction and real estate projects, and also handles disputes and litigation. Practice head Irma Van den Berg is recommended for public law matters.
Real Estate (tier 4) - Independent boutique firm Six Advocaten handles contentious and non-contentious real estate and construction mandates for a range of clients. Areas of expertise include inner-city redevelopment projects, sales and acquisitions, leasing matters and litigation. Fabian Horsting heads up the team and has considerable experience in procurement, state aid, real estate and construction matters.
Testimonials
‘Working with Six means value for money, quick and high quality legal advice and direct contact with a partner’.
‘You get better quality comparing to the “big” offices, with short lines and efficient and personal communication’.
‘Wouter Post is high quality, practical and very good at complex negotiations’.
‘Wouter Post is a team player, excellent writer and fun to work with’.
‘Very pragmatic and efficient.’
‘Wouter Post is pragmatic and a good negotiator’.
‘Pro-active team with deep knowledge’.
‘Pleasant to work with’.
‘With each case we bring, they come up with exactly the right person to represent us on that case.‘
‘The service is very good with a high level of knowledge on complex real estate matters.‘
‘Hanneke Ellerman is very skilled on environmental law and a very nice person to work with.‘
‘In depth-knowledge.‘
‘Very seasoned attorneys.‘
‘Six are a boutique firm of former big law partners which means that you get the partners with the expertise directly.‘
‘They have all the necessary real estate related knowledge in house and are used to working collaboratively on multi-jurisdictional projects for international clients.‘
‘Irma van den Berg is responsive and knowledgeable.‘
‘Top-quality real estate litigators’.
‘They are skilful professionals, delivering high-quality advice and representation in our proceedings’.
‘Service is very good, with a high level of knowledge on complex real estate matters’.
‘Leon Burgersdijk and Wouter Post are very good and nice to work with’.
‘Full-service firm with experts in all relevant industries’.
‘A boutique firm of former big law lawyers which gives you direct access to specialist partners’.
‘Femke Borst and Wouter Post have been my go-to lawyers in the last couple of years’.
‘They very knowledgeable, direct, accessible and deliver a good work product on time and on budget’.
Chambers Europe 2022
What the team is known for
Six Advocaten is a real estate boutique firm that assists clients with a range of urban development and redevelopment projects, often involving technology and transport sector infrastructure, as well as commercial, residential and retail properties. The law firm acts for both construction companies and private sector clients. Team members have experience representing clients in contentious matters, such as disputes around the potential environmental impact of projects and litigation concerning construction defects. The team also acts on procurement matters.
Strengths
A client appreciates that the firm's lawyers "really cooperate in commercial thinking not only on the legal aspects."
Another client reports that "the quality of the client service is very high" and adds that "it is a very nice law firm and very nice people to work with."
Work highlights
Advised Ballast Nedam on the redevelopment of Amsterdam's Market Quarter.
Notable practitioners
Wouter Post often advises construction companies on urban development projects and redevelopment matters. He often acts on construction projects involving commercial property. One client reports: "What I like about him is that he works in a very structured way."
Legal 500 EMEA - Leading Firm 2021
In the 2021 edition of The Legal 500 Europe, Middle East & Africa Six Advocaten is recommended in the categories of Real Estate, Construction and Environment & Planning. The Legal 500 on Six:
Real estate (tier 3) - Six Advocaten provides ‘down-to-earth, no-nonsense pragmatic advice’ on real estate, construction, regulatory and procurement law. The team is adept at handling transactions and litigation, and environment and planning matters. The practice has noted expertise in the development, sale and acquisition and lease of student housing and hotels. Leon Burgersdijk heads the team.
Construction (tier 2) - Boutique Six Advocaten is well regarded for planning and environmental issues, litigation and transactions. The firm is seeing an uptick in instructions from the healthcare and infrastructure sectors and has a niche expertise in the development, sale and acquisition and lease of student housing and hotels. Fabian Horsting heads the practice. Leon Burgersdijk counts project developers, construction companies, housing corporations and municipalities among his client base.
Environment & Planning (tier 3) - The environment and planning team at Six Advocaten focuses on the real estate sector, handling advisory work, litigation and transactions. With experience in the development, sale and acquisition, and lease of housing and hotels, the firm also handles infrastructure and inner-city development projects. Under the leadership of Irma van den Berg, the practice is well-regarded for zoning and environmental law, and general administrative law.
Testimonials
‘Hands-on, rapid responders’.
‘They involve the right people from their firm when necessary and have a no-nonsense mentality’.
‘Lots of experience with our kind of business’.
‘In comparison to other firms, they act instead of talk about what they could do for you’.
‘They provide knowledge of all relevant specialisms’.
‘Quick and thorough answers, but above all very accessible’.
‘Nice agency to work with’.
‘They have rental, administrative, procurement and competition law expertise in-house at a very high level’.
‘It is a great, diverse group of people with different backgrounds who are very passionate about what they do’.
The Legal 500 series is an independent publication covering the most prestigious law firms in over a hundred countries, based on interviews with more than 250,000 in-house lawyers and attorneys.
Legal 500 EMEA – Leading Firm 2020
In the 2019 edition of The Legal 500 Europe, Middle East & Africa Six Advocaten is recommended in the categories of Real Estate, Construction and Environment & Planning. The Legal 500 on Six:
Real estate (tier 4) - At Six Advocaten, department head Leon Burgersdijk and Benno Den Teuling 'are great to work with' and the team is appreciated for being 'very professional but also have an informal approach and down to earth attitude'. Of late it has advised real estate funds on sales and acquisitions and advised owners and developers on a variety of projects involving commercial, student housing, and hotel real estate.
Construction (tier 2) - The lawyers at Six Advocaten are 'strongly recommended' for their 'vast expertise and knowledge of market developments'. Benno Den Teuling is noted for providing 'spot on services; he is an excellent litigator and trusted advisor'. The practice specialises in construction and real estate law and counts Royal BAM Group and the City of Amsterdam among its clients. In recent work, the team advised on tender and contracting matters in respect of a variety of commercial building projects as well as a range of disputes.
Environment & Planning (tier 2) - At Six Advocaten, Irma van den Berg acts for well-known corporates and municipalities and other public bodies. The team is working on obtaining environmental permits in respect of large-scale commercial and residential constructions, and in other work is advising on zoning plans and The Nature Conservation Act. Partner Hanneke Ellerman is a key contact in the team.
The Legal 500 series is an independent publication covering the most prestigious law firms in over a hundred countries, based on interviews with more than 250,000 in-house lawyers and attorneys.