Amsterdam's Houthoff votes for independence
Legal Week reports
October 18, 2001 at 11:46 AM
2 minute read
Norton Rose's former Dutch suitor Houthoff Buruma has voted this week to remain independent as it installs a new management team.
The 70-partner Amsterdam-based firm voted by 67-to-three in favour of the firm remaining independent and continuing to handle referrals from a wide range of local and foreign practices.
The move comes after a difficult summer for Houthoff, whose partners were unsure whether to strip down the firm for an Anglo-Saxon merger or risk remaining independent.
In the spring the firm's management entered into merger talks with Norton Rose, but failed to gain partner support because of heavy restructuring plans called for by the City firm.
Restructuring would have led to the firm raising billing rates and spinning off some practices in order to integrate the practice into a City firm's partnership.
However, City TMT specialist Bird & Bird has already made inroads into Houthoff. This week it secured its first Dutch hire, Amsterdam corporate partner Harry Rek.
The firm is expected to take at least two more partners from Houthoff to open a Hague office, its fourth base on the Continent.
The new management of the Dutch firm will be comprised of two managing partners and one chairman of the management board, who will also be chairman of the firm.
The chairman is Bas Le Poole, who is based in Amsterdam and will take on the role of handling public relations for the firm.
The two new managing partners are Marry de Gaay Fortman in Amsterdam and Michiel Wesseling in Rotterdam.
They replace Arent van Wassenaer, who resigned from his post in September after a disagreement over international strategy.
Le Poole takes the chairmanship from Jan Mark Dingemans, who stood down this week from his post.
Click on 'email news' at legalweek.net to be alerted to breaking news stories.
This content has been archived. It is available through our partners, LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law.
To view this content, please continue to their sites.
Not a Lexis Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
Not a Bloomberg Law Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
NOT FOR REPRINT
© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
You Might Like
View AllSkadden to Close in Shanghai and Make Cuts to China Corporate Practice
DWF Group's Canadian Firm Set to Add Fourth Office With 16-Lawyer Montreal Team
UK Law Firms Face £75M Money Laundering Investigations Alongside Russia Scrutiny
3 minute readTrending Stories
- 1The Law Firm Disrupted: Playing the Talent Game to Win
- 2A&O Shearman Adopts 3-Level Lockstep Pay Model Amid Shift to All-Equity Partnership
- 3Preparing Your Law Firm for 2025: Smart Ways to Embrace AI & Other Technologies
- 4BD Settles Thousands of Bard Hernia Mesh Lawsuits
- 5A RICO Surge Is Underway: Here's How the Allstate Push Might Play Out
Featured Firms
Law Offices of Gary Martin Hays & Associates, P.C.
(470) 294-1674
Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone
(857) 444-6468
Smith & Hassler
(713) 739-1250