Employment & Pensions

The Employment & Pensions practice group advises a wide variety of Dutch and foreign clients. The practice assists clients in connection with the full spectrum of employment issues that confront today’s corporates, with a special focus on strategic issues and boardroom counselling. The team provides expertise in connection with labour aspects of mergers and acquisitions, compliance with domestic and foreign statutes and represents clients in high-profile litigation cases.

We offer extensive experience on handling management agreements, D&O remuneration, employee share options, outsourcing matters, reorganisations, dismissals and other strategic employment law matters. The Employment & Pensions Team offers full legal services for employee benefits and pension related matters which include tax and supervisory issues.

"A client says: Houthoff offers excellent knowledge and strategic insight, as well as a broad range of expertise'."
Chambers Europe, Employment (2023 Edition)
"A client mentions: 'Houthoff offers professional and skilled lawyers for complex employment matters'."
Chambers Europe, Employment (2023 Edition)
"A client mentioned: ‘The team is very knowledgeable and consists of people with different expertise (e.g. in litigation, reorganisations, dealing with disgruntled employees, etc.). Compared to other firms the expertise and client focus stands out'."
Legal 500, Employment (2023 Edition)
"One client said this team has: 'Great knowledge. Practical, to-the-point solutions, not lengthy advice. Business understanding. A stable team without too many changes'."
Legal 500, Employment (2023 Edition)
“A client praises the team for being ‘the perfect combination of really top-tier lawyers and political sense’.”
Chambers Europe, Employment (2022 Edition)
“Clients describe the team as ‘strong experts with a breadth of experience’ and appreciate that they ‘always have clear communication’ with the lawyers at Houthoff. ”
Chambers Europe, Employment (2022 Edition)
First Tier firm
Legal 500, Employment (2022 Edition)
“I found that the firm had impeccable reactivity.”
Legal 500, Employment (2022 Edition)
“Different specialties that work well altogether to deliver the most suitable and practical answers.”
Legal 500, Employment (2022 Edition)
“A client highlights the team’s ‘expertise and good interpersonal communication skills to accompany us in this complicated path.’”
Chambers Europe, Employment (2021 Edition)
“Clients underline the team’s attentiveness, one characterising the lawyers as ‘fast and helpful.’”
Chambers Europe, Employment (2021 Edition)
“When one person is not available, there is always a great colleague to step in.”
Legal 500, Employment (2021 Edition)
“Hands-on and very knowledgeable.”
Legal 500, Employment (2021 Edition)
“Very good knowledge and experience, very professional, good sense of humour too, and quick response to questions also outside office hours.”
Legal 500, Employment (2021 Edition)
First Tier firm
Legal 500, Employment (2021 Edition)
“Clients appreciate the attentiveness of the team, with one describing the lawyers as ‘very smart people who are very dedicated and flexible, reachable any time and are very reactive.’”
Chambers Europe, Employment (2020 Edition)
“A commentator applauds the lawyers for ‘proving every time that they have the knowledge; it’s straight there when we need to talk to them, they don’t need to check and can can advise immediately in the moment.’”
Chambers Europe, Employment (2020 Edition)
First Tier firm
Legal 500, Employment (2020 Edition)
“The labour law team has a quick understanding what is needed and to which scale their skills and effort are needed. When talking to one you know the other team members will be informed the next time you speak to them. Especially on law concerning the collective labour agreement they have a great insight in how to act and negotiate.”
Legal 500, Employment (2020 Edition)
“There is consistency in the team, so we have developed a long-term relationship with the various team members,’ notes another interviewee, adding: ‘They react fast and effectively to our requests.’”
Chambers Europe, Employment (2019 Edition)

Highlighted Matters
Advised Crédit Agricole Consumer Finance Nederland on the carve-out of Findio (a provider of car finance products) out of the CACF Nederland group and the sale of Findio to FCA Bank.
Highlighted Matters
Advised Lumileds, a global leader in innovative lighting solutions, in its comprehensive financial restructuring. Lumileds emerged from a Chapter 11, resulting in a leadership transition and a funded debt reduction of approximately USD 1.4 billion.
Highlighted Matters
Advised European private equity firm CastikCapital on the acquisition of TBAuctions, a leading European online auction platform.
Highlighted Matters
Advised and represented ESD-SIC B.V. in proceedings before the Dutch Supreme Court in connection with a dispute with a former employee.
Highlighted Matters
Advised HqO, together with Goodwin Procter LLP, on the acquisition of Office App. Office App is a leading European tenant and employee engagement platform.
Highlighted Matters
Houthoff, together with Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, advised Atlas Holdings LLC on the acquisition of the Permasteelisa Group from LIXIL Group Corporations (Japan).
Highlighted Matters
Advised together with Renzenbrink & Partner, the svt Group, a leading supplier of passive fire protection products and systems with the acquisition of Flamepro. The svt Group is an Ergon Capital portfolio company.
Highlighted Matters
Houthoff advised Poiesz Supermarkten B.V., a chain of supermarkets in the Northern Netherlands, on the acquisition of Zorggroep Friesland B.V., sole shareholder of Van Smaak B.V.. Van Smaak B.V. delivers meals to healthcare institutions and individual customers and has the whole relating process (including the purchase of the raw materials, processing and logistics) in house.
Highlighted Matters
Houthoff advised Stichting Bedrijfspensioenfonds voor het Bakkersbedrijf (Bpf Bakkers), a Dutch pension fund managing assets of approximately EUR 3.5 billion, on the appointment of NN Investment Partners as their new integrated fiduciary asset manager. This transaction involved the preparation and negotiations of a fiduciary management agreement under Dutch law based on Bpf Bakker's own template.
Highlighted Matters
Houthoff advised Stichting Pensioenfonds Campina, a Dutch pension fund, on the renewal of its contractual relationship with Deutsche Investment Management Americas Inc., RREEF America L.L.C. (both subsidiaries of Deutsche Bank AG) and Goldman Sachs Asset Management International. This work included the preparation and negotiation of a complex Dutch law asset management agreement based on the pension fund's own template.
Highlighted Matters
Acted on behalf of several CEO’s of listed companies pertaining to their dismissal and acted on behalf of various listed and non listed companies with regard to high profile dismissal cases of boardmembers
Highlighted Matters
Acted on behalf of Royal IHC in a major reorganisation of 800 employees.
Highlighted Matters
V&D was a landmark brand of high street located department stores (63 stores) in the Netherlands and was founded in 1887. Houthoff advised the company in a wide array of matters, including the restructuring of its debt, and representing the company in several high profile litigation matters related to real estate and labour law.
Highlighted Matters
Houthoff advised BGI Genomics Co., Ltd. on all Dutch-law aspects in connection with its successful IPO at the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. BGI is a leading gene sequencing firm, offering a wide portfolio of genetic testing products across major diseases, enabling medical providers and patients worldwide to realise the promise of genomics-based diagnostics and personalised healthcare.