Shearwaters, is a leading boutique law firm focusing solely on Dutch corporate employment law. The Firm works from Amsterdam’s financial district (Zuidas). Clients include internationally operating corporates, financial institutions and (senior) executives.

Shearwaters helps its clients navigate through the complexities of Dutch corporate employment law in the following three areas:

  • Transactional support;
  • Strategic advice;
  • Litigation and mediation.

The lawyers at Shearwaters are a seasoned team of committed and trusted advisors to corporate clients and executives facing the challenges of Dutch corporate employment law in the international business environment.

They are highly specialised and highly experienced in this field, having worked at global law firms Baker McKenzie and Linklaters and at prominent Dutch firm Houthoff Buruma for a combined period of over 75 years.

Shearwaters is best known for its strong track record as a seasoned team of committed and trusted advisors to corporate clients and executives and for its (other) strengths, which are:

  • fostering personal relationships with companies and executives;
  • being consistent and pragmatic, business oriented, focused, and well networked;
  • getting things done, cutting through to key issues;
  • providing sound judgement, not just technical expertise.

The lawyers at Shearwaters are particularly adept at advising clients on delicate (executive) dismissals, works council consultation processes, executive remuneration, collective redundancies and reorganisations (including negotiations with trade unions on social plans).

[show-team category=’netherlands’ url=’active_custom_new’ layout=’grid’ style=’img-circle,img-shadow,text-center,img-above,3-columns’ display=’photo,position,location,name’]

Martijn van Broeckhuijsen and Maarten Vestering lead the team at employment boutique Shearwaters, which hired counsel Barbara-Ellen Bruin and of counsel Karin Bodewes from Baker & McKenzie Amsterdam N.V.. Executive dismissals, works council negotiations and collective redundancies are the practice’s core strengths.
Legal 500, 2017