Insurance & Reinsurance

Insurance & Reinsurance

Houthoff is the leading law firm in the Netherlands in insurance law. Our experienced Insurance Team, with more than 30 specialists, has for many years been among the top players in international guides such as the Legal 500 and Chambers Global.

Our specialists are able to think ahead by drawing on their wide-ranging practical experience. They advise the major national and international insurers and reinsurers, pension funds, insurance brokers and other service providers on a wide range of insurance matters. These could be anything from advice on transactions, distribution models, outsourcing structures, product development and cross-border transactions to acting on their behalf in reinsurance disputes, cover issues and liability claims. Our Insurance Team has earned a special position for itself dealing with complex problems involving international insurance programmes.

  • Ranked in Band 1
    Chambers Europe, Insurance (2024 Edition)
  • “One client mentioned that 'Houthoff is always easily accessible and able to give good advice at short notice'.”
    Chambers Europe, Insurance (2024 Edition)
  • Ranked in First Tier
    Chambers Europe, Insurance (2023 Edition)
  • "A client mentions: 'The team has a strong ability to grasp the problem and present solutions'."
    Chambers Europe, Insurance (2023 Edition)
  • "The Houthoff team handles our cases with great diligence and with a hands-on mentality."
     
    Chambers Europe, Insurance (2023 Edition)
  • "A client says: 'The team has an outstanding in-depth knowledge of the insurance industry and of the applicable laws and regulators'."
    Chambers Europe, Insurance (2023 Edition)
  • "One client stated: ‘Houthoff’s team focuses on the more complex cases, the importance of which justifies the costs. When dealing with such matters, the team not only has a clear added value legally, but also strategically. Attention is not only paid to the legal position, but also to achieving solutions'."
    Legal 500, Insurance (2023 Edition)
  • "One client said: ‘Very approachable team with deep insurance knowledge. We needed support on the draft of a cooperation agreement and the team helped us mitigating legal risks to set up a new partnership in the Netherlands'."
    Legal 500, Insurance (2023 Edition)
  • “The team can be trusted to deal both with regular cases but also with complex litigation, cross-border litigation and newly developed areas of the law.”
    Chambers Europe, Insurance (2022 Edition)
  • “A client highlights the firm's ‘capacity to deal with all matters, up to and including Supreme Court Litigation’.”
    Chambers Europe, Insurance (2022 Edition)
  • “A client asserts that Houthoff is the firm of choice when ‘one needs an expert, a lawyer to trust and have a strong relationship with, and a team that has a strong strategic mindset’.”
    Chambers Europe, Insurance (2022 Edition)
  • “Houthoff combines thorough legal knowledge with a practical, solution-oriented working method. This makes it a law firm that clearly has added value.’”
    Legal 500, Insurance (2022 Edition)
  • “The team is flexible, knowledgeable and thinks in opportunities instead of impossibilities.’”
    Legal 500, Insurance (2022 Edition)
  • “The team has an awful lot of experience in insurance. The laws, regulations, guidance by the regulator. Also how the regulator functions.’”
    Legal 500, Insurance (2022 Edition)
  • “Underlining the firm’s strength in this area, a client lauds the firm as being ‘top of the bill in quality.’”
    Chambers Europe, Insurance (2021 Edition)
  • “Houthoff maintains the highest level of quality and service, and is very able to attract new talents that have a nice, down-to-earth attitude."
    Chambers Europe, Insurance (2021 Edition)
  • “A client enthuses that the team is ‘one of the best law firms in the Netherlands, especially when it comes to more complex type of litigation,’ and particularly highlights the firm’s ability to handle matters before the Supreme Court.”
    Chambers Europe, Insurance (2021 Edition)

Examples of our expertise in insurance law

Ever tighter regulation necessitates careful and up-to-date legal advice on regulatory measures. Our Insurance Team enjoys good relationships with regulatory bodies such as the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets (the AFM) and the Dutch Central Bank (DNB). This means that our advice takes into account the interpretation given by the regulatory bodies themselves.

International multiparty disputes require far-reaching legal expertise and a strategic approach. Our insurance specialists possess broad experience in complex cases involving the interests of many different parties.

Insurers need legal assistance to develop their domestic and foreign activities, and so it is not surprising to find our insurance specialists assisting many national and international insurers with their particular problems, including those relating to regulatory law, the introduction of new products and their relationship to the accompanying distribution channel and the end user.

Mass claims have increasingly become a major risk factor for insurers. Houthoff has a specialist team that can be called upon to assist in this area.

Our Insurance Team works closely with our experts in many areas, including M&A, tax law, cassation law and arbitration law. Our in-depth sector knowledge combined with this multidisciplinary approach means that we can pride ourselves on giving future-proof advice.

Serviceplatform Corona for the insurance industry

The insurance industry faces complex challenges during the coronavirus crisis. With the new Serviceplatform Corona, the Dutch Association of Insurers offers its members easy access to a large network of specialists. Houthoff offers its legal expertise via this platform. Click here to visit the Serviceplatform Corona (Dutch only).
  • Advised various parties on Brexit including Lloyd's and VSZ, a Dutch managing agent acting on behalf of a number of Lloyd's syndicates.
  • Defense counsel to Vetropack Holding AG in a product recall claim against a Dutch worldwide Brewery.
Berry van Wijk

Key Contact

Rotterdam
Advocaat | Partner

Key Contact

Rotterdam
Advocaat | Partner