Dutch independent Boekel de Neree is set to open in London next year, marking the first office outside of Amsterdam for the 130-year-old firm.

The office will be led by corporate partner and M&A head Ferdinand Mason, who will relocate to the City along with three associates for the launch on 1 July, 2009. After one year, the firm intends to add one more partner to the office.

Boekel pulled out of an alliance with Eversheds in May 2002, having initially signed up to fully merge with the UK firm five years into a relationship. The union went live in December 1999, but Boekel abandoned the set-up due to a lack of referrals.

Since the firm re-established its independence, Boekel has changed its strategy from acting largely on referrals to become a full client-based practice. Mirroring the strategy, the London office will be a practising office rather than a referral office, with the Netherlands headquarters supporting the London team.

Mason commented: "We have always been a one-office firm, only in Amsterdam. But London is the financial centre of the world and we need to be competitive with other independent firms in the Netherlands.

"For efficiency reasons we did not think we needed a London office but our team is travelling too much and we want to build up a more stable international relationship with clients."

Boekel has around 170 lawyers based in Amsterdam. Other Dutch independents with offices in London include Loyens & Loeff, NautaDutilh and De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek.