Paul Sliepenbeek wins Golden Hourglass

Paul Sliepenbeek, a lawyer and partner with AKD Prinsen Van Wijmen, based in the firm's Eindhoven office, was awarded a  'Golden Hourglass' on Friday 7 March during the annual presentation of the 'State of the Dutch Legal Profession' (De Stand van de Advocatuur 2008). It is the second year running that Sliepenbeek has topped the ranking of lawyers in Personal and Family Law. The prestigious Golden Hourglass, awarded each year to the best lawyer in a particular field,  is notable for being awarded by professional peers.

Paul has a long record of work as a lawyer and as a mediator handling separations within the field of personal and family law. He has gained a wealth of experience in handling complex divorce and separation proceedings and has distinguished himself by the attention he devotes to both financial considerations and the emotional aspects of family law cases, especially those concerning separations. In cases in which other lawyers have arrived at an impasse, he has brought to bear his charm, creativity and improvisation to speedily bring matters to a satisfactory conclusion.

"It is an enormous honour to receive this prize for a second time," commented Paul Sliepenbeek. "I regard it as a mark of recognition for extending the trust and good fellowship which is so essential to those in need of legal assistance in the extremely sensitive area of family law."

Clients and legal colleagues alike regard him as the expert lawyer and mediator. Paul is regularly approached by broadcasters for his views on his own specialist field and on other issues. He has appeared in television programmes such as 'Hof van Joosten' and 'Max and Catherine'. In 2005, he emerged as the winner of the VARA television programme 'De Grootmeesters' (The Grandmasters).

Paul Sliepenbeek has been a partner with AKD Prinsen Van Wijmen since 1991. Outside of his legal practice, he fulfills a number of roles which include being deputy judge for the Amsterdam court of justice.


In addtion to Paul Sliepenbeek's achievement, Marc Wintgens of AKD Prinsen Van Wijmen was also nominated for a Golden Hourglass in the field of Property Law. Although failing to be awarded the leading prize, he gained an honourable mention in second place. Wintgens has consistently proved his worth as a highly-skilled property lawyer, establishing a name for himself by dint of his knowledge, determination and reliability, particularly in handling complex property transactions. His contribution to developing the field of property law has seen Marc Wintgens, as a gifted lawyer, develop into a leading legal authority whose advice is frequently sought by colleagues within the Netherlands and abroad.

AKD Prinsen Van Wijmen occupies the fifth position in the 'State of the Dutch Legal Profession 2008' - the ranking compendium reporting on trends and developments in the legal profession. The compendium is issued annually by the publisher KSU.