Welcome to the website of Kernkamp Advocaten, a Dutch law firm based in Rotterdam. If you are searching for legal assistance in The Netherlands, then Kernkamp Advocaten could be the law firm that you are looking for.

Why Kernkamp Advocaten?

We don't have a problem, we have Kernkamp.

This straightforward quote from one of our clients, summarises our mission. Our mission is to quickly identify and resolve problems to the client's satisfaction.

Our firm's lawyers are committed to building lasting relationships with our clients. We find it important that new clients feel as confident in us as our existing clients. Lines of communication should be short. We feel it should be possible to contact the right lawyer for your case directly. Therefore, details of our contact person for each of our practice groups can be found on every page of this website.

We prefer to grease the engine, rather than throwing a spanner in the works. In other words, we actively work towards a solution, not creating more problems. If we cannot help you, then we tell it to you straight. If we think it is in your best interests to refer you to another service provider, that is exactly what we will do. But if we believe we can add value, then we are here to advise and support you.

Our firm's Legal Services

Our firm provides companies as well as individuals with a wide range of legal services. Our clients come from various sectors of industry including commodity traders, shipping companies, insurers and service providers.
We deal with international cases on a daily basis and we therefore understand the pressures and practicalities of international commerce.

Our internationally oriented practice has always placed a special emphasis on international business transactions and international litigation and arbitration. As a niche player, we handle international divorces for Dutch nationals living abroad and expatriates living in the Netherlands.

Languages fluently spoken by our lawyers include Dutch, English, French, German, and Spanish.

Our areas of expertise include:

• Insurance and Liability Law
• Labour and Employment Law
• Family Law
• Real Estate
• Transport and International Trade
• Company and Corporate Law

Contact one of our Lawyers

For general inquiries or immediate assistance by a Dutch lawyer, please contact one of our contact persons by phone or e-mail.

The attorneys of Kernkamp Advocaten are all admitted to the Rotterdam Bar and a member of The Netherlands Bar Association (the Dutch Bar), the public-law professional body for all attorneys in the Netherlands.

Netherlands attorneys may represent clients before all Courts of The Netherlands, before the European Courts of Justice and the Belenux Court of Justice, and are admitted to plea before all Courts of the Memberstates of the European Union (EC).

The team of attorneys at Kernkamp Advocaten a multi-talented and multi-faceted group. All of our attorneys speak several modern languages and deal with clients from abroad at a day-by-day basis. They combine local knowledge with experience in dealing with international cases. Since 1978 our attorneys have taken the lead in complex, high-profile cases that have lead to several landmark decisions of the Dutch Supreme Court and have been broadly discussed in the professional legal literature in The Netherlands.

If you need the expertise of one of our attorneys or have a question about our law firm, spend some time looking around this site, then call or e-mail us. Our team is ready to give your legal problems the attention they deserve.

Further information

For additional information please feel free to contact our contact person.

Kernkamp Advocaten is a mid-size Netherlands Law Firm established in 1978. The firms attorneys may represent clients before all Dutch Courts, before the European Courts of Justice and the Belenux Court of Justice, and are admitted to plea before all Courts of the Memberstates of the Common Market (EEC).

Kernkamp Advocaten offers a range of legal services tuned to the economic activities in The Netherlands. Our office is located in Rotterdam, one of the largest ports of the world. For our international clients, we combine regional expertise with sound knowledge of Dutch and international law.

Our philosophy

Fundamental to the firm is a commitment to provide a high quality of personalised service with an excellent standard of professionalism. Our lawyers bring a wealth of local knowledge and practical experience to all matters on which they advise. The short lines of communication are beneficial to the working environment and the performance of our professionals. On the basis of sound experience, know-how and permanent professional education of all its legal professionals, the firm is able to assist its clients efficiently.

Practice Groups

The areas of expertise include:

• Insurance and Liability Law
• Labour and Employment Law
• Family Law
• Real Estate
• Transport and International Trade
• Company and Corporate Law

The Netherlands Law Firm Kernkamp Advocaten was established in 1978 in the City of Rotterdam. The firm has quickly established a reputation as a multi service firm, that deals with cases with international aspects on a daily basis. The lawyers of the firm provide legal services to the transport industry, to traders and brokers, to multinational and national corporates, to financial institutions, to the insurance industry and not in the least to private clients. The firm has a strong litigation and arbitration practice.

Practice Groups

Kernkamp Advocaten has maintained a reputation for providing quality legal services in The Netherlands. The legal services of our attorneys are organized in the Practice Groups listed below:

Company and Corporate Law

The Company and Corporate Law Practice Group of Kernkamp Advocaten offers a full range of commercial and corporate legal services to businesses of all sizes. Our clients include small entrepreneurs, national companies and multinationals. Our attorneys can assists all insolvency and financial stakeholders by providing strategic advice and advancing appropriate resolutions to their situations. Our lawyers advise with respect to security instruments, registration and priorities of claims and secured charges, the Dutch Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act and other Dutch legislation affecting debtors and creditors. Our creditors’ rights and collections practice includes advice and representation in the areas of bankruptcy, foreclosures, and collections. Our attorneys are equipped to handle any debtor-creditor matter.

Transport and International Trade

The Transport and International Trade Practice Group has been serving clients in the areas of transport, business and commercial law for over 30 years. Our firm is proud of our contributions to the international community active in and around the Port of Rotterdam in The Netherlands, the gateway to Europe.

The complexity of commercial litigation requires seasoned commercial litigation attorneys. We have years of experience in representing individuals and companies before the courts of the Netherlands. We can provide aggressive representation with the understanding that your success is our only concern. The firm also has a strong arbitration practice and is a Member of the participants’ council of the TAMARA foundation, a Dutch Arbitration Foundation specialized in resolving disputes in the fields of shipping, transport and international commerce.

Real Estate

The Real Estate Practice Group regularly reviews, prepares, and negotiates owner, contractor, and subcontractor contracts. We provide representation for contract disputes, collection of amounts due, and litigate other issues before the courts of The Netherlands. We represent builders, developers, subcontractors, contractors, and owners. Kernkamp Advocaten is one of Rotterdam’s pre-eminent firms in the area of landlord/tenant law. Our firm’s landlord/tenant practice includes lease drafting and negotiation, rent collections and ejectment proceedings.
Insurance and Liability Law

The Insurance and Liability Practice Group of Kernkamp Advocaten defends all types of liability matters, based on tort, contract and quasi-contract. Product liability forms part of the practice, where we represent many international clients before Dutch Courts. Product liability claims involve manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, and others who participate in the manufacturing and distribution of defective products that are unsafe in either their design or intended usage. We represent individual and commercial policy-holders who have been wrongfully denied insurance coverage or benefit payments. Our attorneys undertake all legal action necessary to compel enforcement of insurance contracts.

Labour and Employment Law

The lawyers of the Labour and Employment Law Practice Group of Kernkamp Advocaten have represented both employees and employers for over 30 years. We have the experience you need for all employment issues in The Netherlands. We have represented both employees and employers who have been faced with many problems, including: drafting and interpretation of employee contracts, drafting and interpretation of restrictive covenants, litigation for the enforcement and defense of claims arising from employment contracts and restrictive covenants, wrongful competition by current or former employees, claims arising from age, race, or sex discrimination, claims for commissions, bonuses, or salaries.

Family and Divorce

The lawyers of the Family Law and Divorce Practice Group of Kernkamp Advocaten can assist you with all family law related issues connected to Netherlands law or the Dutch jurisdiction. At Kernkamp Advocaten, our family law attorneys also have extensive practical experience in other areas of law, such as business and commercial law. This broad knowledge of the law gives us a better understanding of the issues in family law, reason why the firm is specifically hired by entrepreneurs.

The foreign lawyer trainee program of Kernkamp Advocaten makes it possible for foreign law students and legal professionals to get acquainted with the practice of the firm and the Dutch legal system. Although the focus of the firm is international and foreign languages are frequently used over the phone and in correspondence, participants of the trainee program should realize that all Court Documents are in the Dutch language. A basic understanding of the Dutch language makes an internship much more enjoyable and useful for all involved. A good knowledge of international treaties and conventions will also help.

Primary goal of the internship

The primary goal of the foreign legal intern program is to provide you a realistic sense of the work performed at our Firm. Dependent on your skills, you will receive similar types of work assignments as our junior associates, on actual client matters. You also will have the opportunity to attend client meetings, hearings, trials and closings. In addition to immediate feedback on work assignments from the assigning lawyers, you will receive formal evaluations of your work product. The program provides many opportunities for you to get to know The Netherlands, its cultural heritage, the firm and its lawyers personally.

Duration of the trainee program

The duration of the legal Internship can range from a minimum of 1 month to a maximum of 3 months.

Interested?

Applicants for a traineeship at Kernkamp Advocaten preferably have a university degree, or are in the final stage of their university studies. Foreign law students interested in our trainee program are requested to submit their application timely, at any rate 6 months before the intended start date.