Houthoff's international presence further strengthened

Our international presence is further strengthened by the appointment of Cecile Eijsink-Bonnier as the firm's representative in Tokyo.

Cecile has worked for more than ten years as a corporate lawyer for several law firms in the Netherlands. Her former role as a lawyer makes her the ideal candidate for this representative position. As a representative, Cecile will be responsible for further developing business contacts with Japanese companies doing business, or wanting to do business, in the Netherlands. She is also in close contact with our “friend” firms in Japan. Last year we appointed representatives in Singapore and Houston (US).

Japan provides potential for international growth

Michiel Pannekoek, Chief International Officer: "Our model of representatives has proven to be successful which has only made our international ambition grow. Internationalisation requires more than being able to work remotely. Personal relationships are invaluable in our line of work; clients state that they appreciate the physical presence very much. Just like our other representatives, Cecile has profound knowledge of the local market because she lives and works in Tokyo." Several of our practice groups have noticed an increase in Japanese companies that wish to develop activities in the Netherlands or have recently done so. The Netherlands has an attractive business climate and, historically, the ties between the two countries have always been strong. Pannekoek: "The choice for Tokyo was a logical one for us. Japan is a major economic power and with the recent trade agreement between Japan and the EU (JEFTA) and the effects of Brexit, Houthoff expects significant opportunities for Japanese presence in the Netherlands."