On 8 June 2018, The Ocean Cleanup entered into a unique agreement with the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management relating to the deployment of The Ocean Cleanup's systems on the high seas. The Ocean Cleanup's systems represent advanced technology designed to drastically reduce the amount of floating plastic in the world's oceans.

This agreement confirms that the Netherlands will support and facilitate The Ocean Cleanup's activities, and (where necessary) represent The Ocean Cleanup's interests in relation to other states and in relevant international forums, such as the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Innovative from a legal perspective is that the position of The Ocean Cleanup's systems is largely equated to that of other seagoing vessels. This creates clarity as to the rights and obligations of The Ocean Cleanup when operating its systems on the high seas, towards states as well as other users of the high seas. De Brauw has acted as the first point of contact for The Ocean Cleanup’s legal matters since 2015. The De Brauw team working on this specific project consists of Irina Buga, Lieselotte Schijf and Jonathan Soeharno.