Photo: John Disney/ALM

Jones Day has expanded in Amsterdam with the hire of partner Rick van 't Hullenaar for the firm's investigations and white-collar defence practice, joining a number of other global firms that have added to their Amsterdam offices in recent months.

Van 't Hullenaar joins from De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek, where he was a partner.

"The Netherlands is an important jurisdiction for global and European corporates," Theodore T. Chung, head of Jones Day's investigations and white-collar defence practice, said in a statement. "Rick's experience will be of particular relevance to our clients, as it spans the EU, the U.S. and international regulations."

Chung added that van 't Hullenaar's experience in government enforcement actions and internal investigations, with a particular focus on international trade, sanctions and anti-corruption, makes him an excellent addition to the firm.

Yvan Desmedt, partner-in-charge of Jones Day's Amsterdam office, said in a statement that van 't Hullenaar will bolster the Amsterdam office's strength in internal investigations, corporate compliance and white-collar defence.

During the past few months, several firms have expanded in Amsterdam – in part as a strategic response to Brexit. They include Dentons, Eversheds Sutherland, Greenberg Traurig and Scott+Scott. Andersen Global, an alternative legal services provider, also launched an office in Brussels.

Van 't Hullenaar's experience involves assisting multinational companies in preventing and managing regulatory, reputational and compliance risks, and representing clients facing enforcement actions by domestic, regional and international authorities. He conducts cross-border internal investigations into a variety of issues, including corruption, bribery, fraud, economic sanctions, export controls and other regulatory or reputational issues. He also assists clients in assessing their compliance risks and developing their compliance programmes.

In addition to Amsterdam, Van 't Hullenaar maintains an active practice in Brussels.

In an email, he said he was attracted to Jones Day because it is "a truly full-service global law firm." He also said he likes the fact that it has an established and growing presence in the Netherlands, where the legal market has in the last five years experienced the "internationalization of legal demand."

De Brauw Blackstone said in an email that the firm has a strong team of experts in its corporate crime and investigations practise that work closely together in multidisciplinary teams, advising clients on the global stage.

"Our longstanding tradition of promoting talent that developed their professional career entirely within our firm allows us to guarantee that there is always new talent ready to step up to the plate," the firm said.