Six new partners join AKD Prinsen Van Wijmen

Three of the partners are based in AKD's Amsterdam office, adding further weight to the firm's Corporate Law and Commercial Property practice groups. The remaining three new partners are working from Rotterdam, joining the groups responsible for Shipping, Trade and Insurance and Employment Law and the Civil Notary's office.

Bert Heikens, the chairman of AKD Prinsen Van Wijmen, says, "We are extremely delighted to again be able to welcome a number of excellent new partners. All of them bring exceptional skills and expertise and feel themselves committed to successfully pursuing AKD's strategy."

The partners who have been appointed are:

Mr. Vincent Bettonville
Mr. V. (Vincent) Bettonville (47) has been appointed as partner and joins AKD on 1 October 2008 from Loyens & Loeff, having been based in New York since 1992. He joins AKD's Corporate Law team in Amsterdam and strengthens the areas of corporate transactions and financial practices. Vincent Bettonville has extensive experience of international transactions and financing and also provides legal advice on corporate law pertaining to the Netherlands Antilles.

Mr. Corrine Holdinga
Mr. C. (Corrine) Holdinga (43) is a notary who will join AKD's Amsterdam-based Corporate Law team as partner as of 1 November 2008. Corrine Holdinga has been a partner at Stibbe, in Amsterdam, since 2000. She is frequently called upon as a notary in handling mergers, takeovers and private equity transactions. She also has particular expertise in the restructuring of limited companies, especially concerning domestic and cross-border mergers and divestments, as well as with partnerships and business co-operations.

Mr. Frank Roos
Mr. F.E. (Frank) Roos (51) joins AKD as partner from 1 November 2008, working in the notary's office in Rotterdam. Frank Roos began his career as a notary in 1993 in the Rotterdam office of the legal firm then known as Simmons & Simmons. He advises national and international businesses and investors in his specialist fields of mergers, takeovers, reorganisations, restructurings and corporate governance. His expertise also extends to the non-profit sector, commercial property, project development and public-private partnerships.

Mr. Frans Vreede
Mr. F.G .(Frans) Vreede (58) joins AKD's Shipping, Trade and Insurance practice group as partner from 1 October 2008, being based Rotterdam. He previously worked for more than 20 years as a partner at Boekel De Nerée where he led their Aviation & Logistics section. Regarding aviation, Frans Vreede has been involved at virtually every level of the logistical chain involving passenger and cargo transport. He advises airline companies, ground handlers, shipping agents, General Sales Agents, tour operators and travel agents on national, European and international regulations. He handles questions of liability and insurance and provides legal support in the setting up or acquistion of airline companies. Frans Vreede also has specific expertise in national and international logistical operations and supply chain management. On behalf of the branch organisation Transport en Logistiek Nederland, he was responsible for establishing the terms and conditions for physical distribution and a model contract for logisitical agreements.
Frans Vreede became a lawyer in 1977 and, from 1984, was a partner at Boekel De Neree in Amsterdam.

Mr. Eunice Bruyninckx
Mr. E.L.J. (Eunice) Bruyninckx (38) has been appointed as partner and is to move to AKD from Linklaters LLP, in Amsterdam, as of 1 January 2009. She will join AKD's Employment Law practice group in Rotterdam. Eunice Bruyninckx began her legal career in 1995 and moved from Simmons & Simmons to Linklaters LLP, in 2007, to establish that firm's employment law practice. Eunice Bruyninckx is specialised in dealing with a broad range of topics relating to employment law. She provides legal advice and conducts litigation. Her main focus is on participation agreements, equal treatment, collective and individual dismissals, the employment law-related aspects of mergers and acquisitions, the transfer of ownership of commercial entities and pensions.

Mr. Mariëtta van Wijk
Mr. A.E.M. (Mariëtta) van Wijk (37) has been appointed as partner. She commenced working for AKD on 1 September 2008 as junior notary in the Commercial Property practice group. Mariëtta van Wijk has a broad range of legal specialisations which extend across the entire field of property law. She has extensive experience with project development, auctions and forced sales, tenders, in converting property to commonhold, setting up property funds and property financing arrangements and with drawing up property management contracts. Mariëtta van Wijk began working as a junior notary in 1995. She worked at Van Doorne immediately prior to joining AKD.